Conhecimento e percepção de cirurgiões-dentistas sobre o abuso infantil pelo mundo: revisão integrativa da literatura

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Child abuse is a global issue that can cause physical, emotional, and psychological sequelae in victims, and in severe cases, may lead to death. Dentists play a crucial role in detecting signs of abuse, as many injuries appear in the orofacial region — an area within their clinical scope. However, the rate of reporting by dentists remains low. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge and perceptions of dentists regarding child abuse worldwide. METHODOLOGY: This is an integrative literature review conducted using the PubMed database, focusing on articles published from February 2020 to February 2025. English-language studies addressing child abuse in the context of dental practice were included, specifically those discussing dentists’ knowledge, attitudes, or perceptions. Relevant Brazilian studies outside the time frame were included as exceptions. Studies focused solely on forensic dentistry, Odental records, dental students, or unavailable full texts were excluded. RESULTS: The analyzed studies reveal that, although dentists acknowledge their responsibility in suspected cases of child abuse, there are persistent barriers such as diagnostic uncertainty, lack of legal knowledge, and fear of negative consequences. These issues contribute to low reporting rates. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: There is a clear need for continuous professional training, standardized protocols, and the development of support networks to assist dentists in identifying and appropriately referring suspected cases. Such measures are essential to ensure ethical and effective actions in protecting children.