Danish dentists? and dental hygienists? knowledge of and experience with suspicion of child abuse or neglect

Abstract

Background. Studies from several countries have shown that knowledge of child protection matters among the dental team is inadequate. No such data are available from Denmark. Aim. To describe dental teams perception of their role in child protection matters. Design. A previously used questionnaire regarding the role of the dental team in child protection was adopted to Danish terminology, and mailed to a sample of Danish dentists and dental hygienists. Results. A total of 1145 (76.3%) returned a questionnaire with valid data; 38.3% reported to have had suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Of those who reported a suspicion, 33.9% had reported their suspicion to social services. This was more frequent for dentists than for dental hygienists, and more frequent for respondents working in the municipal dental service than in private practice. Most frequently reported barriers towards referring suspicion to social services were uncertainty about observations, fear of violence in the family towards the child, and lack of knowledge regarding referral procedures. The majority of the respondents expressed a need for further education. Conclusions. Members of the dental team in Denmark do not seem to fill their role sufficiently in child protection matters, and perceive a need for undergraduate and continuing postgraduate training.