Japanese teen dies after wisdom tooth removal

The incident took place last year at a clinic in Sakai City, Osaka, but was only made public by authorities on Monday.

The victim, Yuta Tomikawa, was a third-year student at a special-needs school run by the Osaka Prefectural Government.

According to his family, he had a developmental disorder and visited the clinic in July last year to have two wisdom teeth removed.

Police have referred the dentists to prosecutors, as reported by Mainichi.

In specific, they requested severe disciplinary action and the indictment of a 55-year-old male director of the dental clinic and a 34-year-old female dentist on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.

The police alleged that the clinic staff failed to take appropriate measures despite the incorrect insertion of the tube that delivers oxygen to the lungs.

The clinic, operated by the Sakai Dental Association, was established in 2008 to serve patients who face challenges receiving treatment at general dental clinics, such as those who cannot remain still during procedures.

According to a NHK report, Tomikawa became hypoxic after receiving general anesthesia for his wisdom tooth extraction and died about a month later.

A tube intended to deliver oxygen to his lungs had been inserted through his nose, but police found that the tube’s tip had somehow come loose from the trachea, leading to insufficient oxygen delivery.

Despite this, the dentist in charge failed to verify the tube’s correct placement, and the clinic director also did not check and instead performed first aid, suspecting another cause. This led to a delay of over 40 minutes before emergency services were called.