Manitoba family still searching for answers nearly 2 years after daughter died following dental procedure

Manitoba family still searching for answers nearly 2 years after daughter died following dental procedure

Virgina Blatz, 23, died on Nov. 27, 2024, after going to Morden clinic to have wisdom teeth removed

The parents of a 23-year-old woman who died after she went to have her wisdom teeth removed at a southern Manitoba dental clinic say they've been left "shattered" and searching for answers nearly two years after their daughter's death.

Virginia Blatz was pronounced dead in hospital on Nov. 27, 2024, after going to the Boundary Trails Dental Centre in Morden, Man., to have her wisdom teeth removed that morning.

An autopsy found Virginia's death was caused by local anesthetic systemic toxicity — when levels of the pain-blocking medication become too high in a person's blood — "resulting from an inadvertent intravascular injection of local anesthetic," according to the family's lawyer Troy Harwood-Jones.

CBC News has not independently viewed the autopsy report.

Virginia's mother Victoria Blatz said her daughter was keen to get her wisdom teeth removed because she had been suffering with a sore mouth in the days leading up to the procedure.

Victoria dropped Virginia off at the dental clinic on the morning of Nov. 27, 2024, and planned to pick her up as soon as the appointment was over.

The clinic called Victoria a short time later, saying her daughter was having a seizure.

Victoria said the clinic was frenzied when she returned. It was as if she "walked into a nightmare" when she saw her daughter there, she said.

"It's obviously the worst thing I've ever seen. It's the worst experience I've ever had. It was terrible," Victoria said.

As the two-year anniversary of Virginia's death creeps closer, her father Dulaney Blatz says the family is still searching for answers about what happened in the dentist's chair.

"Maybe we will never know the truth," he said.

The Manitoba Dental Association began investigating the incident, which happened when Virginia was under the care of Dr. Ronald Janz, shortly after it occurred.

Southern Manitoba woman, 23, dies following dental procedure

Janz is still listed as a general dentist on the Boundary Trails Dental Centre's website. According to the dental association's registry, he is currently restricted in his ability to administer local anesthetic drugs.

Dulaney said the family didn't hear from the dental association until several months after Virginia's death. And they're still unsure what's happening with the investigation after many more months have passed, he said.

Victoria said the lack of answers has been "massively frustrating" for the family.

"We were a shattered family for quite some time after Virginia's death. We just really could not function properly. And we had so many questions and we were so unsure and we were really, really struggling," she said.

"We've just come to the point where we're so tired of being patient."

The family filed a separate formal complaint about Janz in June.

The dental association's lawyers said in a Sept. 1 letter sent to the Blatzs' legal counsel that information about the initial investigation wasn't being shared with Virginia's loved ones because the MDA's registrar is the official complainant under rules set out in the Dental Association Act — not the family.

That letter was in response to an Aug. 21 letter sent by the family's lawyers asking for updates on the initial investigation and the status of the Blatz family's new complaint. CBC News has viewed both letters.

In a statement to CBC News on behalf of the Manitoba Dental Association, Rodrigo Sanches Cunha, the association's president, acknowledged the family's frustration, and said that while they understand why Virginia's family wants answers, they have "a legal and regulatory responsibility to conduct a thorough and fair process."

"As you can appreciate, details of the investigation cannot be shared because this matter has not reached its final adjudicative conclusion," the statement said.

"We recognize that the length of this process, together with confidentiality requirements that limit what we can share, has compounded an already unbearable situation for Virginia's family."

"We will contact them directly this week to explain where the process stands, what happens next, and what information we can appropriately share without compromising the integrity of the proceeding."

CBC News has also reached out to the Boundary Trails Dental Centre.

Dulaney said Virginia — the youngest of their five children — was set to start a new job as a welder just a few days after her final dental appointment.

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Her father said she was hard-working and kind, with dreams to settle down on a little farm like the one her parents run near Lowe Farm, about 70 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

"We lost a wonderful daughter who was kind and caring to everybody," he said, adding she loved people and animals dearly.

Victoria said Virginia was a "bright light" who had a happy future ahead of her.

The family wants justice for their daughter.

"We've suffered a monstrous loss and the community has suffered a monstrous loss and our family will never be the same again. It's shattered us all completely," Victoria said.

"We want answers and accountability and assurances that this is not going to happen to other families."

Lauren Scott is a Winnipeg-based reporter with CBC Manitoba. They hold a master’s degree in computational and data journalism, and have previously worked for the Hamilton Spectator and The Canadian Press.