The dentist's role in identifying child abuse: an evaluation about experiences, attitudes, and knowledge

This study sought to investigate dentists' experiences, attitudes, and knowledge in recognizing and reporting suspected cases of child abuse. It was designed as a cross-sectional study across dental practices. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed randomly to 500 dentists. The questionnaire investigated characteristics of the population, education concerning child abuse, experience and attitudes in reporting suspected cases, and the ability to recognize signs of abuse. Approximately 60% of the dentists responded to the survey. Among the dentists who participated in the survey, 87% believed that recognizing child abuse is important, however, 63.2% reported that they did not know how to act in such situations, and 44.2% were unaware of the proper child protection authorities to contact. Among the dentists surveyed, 94.7% reported they did not receive enough education concerning child abuse in their undergraduate studies. While 31.3% of dentists suspected child abuse among their patients, 84% reported their suspicions to the proper authorities. The reason cited most often (33.3%) for not reporting suspected abuse was the fear of litigation and its potential impact on their practice. Only 34.2% of dentists demonstrated knowledge about the potential signs of child abuse.