NCJ Number
197495
Date Published
2000
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This document provides information for dentists, registered dental hygienists, and registered dental assistants on reporting child, elder, or family abuse and/or neglect.
Abstract
Child abuse is any act of omission or commission that endangers or impairs a child’ physical or emotional health and development. These acts include physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional deprivation, physical neglect and/or inadequate supervision, and sexual abuse and exploitation. Children that are abused physically or emotionally display certain types of behavior, such as wariness of adult contact, overly compliant or passive behaviors, and lags in development of motor skills, toilet training, socialization, or language. Other indicators of abuse and neglect are poor personal hygiene, dressed inappropriately for weather conditions, or evidence of poor supervision. Dental neglect is the willful failure by a parent or guardian to seek and obtain appropriate treatment for caries and infections or any other condition of the teeth or support structures that makes eating difficult, causes pain, delays growth or development, or makes it difficult to perform daily activities. Indicators of dental neglect are untreated rampant caries, easily detected by a layperson; untreated pain, infection, bleeding or trauma affecting the orofacial region; and history of a lack of follow-through for care with identified dental pathology. Child neglect is the negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child by a person responsible for the child’s health and welfare. This includes failure to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care (includes dental care), and supervision. A telephone report must be made immediately when the reporter observes a child in his or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her employment and has knowledge of, or reasonable suspicion that the child has been abused. A written report, on a standard form, must be sent within 36 hours after the telephone report has been made. Dentists, registered dental hygienists, and registered dental assistants are designated by law as mandated reporters that are required to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect while in their professional capacities.