Woman who had 11 dental implants likely died from triple anesthetic dose

South Korea’s National Forensic Service recently concluded that a 75-year-old woman who died after undergoing dental implant surgery last year likely died from an excessive dose of local anesthetic, local broadcaster MBN reported.

According to MBN, the NFS found that the woman, surnamed Kim, appeared to have died from a reaction to articaine, an amide-type local anesthetic commonly used in dental procedures.

Clinic records showed that Kim received 1,088 milligrams of the anesthetic while undergoing procedures for 11 dental implants in a single day.

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Articaine is commonly administered as articaine hydrochloride with epinephrine. The recommended maximum dose is 7 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Kim weighed 54 kilograms at the time, meaning the recommended maximum dose would have been 378 milligrams.

The amount recorded by the clinic was therefore nearly three times that level.

While multiple dental implants can be placed in a single day, performing procedures on such a large number of teeth at once is uncommon and can carry substantial medical risks.

The clinic reportedly offered to perform the 11 implant procedures at a price significantly below the usual cost on the condition that they all be done at once.

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The Korean Dental Association has raised concerns about clinics attracting patients with unusually low prices, warning that such practices can put patient safety at risk.

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Police are investigating the surgery and the medication administered during the procedure. Investigators are reviewing whether the dosage was appropriate and whether clinic staff responded properly when the patient’s condition deteriorated.