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Ethics & Law · single question

A child presents with tooth pain and lifts his shirt to reveal a bruise on his stomach; his mother scolds him for showing it. What should the dentist do?

  1. Have the assistant call to report suspected abuse while the mother and child are still in the office
  2. Privately ask the mother to explain the bruise before doing anything else
  3. Promptly report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective authority
  4. Document it in the chart and monitor at the next visit
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Correct answer: C. Promptly report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective authority

Dentists are mandated reporters. When abuse is reasonably suspected, the dentist is responsible for making the report to the proper authority (not delegating it to staff while still mid-appointment, and not requiring certainty before reporting). The mother's defensive reaction and the child's behavior are both consistent with suspicious findings warranting a report.

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