Maus tratos em crianças

: o contributo da odontopediatria para o diagnóstico e atuação legal

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadys children are considered particularly vulnerable elements in society, and are entitled to be protected against all forms of abuse. The physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse and neglect are the main forms of abuse in children and can be detected and reported to the "Abuse of children signaling entities" through a multidisciplinary approach between the fields of Dentistry and Dental Forensics. Once the region’s most frequently involved is oral region (head, face, mouth and neck), the role of the Pediatric Dentist is extremely important in detecting new cases. Objectives: Sensitize the dentists about the importance of their role in detection and signaling of child victims of abuse. Highlight the fundamental paper of Pediatric Dentist in the early detection of these cases. Materials and Methods: We performed a literature search using the search engines PubMed, Google Scholar and B-on \ Online Knowledge Library using keywords such as child abuse, child neglect, victims of abuse, dental neglect, domestic violence, legal issues, legal liability, bite marks, forensic aspects. We selected articles written in English or Portuguese and published in the last 10 years. 295 results were obtained, of which 83 meet the criteria for inclusion. Conclusion: It is essential to inform dentists regarding the abuse and neglect of children, so that they can prevent any unsafe situations, acting swiftly and according to existing protocols.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Andreia Figueiredo (Supervisor) & Cristina Figueiredo (Supervisor)