OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ABOUT WOUNDS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Background: Because of its function in communication and nourishment, the mouth cavity is considered a crucial and focus area in situations of abuse or physical assault. When it comes to the dental and oral components of child abuse and neglect, dentists who have received the proper training in child abuse curriculum may support and aid doctors.  Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the orofacial characteristics of children aged 5 to 16 who had been abused or neglected. Methods: Five hundred children between the ages of five and sixteen were evaluated for this study. Every participant was suspected of having been the victim of child abuse or neglect. A dentist with extensive curricular training evaluated orofacial characteristics extensively in each subject. Results: Thirty percent (n=144) of the 500 participants in the research had lacerations in different locations, such as the floor of the mouth in 3.6% (n=18), palate in 6.4% (n=32), buccal mucosa in 10.4% (n=52), frenum in 3.2% (n=16), and lip in 5.2% (n=26). Avulsion characteristics were seen in 11.6% (n=58) of the participants. 100% (n=500), 7.6% (n=38), 41.6% (n=208), and 7.2% (n=36) of the individuals had deposits, missing teeth, dental caries, and dentoalveolar fractures, respectively.  Conclusion: a thorough perioral and intraoral evaluation is essential for subjects who have experienced child abuse or neglect because the oral cavity is a critical site for evaluating physical abuse, which can be linked to its critical function in communication and nutrition. Dentists and physicians should work in collaboration for better detection, prevention, and treatment of such conditions.