Association Between Parental/Caregiver Oral Health Literacy and Dental Caries in Preschool-Aged Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35699/2178-1990.2025.61655Keywords:
child abuse, forensic dentistryAbstract
Aim: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dentists regarding suspected and reported cases of child abuse and neglect.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dentists working in public health services in a municipality in Northeastern Brazil. Data were collected using a questionnaire originally developed and validated by Markovic et al. (2015), adapted for administration via the Google Forms platform. After data collection, responses were coded and analyzed using SPSS software, version 21.0 for Windows. The chi-square test (χ²) was applied to assess associations between dependent and independent variables.
Results: Most participants worked in the Family Health Strategy (76.7%) and had over 10 years of experience in Dentistry (43.3%). Half of the professionals held a specialization degree (50%), with 26.7% trained in Public Health, Community Health, or Family Health. Additionally, 50% reported having received information about signs of child abuse and neglect during their undergraduate education. Statistically significant associations (p<0.05) were identified between the dependent variables and workplace setting, years of professional experience, time since graduation, and receipt of information on abuse during undergraduate training. Notably, the absence of case history and lack of prior information on the topic during academic training (p=0.046) were identified as factors that could justify the failure to report.
Conclusion: Dentists still exhibit alarming levels of lack of knowledge regarding indicators and physical signs of child abuse, highlighting the need for training, curriculum modifications, and the establishment of clear protocols to support dentists when facing suspected cases of abuse.
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