It should not hurt to be a child: A Case Report

Abstract

As custodians of children’s hopes and aspirations, we must accept the responsibility for creating an environment that will help children thrive. Child abuse is a major public health problem all over the world. It can be in the form of physical, sexual, emotional or just neglect in providing for the child’s needs. These factors can leave the child with serious, long-lasting psychological damage. Violence against children, including corporal punishment, is a violation of the rights of the child. It conflicts with the child’s human dignity and the right of the child to physical integrity. As most of the abuse injuries occur in the head and neck, dentists can easily diagnose them and as health care professionals, it is our duty to detect such abuses at an early stage to prevent further harm to the child and counseling of the abusive caretaker. The management of child abuse can be complicated, and often require a multidisciplinary approach, encompass professionals who will identify the cause of the abuse or neglect, treatment of the immediate problems and referral of the child to the relevant child protection authority for action. The involvement of dentists in child protection teams would be beneficial in two ways, dentists would become aware of their role and would assist in the training of physicians and other professionals.