Symposium: safeguarding childrenDental neglect in children

Untreated dental diseases, particularly dental caries, can lead to a range of adverse impacts on children, including pain and infection. Yet caries is preventable if a child's basic oral health needs are met. Dental neglect occurs when there is persistent failure to meet those needs. Dentists and paediatricians should work together with other health and social care professionals to identify children with dental neglect and to intervene to safeguard their oral and general health and development. This article outlines the epidemiology of dental disease and explains how dental neglect can be diagnosed and jointly managed.