435 - Recommendations on Child Abuse Based on A Survey of AAPD Members

Title: Recommendations on Child Abuse Based on A Survey of AAPD Members
Author: Um, Y (UNLV School of Dental Medicine, Las Vegas, NV)

Purpose
Child abuse is a significant public health concern, and we dentists are uniquely positioned to identify signs of abuse due to the frequent involvement of the head, neck, and oral cavity. Despite being mandated reporters, underreporting by dental professionals persists. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of current pediatric dental training programs in preparing dentists to recognize, document, and report suspected child abuse, and to evaluate dentists’ knowledge and confidence regarding child abuse identification and reporting protocols.

Methods
This descriptive survey study targeted members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). An anonymous, six-question online questionnaire was distributed via email and administered using Google Forms. The survey assessed respondents’ training background, experience with suspected child abuse, knowledge of signs and symptoms, awareness of mandatory reporting laws, familiarity with reporting and documentation protocols, and perceptions of the adequacy of residency training. Data were stored in Google Sheets and analyzed descriptively using percentages. Associations between pediatric residency training and outcomes related to recognition and reporting of child abuse were planned to be evaluated using chi-square tests.

Results
Data collection is ongoing at the time of abstract submission.

Conclusions
Data collection is ongoing at the time of abstract submission, and conclusion will be made after data collection is completed.

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