Dentist attitudes and responsibilities concerning child sexual abuse. A review and a case report
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, child abuse and neglect is “every kind of physical, sexual, emotional
abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, commercial or other exploitation resulting in actual or potential harm to the
child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power”.
The aim of the present report is to inform about the most relevant aspects of child abuse and the characteristics of
injuries to the head, neck, and orofacial regions, in addition to the suggested role of, and management by, the dentist
for the evaluation of this condition, and also for reporting a case of a physically and sexually abused girl aged
5 years 8 months. Throughout the appointments, some type of abuse in this patient was suspected by the treating
dentists at the clinic, mainly due to the initial behavior exhibited by the patient in the dental chair. Based on the
clinical diagnostic an intensive preventive plan and restorative treatment was realized.
The timely detection of the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, often present in the orofacial region, place the
pediatric dentist in a strategic situation, with the capacity to recognize, register, and later report those cases considered
as suspect, including the dental treatment delivered and the intensive behavioral-psychological management,
in order to achieve acceptation by the otherwise very anxious patient of the indicated restorative and preventive
dental procedures.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
dentist, attitude, child sexual abuse, behavior management
Citation
Garrocho-Rangel, A., Márquez-Preciado, R., Olguín-Vivar, A.-I., Ruiz-Rodríguez, S., & Pozos-Guillén, A. (2015). Dentist attitudes and responsibilities concerning child sexual abuse. A review and a case report. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry, 7(3), e428–e434.