Acknowledgement and Awareness of Child Abuse and Neglect in Dentist Perspective

Abstract

Child abuse or neglect comprises all forms of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, and cyberbullying, exploitation, child labour, trafficking, and other digital forms of exploitation which is potentially harmful to child development and health. In case of abuse injuries in the orofacial region can be easily diagnosed by the dentists. Therefore, its dentist's duty to suspect, recognize, and later report the case. Including dental treatment behavior psychological management is necessary to achieve the urgent adoption of protective measures for the victim as well as adequate follow up to avoid the abuse in the future.

Assessment of psychological indicators of domestic violence against children and youth from the child’s behavior in the dental office

“…Lack of fluency in speech can be perpetuated by various social reactions, e.g. criticism, fighting between parents, violence against a child or the excessive demands of parents [40,41]. Eating disorders are also considered in literature as one of the predictors of child abuse and neglect and are associated with neglect, sexual assault, sexual harassment, physical abuse and assault, emotional abuse, as well as emotional and physical neglect [42,43].…”

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“…Offenders often change pediatricians to disguise the harm of a child's well-being. However, they are less suspicious about the dentist reporting and exposing them and thus often stay with the same dentist for orofacial traumas of their children [2,3].…”