Protrusive Dental Podcast Safeguarding Children – Actions, Scripts and Guidance – PDP251
Are you confident in spotting a child at risk of neglect?
Do you know what to do if you witness abuse in your practice?
How can you raise concerns safely while protecting both the child and your team?
This episode with Dr. Christine Park provides tangible actions, practical scripts, and clear guidance for managing challenging scenarios—like seeing an adult hit a child in the waiting room or recognizing neglect in the dental chair. These are situations dental school rarely prepares us for.
Every practice needs clear protocols for safeguarding. This episode acts as a North Star, helping you stay compliant while ethically doing the right thing. If you treat children, you must listen to this episode and share it with every colleague who treats children.
Protrusive Dental Pearl: Find the phone number of your local child safeguarding board / social services. Verify it, then display it where you and your team can quickly access it.
Key Takeaways
- Dentists are trained observers of family dynamics.
- Recognizing normal behavior is key in dental care.
- Unconscious observations can guide professionals.
- Feeling uncomfortable about a situation is a valid signal.
- Empowerment comes from trusting your instincts.
- Dental care professionals see many aspects of families.
- It’s important to act on uncomfortable feelings.
- Observation skills are crucial for effective care.
- Children’s interactions reveal much about family health.
- Awareness of discomfort can lead to better outcomes.
Highlights of this episode:
00:00 Teaser
00:59 Intro
02:40 Pearl – Child Protection Hotline
05:23 Dr. Christine Park’s Background and Expertise
08:37 The Role of Dentists in Safeguarding Children
11:19 Practical Scenarios and Guidelines for Safeguarding
15:35 Recognizing Silent Cases of Neglect
17:29 Team Collaboration and Support in Safeguarding
21:58 Guidelines and Policies for Effective Safeguarding
22:03 Midroll
25:24 Guidelines and Policies for Effective Safeguarding
28:32 Handling a Tough Safeguarding Scenario
32:18 Dealing with Poor Oral Hygiene and Neglect
39:12 Managing Parental Reactions and Consent
43:08 The Importance of Safeguarding in Dentistry
45:34 Further Guidance and Resources
46:10 Outro
📢 Safeguard your young patients with confidence!
Catch Dr. Christine Park at the Scottish Dental Show in June or via her NES webinars.
Check out the BSPD guidelines on dental neglect —an essential resource for any dentist treating children
✉️ Get in Touch with Dr. Christine:
- General: Christine.park@glasgow.ac.uk
- Patient-info: Christine.park7@nhs.scot
If you loved this episode, don’t miss How to Manage Children in Dental Pain – Paediatric Emergencies – PDP159
#PDPMainEpisodes #Communication #CareerDevelopment
This episode is eligible for 0.75 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance.
This episode meets GDC Outcomes A and D.
AGD Subject Code: 430 PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY (Identification and reporting of child abuse)
Aim: To equip dental professionals with practical knowledge and skills to recognize, respond to, and appropriately escalate safeguarding concerns involving children in dental practice.
Dentists will be able to –
- Identify key signs and red flags of child neglect, abuse, or welfare concerns in dental patients.
- Apply clear communication strategies to discuss concerns with parents/caregivers and involve relevant authorities.
- Follow practice-based and multi-agency procedures for safeguarding, including documenting observations and escalation.