[What is the dentist's role in the recognition of child abuse?]

For a Dutch dentist, the chance to recognise a physical abused child with injuries in the head-neck region, is less than once every 18 months. But child abuse is difficult to recognize. In spite of all this, it's still important for dentists to know how to recognise child abuse, since the effects on a child can be harmful. Child abuse finds its expression in, for example bruises, burns, laceration of the labial frenulum or avulsed teeth. There are also often behavioural problems. Clothes can mask lesions. The fact that child abuse can't be reported anonymously is a misconception. Professionals can report a case of child abuse anonymously to the "Advies en Meldpunten Kindermishandeling", although a not anonymous report is favoured.