Considerations in identifying pediatric dental neglect and the legal obligation to report

Dentists’ self-perceived stress and difficulties when performing restorative treatment in children

“…The present studies revealed that there are no common national guidelines in use by dentists in Norway, concordant with other European studies, which may lead to uncertainty and nonreporting (105,108,116,149,(151)(152)(153)(154)(155). Regarding child maltreatment, the GPs mainly referred to Norwegian legislation, and the GDPs referred to a local guideline.…”

Barriers and factors influencing communication between dental professionals and Child Welfare Services in their everyday work

“…Children exposed to neglect and abuse do not always have the ability to ask for help themselves. Thus, in the task of acting as a mandated advocate for children, it is important that the general dental professionals (GDPs) are prepared and educated for a holistic approach to the patient's care . The authorities in Norway have emphasized and encouraged all dental professionals to impose their duties to report suspicion and follow through with mandatory reporting to the Child Welfare Services (CWS).…”

“…Easy access to guidelines is supported by many authors. Guidelines regarding child maltreatment may also be useful for communication across professions to promote children's health and to clarify that the threshold for referring a child to CWS is ‘having concern’ and ‘not being sure’ …”

Creating State or Regional Dental Registries to Identify Pediatric Dental Abuse or Neglect

“…Because the evolutionary development of legal responses to pediatric dental abuse and neglect has never been a primary focus of legislatures [4], the recognition by dental professionals of their role as mandatory reporters has been somewhat slower than recognition by other health care professionals serving the medical needs of children [5]. Today, dental professionals are clearly recognized as mandatory reporters of oral injuries indicating possible child abuse or child neglect [6].…”

“…Pediatric dental abuse is often the easier condition for dental professionals to identify, but dental neglect is perhaps more problematic in many instances [11]. If a parent or caregiver obtains a dental treatment plan, but fails to follow through with the child's treatment, how would the dentist be made aware in the event that the parent or caregiver simply does not bring the child back to the same dentist?…”