Published on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By JOHN ASBURY
The death of a Riverside girl who choked on a tooth during a dental procedure in March has been ruled accidental, though the case remains under investigation.
Seven-year-old Jacqueline Martinez jerked suddenly while having a tooth removed March 4 at the Riverside New Smile Dental Office on Arlington Avenue, a San Bernardino County coroner's report said.
Coroner's investigators said Jackie was "very nervous" and was given anesthesia by dentist Thien Luong, who was extracting a molar. When the girl moved suddenly, the tooth fell, causing her to choke, according to the coroner's report.
The report said the dentist tried to retrieve the tooth with forceps, performed the Heimlich maneuver and then called 911. An off-duty paramedic in the next room tried to give her CPR but was unable to dislodge the tooth.
The tooth later lodged in the girl's lung, causing swelling of her throat and eventually cutting off oxygen to her brain
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