You notice signs that a patient may be a victim of abuse. What's your responsibility?

Awareness that dentists are mandated reporters and often the first professionals to see facial and oral trauma.

Written by Victoria Young, DDS · NYU College of Dentistry '24 · Penn Dental Medicine

The trap

Confronting the patient with your suspicion in front of whoever brought them in, or promising confidentiality you can't legally keep. Both can make things materially more dangerous for that person.

How to structure your answer

Recognize it as a duty, not a choice → document objectively → talk to the patient privately and without leading → follow mandated reporting law → keep them safe in the room.

State that dentists are mandated reporters in every state
Document objectively — photos and description, not conclusions
Speak to them alone, away from any accompanying person
Know reporting requirements differ for minors, elders, and competent adults
Prioritize immediate safety

A weak answer

What most people say

I'd be very gentle about it. I'd let them know they can talk to me, that whatever they say stays between us, and I'd ask directly whether someone is hurting them. The most important thing is that they feel safe and not judged. If they told me something, I'd help them think through what to do next and make sure they weren't alone in it.

Promises confidentiality she can't keep, and may ask with the abuser present.

A stronger answer

What lands

First, I'm a mandated reporter, so whether to report isn't a judgment call I get to make. I taught third grade for six years and made two reports; both times the hard part was the room, not the law. So: document what I see, bruise pattern, location, photos, neutral wording, not "consistent with abuse." Get them alone, which in an office means walking the parent out to handle insurance paperwork. Open questions, nothing leading. And I don't promise secrecy, because I can't keep it. Who I call depends on their age.

Duty first, objective documentation, alone with the patient, no promise she can't keep.

The kind version can make the patient less safe. The trained version gets the accompanying adult out of the room first.

These are illustrations, not scripts. An answer you memorize sounds memorized — the point is the shape and the specificity, in your own words and about your own life.

Reading it isn't the same as saying it.

Most people can explain a good answer and still fall apart saying one out loud. Admitted asks you all 100 questions in a faculty voice, records you, and scores your pace and filler words.

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