Diagnostiek en beleid bij (verdenking op) kindermishandeling

About 5% of all children presented at a First Aid Unit in the Netherlands is a victim of child abuse. It is estimated that in the Netherlands yearly about 50.000 to 80.000 children are victims of child abuse, which is about ten children per dental practice per annum. In more than 50% of the cases there is a trauma of the head- and neck-area. Therefore, it is likely that dentists are regularly confronted with cases of child abuse. This high percentage of oro-facial trauma puts a high responsibility on the dental profession. Dentists have an ethical duty to act actively in cases of child-abuse. They may refer to an oral surgeon, consult the family physician or ask advice of the 'Advies- en Meldpunt Kindermishandeling' (Advice- and Report Centre for Child Abuse). This article describes the symptoms of child abuse and the recommended procedure for action