The mouth and maltreatment: safeguarding issues in child dental health

From the first cry of a newborn baby, the first smile, first tooth, first word, the mouth plays a key role in children’s health and development. It benefits from a whole team of dental health professionals dedicated to maintenance of its essential and lifelong functions in communication and feeding. Sometimes the mouth becomes the focus of abuse or neglect. In the context of safeguarding and promoting welfare, both dental health and dental care are recognised as notable aspects of children’s needs.1 2 Nevertheless, it is uncommon for paediatricians and dental professionals to work sufficiently closely together to ensure that oral health is fully included in multiagency assessment and planning for children experiencing maltreatment.

The aim of this article is to outline the scope of safeguarding issues in child dental health. It will consider the interpretation of oral findings as indicators of maltreatment, discuss the arguably underused contribution that dental professionals can make to child protection and will explore the potential for enhancing working together with paediatricians. The intention is to stimulate discussion and debate.