EVALUATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GRADUATE DENTISTRY STUDENTS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHILD ABUSE

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.1593932309112

• Palavras-chave: Students, Child abuse, Dentistry.

• Keywords: Students, Child abuse, Dentistry.

• Abstract:

  INTRODUCTION: To assess the knowledge of undergraduate Dentistry students in diagnosing child abuse is extremely important, as these professionals play a fundamental role in the early identification and notification of cases of child abuse. From this assessment, we can better understand the gaps that exist and the need for more comprehensive training to ensure that these future professionals are prepared to act in accordance with child protection laws, thus contributing to a safer and more compassionate environment for children. children. GOAL: assess dentistry students’ knowledge about diagnosing child abuse and related regulations. METHODOLOGY: A literature review was carried out using the LILACS, PubMed and Scielo databases, with the descriptors "students," "child abuse" and "dentistry" combined by the Boolean operator AND. The sample included complete articles published from 2013 to 2023. Initially, we found 60 studies: 14 in LILACS, 44 in PubMed and 02 in Scielo. We selected 07 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, distributed among 02 from LILACS, 04 from PubMed and 01 from Scielo. The main reason for exclusion was the lack of relevance to the scope of this review, as many addressed surgical techniques and the use of the buccal fat pad. RESULTS: Research highlights dental students' lack of familiarity with child maltreatment regulations. Furthermore, a lack of knowledge was demonstrated, both by students and professionals, regarding the diagnosis of these cases. Uncertainty in the diagnosis and fear in reporting these cases were also observed, emphasizing the need for additional training. CONCLUSION: Significant deficiencies in dental students' and dentists' knowledge of legislation and practices related to the diagnosis of child abuse are evident. This highlights the urgency of more comprehensive education and specialized training in identifying, reporting and preventing these cases.