Captive rage

Providing dental care for the sexual abuse survivor requires a mixture of technical and interpersonal skills. It is often necessary to counteract the effects of long term dental neglect complicated by the psychological aspects of the oral cavity. Feelings of loss of control of an important psychologically and sexually charged area must be dealt with effectively. Dentists must be flexible in their approach to the patient, yet never compromise the standard of care. Examination of case histories provides illustrations and examples.