ABSTRACT

Emergency services are one of the priority places where child abuse cases could be detected. Medical history, physical examination and sampling for obtaining biological material are the most important steps in the determination of these cases. Among the physical examination findings, identifying shaped findings, such as bite marks especially may be diagnostic for child abuse. Bite marks seen as an attack wound or as a defense wound could have an evidential value in suspected cases. Therefore, in order to evaluate bite marks accurately, to ask for a help from a forensic dentist or an expert trained in this regard should be kept in mind. In this review, it was aimed to emphasize the characteristics of bite marks as a finding that could be seen in physical and sexual abuse cases and to highlight elements that should be considered in the diagnosis of abuse and, especially to draw the attention of physicians and allied health staffs who work in emergency services that have intense working conditions.