Severe caries are a clue for child neglect: a case report

BACKGROUND: Child abuse and neglect have strong negative effects on the well-being of children, not only during childhood but also later in life. Therefore, early recognition is important. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 4-year-old Caucasian boy who had severe dental caries. This was a result of insufficient dental care: he refused to brush his teeth and drank sweetened drinks. We considered this dental neglect to be a manifestation of child neglect and social services were consequently called in to help the family. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong association between child abuse and neglect and dental caries. Abused children often have severe dental caries and in children who had dental caries, child abuse and neglect is often established. An important factor is insufficient parenting; therefore, we believe that severe dental caries is an important indicator for child abuse and neglect.