Oral and Dental Aspects in Child Abuse and Neglect

Suspected cases of abuse and neglect should be reported by the health and dental care providers to parents, society and law enforcement agencies. This review reports the oral and dental aspects of physical and sexual abuse and dental neglect in children and pediatric and dental care provider’s role in evaluating such conditions. Perioral and intraoral injuries which raise suspicion for child abuse or neglect are evaluated through bite marks. Multiple kinds of maltreatment have been exposed to children nowadays. Hence health and dental care professionals should be aware and educated about these concerns. Oral health problems can also be noticed in bullying and human trafficking victims. These are noticed by the dentist during physical examination or else children or young adults may reveal these facts about experiencing abuse or neglect. It is mandatory for all dental and health care professionals to know about the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect and in addition they should also know how to respond to those conditions.