Violência contra a mulher e a importância da notificação pelo cirurgião-dentista

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), violence against women is a major public health issue, with 1 in 3 women globally experiencing physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime, primarily by an intimate partner. In accordance with Law 10.778/2003, cases where there are signs or confirmation of violence against women treated in health services are subject to mandatory reporting. Despite advances in the implementation of mandatory reporting, this practice is still neglected in the routine of healthcare professionals. This literature review aims to analyze the role of dentists and their responsibility in identifying violence against women and ensuring its mandatory reporting. For the electronic search of related articles, the databases used were Google Scholar, LILACS, and SciELO. A total of 11 articles were selected for full reading, and 7 articles were deemed eligible for this review. The study results revealed that most dentists and dental students lack adequate knowledge about mandatory reporting; however, they consider themselves capable of detecting typical signs of violence against women, often located in the head and neck region. It becomes evident that this topic should be included in the dental curriculum, as well as in training and lectures offered by public health services.