Top line:
The researchers detail best practices for pediatricians to evaluate dental signs of child abuse and how they can work with other physicians to detect and report these incidents.
Methodology:
According to the Fourth National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevalence Survey, approximately 323,000 children in the United States were identified as having been physically abused in 2006, the most recent assessment year. One in seven children in the United States is abused or neglected each year, and craniofacial, head, face, and neck injuries occur in more than half of child abuse cases. Children under the age of four with orofacial and torso contusions are at risk for more severe abuse in the future. Trafficking victims are twice as likely to have dental problems due to malnutrition and inadequate care.
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In cases of possible oral sexual abuse, physicians should test for sexually transmitted diseases and document the incident to support forensic investigations. Pediatricians should consult with a forensic pediatric dentist or child abuse specialist to evaluate bite marks and other signs of abuse. If parents do not treat their child for oral or dental disease after discovery, pediatricians should report the case to Child Protective Services for concerns of dental neglect. Because trafficked children may receive medical or dental treatment during their incarceration, physicians should use screening tools to identify children at risk for trafficking, regardless of gender. Physicians should be careful not to be biased against reporting because they share a similar background to the parent or other caregiver of a suspected abused child.
Exercise:
“Pediatric dentists and oral surgeons, whose advanced education programs include mandatory education curricula on child abuse, can provide valuable information and support to other health care professionals regarding the oral and dental aspects of child abuse and neglect,” the study authors wrote.
sauce:
The study was led by Anupama Rao Tate, MD, MPH, of the American Academy of Pediatrics and published online in the journal Pediatrics.
Limitations:
No limitations were reported.
Disclosure:
Susan A. Fisher Owens reported financial ties to Colgate. No other disclosures were reported.
This article was created using multiple editorial tools, including AI as part of the process; a human editor reviewed this content before publishing.
