Dental Neglect and Its Perception in the Dental Practice

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dental Neglect and Its Perception in the Dental Practice

AU - Pawils, Silke

AU - Lindeman, Tom

AU - Lemke, Rüdiger

PY - 2022/5/25

Y1 - 2022/5/25

N2 - In 2020, the number of reported cases of child maltreatment in Germany has never been higher and most of them showed signs of neglect. Most of the time, dental neglect (DN) appears together with a general form of neglect, and includes, apart from caries, many other negative short- and long-term effects for the affected child. In this study, the prevalence of DN in Germany and the way dental practices are currently addressing the topic are examined. Moreover, this study explored whether the experiences of German dentists with DN are related to their work experience, their gender or further education about DN. The data was collected using an anonymous questionnaire. The hypotheses were tested using unpaired t-tests based on differences in mean values. The three most common reasons for a suspected case of child maltreatment were the interaction of children with parents, or a legal guardian, insufficient oral or general hygiene, and grave caries. Even though most of the participating dentists agree that it is the task of the dentist to report suspected cases of child maltreatment, only few of them have done so in the past themselves. Not only insecurity about recognition and whom to contact in the suspected case, but also concern about unfounded suspicion were the most common reasons not to report a suspected case of DN. The detection and communication of suspected cases should be encouraged in order to protect affected children.

AB - In 2020, the number of reported cases of child maltreatment in Germany has never been higher and most of them showed signs of neglect. Most of the time, dental neglect (DN) appears together with a general form of neglect, and includes, apart from caries, many other negative short- and long-term effects for the affected child. In this study, the prevalence of DN in Germany and the way dental practices are currently addressing the topic are examined. Moreover, this study explored whether the experiences of German dentists with DN are related to their work experience, their gender or further education about DN. The data was collected using an anonymous questionnaire. The hypotheses were tested using unpaired t-tests based on differences in mean values. The three most common reasons for a suspected case of child maltreatment were the interaction of children with parents, or a legal guardian, insufficient oral or general hygiene, and grave caries. Even though most of the participating dentists agree that it is the task of the dentist to report suspected cases of child maltreatment, only few of them have done so in the past themselves. Not only insecurity about recognition and whom to contact in the suspected case, but also concern about unfounded suspicion were the most common reasons not to report a suspected case of DN. The detection and communication of suspected cases should be encouraged in order to protect affected children.

KW - Child

KW - Child Abuse

KW - Family

KW - Germany/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Perception

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19116408

DO - 10.3390/ijerph19116408

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 35681995

VL - 19

JO - INT J ENV RES PUB HE

JF - INT J ENV RES PUB HE

SN - 1660-4601

IS - 11

M1 - 6408

ER -