Physical and emotional implications on the stomatognathic apparatus and dental care of women victims of violence: integrative literature review

Abstract

Unfortunately, cases of violence against women increase every day. In this context, understanding the physical and emotional implications of such events becomes fundamental in the multiprofessional health care team, which includes the dental surgeon. The aim of this study was to identify the main oral health problems related to cases of violence against women, and to elucidate behaviors that are common in victims of abuse during dental visits. An integrative literature review was carried out with searches in the Pubmed and Google Scholar databases of articles from the last 10 years, seeking to answer the following study question: "What are the main physical alterations in the stomatognathic system, and emotional alterations are more frequent in women victims of domestic violence?". After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 articles were selected for discussion. We noticed that facial injuries are common in women victims of violence, and teeth are not constantly affected. Regarding emotional issues, the dental appointment seems to be a trigger of anxiety for women who suffer or have suffered some kind of violence. More studies are needed on this theme that transcends the legal scope, but that is a public health issue, and should be addressed by all areas including dentistry.