title: Oral health status in victims of child abuse: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have evaluated the oral health status of children with a history of maltreatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This case-control study evaluated oral health in children who were victims of abuse and in child protective services in Curitiba, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty-two children who were victims of abuse and 240 children with no history of abuse (mean ages, 8.56 and 8.24 years, respectively) were included in the study. Dental caries were assessed according to the Decayed, Missing, or Filled Teeth index (dmft index and DMFT index) by two calibrated examiners. The presence of anterior open bite and posterior crossbite was recorded. Data were analyzed using bivariate and adjusted odds ratios using a multivariate logistic regression model analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the case group, we found a higher DMFT index (P < 0.001) and a significantly higher prevalence of missing primary teeth (P = 0.04), untreated decayed permanent teeth (P < 0.001), filled permanent teeth (P < 0.001), and anterior open bite (P = 0.04). Children who were victims of abuse presented an odds ratio of 6.48 (95% CI: 3.52-11.95) for caries in permanent teeth and an odds ratio of 2.28 (95% CI: 1.04-4.99) for open bite.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Victims of child abuse had a worse oral health status, demonstrating the need to establish special policies for oral healthcare for this population.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Gilberto
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Duda
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stephanye Pinto
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Biss
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Mara de Paiva
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carolina Dea
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bruzamolin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pizzatto
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Paraná Federal University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Feltrin
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Estela Maris
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Losso
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000068216:Child Protective Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health