The role of the dental team in responding to domestic violence

The face is a common target in assault and consequently the dentist and dental care professional has a part to play in identifying domestic violence. Domestic violence is a term which refers to a wide range of physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse of people who are, or have been, intimate partners - whether or not they are married or cohabiting. Although domestic violence can take place in any intimate relationship, including gay and lesbian partnerships, and whilst abuse of men by female partners does occur, the great majority and the most severe incidents of domestic violence, are perpetrated by men against women and we have therefore elected refer to the victim of assault in this paper as 'she' for ease of writing. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group.