Dentist Treated Children For Months After 4-Year-Old Died From Overdose In Her Chair

Interesting child, death, dentist, drug overdose, louisiana, texas admin July 23, 2026 0 Comments

Dentist Treated Children For Months After 4-Year-Old Died From Overdose In Her Chair

A Texas dentist continued to treat pediatric patients after she allegedly administered a fatal amount of sedative to a four-year-old, according to NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth.

Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill has been charged with injury to a child in connection with the April 2026 death of Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga, according to NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth.

Arriaga, who weighed 44 pounds, received a dose of the sedative meperidine too high for an adult, according to the results of an April 2 autopsy referenced in Hemphill’s charging documents, NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth reported.

Hemphill allegedly kept meperidine and flumazenil, which are both clear liquids, in the same box, according to detectives, as indicated in the charging documents reviewed by NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth. Hemphill also left multiple syringes prepared with varying amounts of medication in the same cup.

A witness, who was not identified, alleged that if a patient did not finish the entire dose of a sedative during a procedure, then “they will [sic] keep it here for the next patient.” (RELATED: Family Says Woman Threw Herself Into Traffic After ChatGPT Convinced Her She Was A Prophet)

Additionally, Hemphill is accused of giving the child a reversal medicine for a different sedative, improperly monitoring her breathing, and misinterpreting signs that the child was suffocating, prompting her to administer CPR, the charging documents allege. Arriaga was undergoing a routine tongue-tie procedure at the time of the incident, CBS News reported.

“We deserve to know who we’re trusting our children with,” Cheyenne Mahanna, whose daughter and niece were also treated by Hemphill, told NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth.

“I’m blessed that my daughter and my niece is [sic] okay, but thinking about what that mom must be going through and just realizing that, you know, this was supposed to be a simple procedure that ended up changing her entire life for the rest of her life. I just couldn’t imagine,” she continued.

The Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) opened a criminal investigation into Hemphill in June, after Arriaga’s mother shared her daughter’s autopsy findings.

“Upon their [FWPD] arrival, they observed an unresponsive four-year-old female child … The child was transported by the Fort Worth Fire Department from this location to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) began an investigation into this case,” the FWPD told the Daily Caller in a statement.

The FWPD went on to say, “Upon their findings, it was determined by the investigators that an offense had occurred and that the doctor that was performing the procedure on the victim was responsible.”

Prior to the FWPD investigation, Hemphill reported Arriaga’s death to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, according to NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth.

The board issued an of temporary suspension July 15, claiming that her continued practice of dentistry would “constitute a clear, imminent, or continuing threat to a person’s physical health or well-being.” A hearing is also set to take place before the State Office of Administrative Hearings in 30 days, according to the board’s order.

Hemphill has been a licensed dentist in Texas since 2017, according to CBS News. She also holds a license to practice dentistry in Louisiana.

Hemphill’s license to practice in Louisiana has also been suspended following the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners’ decision, the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry confirmed in a statement to the Daily Caller.

While Hemphill was arrested, she has been released on bail, according to NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth.