The role of the dentist in recognizing elder abuse

Recognizing abuse is paramount to protecting the increasing proportion of seniors in the Canadian population. Dentists are in an ideal position to identify and signal suspected abuse, as they perform a thorough examination of the head and neck region and generally see their patients twice a year. Good communication skills are necessary to improve dialogue with the patient. This article is intended to provide the dentist with tools to identify abuse and a decision tree to manage and monitor the suspected abused elder. With increased awareness, dentists will play an important role in helping protect seniors from abuse.