A two-week hearing is set to get underway in Alberta’s capital to determine if an Edmonton dentist is guilty of unprofessional conduct after a young patient he sedated was later hospitalized and suffered brain damage.
On Monday, Dr. William Mather will go before a tribunal for an Alberta Dental Association & College hearing looking into the case of Amber Athwal, who was four years old when she was rushed to the Stollery Children’s Hospital after undergoing a dental procedure at Mather’s downtown office in September 2016. Athwal went from being a healthy, functional child to being unable to talk, walk or recognize her parents.
READ MORE: Alberta dentists no longer allowed single operator sedation
Watch below: On Nov. 30, 2016, Kendra Slugoski filed this report after a hearing was ordered into what happened to Amber Athwal.
“We are feeling very hopeful about this hearing because it’s already 13 months since this happened and we don’t know what happened, what went wrong in Amber’s care,” Amber’s father, Raman Athwal, told Global News on Saturday. “We are very hopeful that these hearings will bring valuable teachings and changes to the system so it won’t happen to any other child.”
In February, the Athwal family filed a lawsuit against Mather and eight members of his staff for $26.5 million in damages.
READ MORE: Dentist, nurse respond to $26M Amber Athwal lawsuit, allege pre-existing condition
Mather has alleged any injuries Athwal sustained after being put under general anaesthesia occurred because the family didn’t disclose the child’s full medical history or exactly what she ate and drank before the procedure.
According to Raman Athwal, despite Amber’s long road to recovery, she continues to progress.
“Since the injury, Amber has shown remarkable progress,” he said. “Every time she goes to the doctors, she surprises them.
“There’s a long way ahead.”
Amber, who is now five-and-a-half years old, was released from the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in January. Raman Athwal said that while she is now able to hold her own head up and chew food, she still can’t do things like sit or stand independently.
“Right now she’s trying standing and sitting and hopefully in the next few weeks, we can see her do that.”
Shortly after the incident, neither of Athwal’s parents was working in order to take care of their daughter. Raman Athwal said now he and Amber’s mother rotate between who goes to work and who stays home to take care of their daughter.
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