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Dental aspects of child abuse: review and case reports
Author(s) -
Symons Anne L.,
Rowe Paul V.,
Romaniuk K.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/j.1834-7819.1987.tb01272.x
Subject(s) - notice , child abuse , psychiatry , medicine , physical abuse , etiology , psychological abuse , suicide prevention , psychology , poison control , medical emergency , law , political science
Child abuse is an unfortunate widespread social disorder that is only now coming to notice. The aetiology, consequences for the victim and clinical manifestations of child abuse are reviewed, and case histories of three very different forms of child abuse are presented. A case of suspected physical abuse, confirmed physical abuse which resulted in death, and a rare case of emotional and socio‐cultural deprivation are described. A large number of child abuse victims, as many as 65 per cent, suffer facial and head injuries that would readily be apparent to dentists. However, there is an apparent lack of awareness by dentists as revealed by their low rate of reporting to authorities. The features or patterns of abuse that may alert dentists to the possibility of child abuse should become general knowledge to dentists so they may help remedy this disorder.