Dentists May be the First Line of Defense for Elder Abuse.
According to a report in the May/June 2005 issue of General Dentistry, Every year more than 2.5 million older Americans may be victims of elder abuse, and in some cases dentists serve as the first line of defense.
All too often, elder abuse victims feel ashamed and fear that reporting the abuse will result in chastisement from their caregivers. Under-reported, elder abuse appears in many forms including, but not limited to, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and financial abuse.
Dentists may be the first people outside the home to have the opportunity to recognize signs and symptoms of abuse.