Te Ora PÅ«niho Ora o Aotearoa NZOHA Conference 2024
Friday 5th - Saturday 6th July 2024
Join us for two days of education, inspiring speakers, connection and fun
Child Abuse and Neglect: How to respond?
Wednesday 28th February 7:30 - 8:30pm
Mr Heuiwon (Chris) Han
Child abuse and neglect are significant social and health issues nationally and internationally. As New Zealand governments provide subsidised oral health care to youth, most children and adolescents regularly interact with oral health practitioners. Therefore, OHPs are positioned to respond to child protection concerns. OHPs can identify orofacial and behavioural signs of CAN and respond to prevent any further harm. However, research on the knowledge and attitudes of oral health practitioners is limited.
This study aimed to understand the knowledge and attitudes of New Zealand dental therapists and oral health therapists in detecting and reporting child abuse and neglect.
The presentation will share the research findings and provide tips for identifying signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect and responding to suspected concerns.