child abuse and tooth trauma

Child abuse/child maltreatment is physical/psychological or / and sexualmaltreatment/neglect of a child especially by a parent or a caregiver.

Various children around India even today face these kinds of abuse that affecting them both physically and mentally.

Among various kinds of abuse, children facing physical abuse, a non-accidental act or behavior causing injury trauma or bodily harm, Facialinjuries are more prevalent in physical child abuse and accounts for about 50% of overall body injuries.

How can you identify?

• A child facing facial injury during an abuse, he/she will get their teethtraumatized/knockingout indicating a blunttraumaatthesite.
• Toothdiscoloration is an indication of repeatedtrauma.
• Stages of healing will be different for each injuries, there will be no uniform healing of all wounds.

“Prevelence of dental injuries in physical abuse”:

Fractured teeth-32%

Fracture of upper/lower jaw-11%

Though in India, child is considered as gift of god, child abuse is still common especially in remote and tribal areas.

However child abuse cases are not reported due to lack of awareness.

Various laws and NGO’s are working against child abuse in India.