Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Child Abuse Diagnosis and Reporting Among A Group of Egyptian Dentists: A Cross-Sectional Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ministry of Health, Egypt

2 Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University

Abstract

Aim: Child abuse and neglect is a challenging issue that faces all communities. In this study we aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of a group of Egyptian dentists as regards to child abuse and neglect.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study performed in the Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University during the school year (2022-2023). The data has been gathered through a self-administrated structured questionnaire completed by 197 Egyptian dentists. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis.
Results: More than 80% of the respondents were aware of the types of abuse, and 50% of them recognized all manifestations of child maltreatment. About 82.2% of the respondents believed that dentists play a significant role in perceiving and reporting child maltreatment cases. 66% of dentists suspected cases of maltreatment. However, only 8.1% reported maltreatment cases last year. The most common reason for hesitancy of reporting was lack of obtaining adequate history and the fear of the consequences on the children.
Conclusion: In high caries risk patients, caries preventive regimen based on herbal toothpaste has similar clinical performance to those based on fluoride toothpaste and varnish along three months’ follow-up.
Clinical relevance: Most of the Egyptian dentists within the studied group have moderate knowledge regarding child maltreatment, diagnosis and reporting. Yet, the need for raising the awareness of the Egyptian dentists about their pivotal role in defending against child abuse is demanding.

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Advanced Dental Journal
Volume 7, Issue 3
July 2025
Pages 545-554

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