These cases are understandably very sensitive, and your assessment should take into account other possible contributory factors, including access to dental care and if you've previously advised the family about oral hygiene and diet.
You have a duty to act if you are concerned that a child is at risk. However, if you're unsure whether your concerns are reasonable, seek advice from an experienced colleague, paediatric dentist, child protection nurse or social worker.
If you decide to alert children's services, you would usually seek parental consent, but information can be shared without consent if the benefit to the child outweighs the benefits of keeping the information confidential.
These articles from the DDU journal offer some further reading:
"Child protection should be a team effort": expert advice from Martyn Green, one of the authors of Child Protection and the Dental Team.
Protecting vulnerable patients: discussing how dental professionals can play a vital role in protecting at-risk patients.
For individual advice about specific cases and situations, call our dento-legal helpline on 0800 374 626.
This page was correct at publication on 17/02/2022. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.