Elder abuse and the dentists' awareness and knowledge of the problem--a national survey

A national sample of 1,775 Canadian dentists, representing 13.2 per cent of all Canadian dentists, were evaluated via a mailed questionnaire about their knowledge, awareness of, and experiences with victims of elder abuse and/or neglect. In all, 83.3 per cent of respondents were aware, to varying extents, of elder abuse or neglect. Of the dentists observing a patient suspected to have been a victim of neglect or abuse, 40.6 per cent reported incidents of neglect, while physical abuse was seen 59.4 per cent of the time. The types of neglect most frequently observed included: neglect of personal hygiene (31.8 per cent), failure to provide adequate medical/dental care (30.2 per cent), and failure to provide adequate supervision (20.1 per cent). The most frequently reported signs of physical abuse were bruises and welts (21.8 per cent), broken denture prostheses (12.1 per cent), fractured and avulsed teeth (11.5 per cent), and abrasions and lacerations (10.3 per cent). Where abuse was observed, dentists provided dental treatment in 53.2 per cent of the cases and made emergency medical referrals in 20.3 per cent of the cases. This study demonstrates that dentists have identified cases of abuse and/or neglect, and therefore should be consulted in the abuse/neglect identification and assessment process.