Cuddle Kids Dental in Fort Worth, Texas, remains closed following the arrest of its owner, Chrishelle Hemphill, DDS, who was charged after a 4-year-old patient died during a dental procedure in April, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported July 23.
A sign on the office door indicated the practice would reopen July 23, but Dr. Hemphill’s attorney told NBC 5 that the office would not reopen that day.
Dr. Hemphill’s license was temporarily suspended July 15 — the same day as her arrest — for at least 30 days. The suspension does not bar her from performing administrative tasks such as referring patients, but prohibits her from delegating any clinical tasks to employees.
Dr. Hemphill was arrested more than three months after the April 1 death of Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga, during which time she continued to see patients. The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners launched an investigation after Dr. Hemphill self-reported the death, as required, but the Fort Worth Police Department said it did not learn of the incident until June, when the child’s mother brought autopsy results to police directly.
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