Orofacial Injuries Associated with Child abuse and its relevance in the Dental Area

Abstract

Objective: To describe the orofacial signs that allow recognizing child maltreatment, in addition, to highlight the relevance of this competence in professional training. 

Materials and Method: The search was carried out in the Pubmed and Scielo databases, using MeSH terms: “child abuse AND oral lesion” and “child abuse AND dentist AND oral” in Pubmed, “child abuse AND dentist” and “child abuse AND oral” in Scielo. The inclusion criteria were publications since 2015, pediatric patients, and descriptions of orofacial lesions associated with child abuse. Articles with a legal focus were excluded. 

Results: Two publications from Scielo and four from Pubmed were selected. The publications described orofacial injuries associated with child abuse such as bruises, burns, lacerations, cuts, ecchymoses, contusions, abrasions, etc. The most characteristic of physical abuse was dentoalveolar trauma, bone fracture, and soft tissue injuries. In sexual abuse, there were erythema, ulcerations, purulent vesicles, and condyloma. Negligence on the part of caregivers are cavities, periodontal disease, aphthous ulcers, and infections.  

Conclusion: It is necessary to strengthen during dental training the detection of signs and symptoms indicative of child abuse, how to face the situation, and what are the protocols to follow in terms of reporting and referral.