Domestic violence screening and intervention programmes for adults with dental or facial injury

There is no evidence from RCTs to support or refute the effectiveness of screening and intervention programmes for detecting and supporting victims of domestic violence with dental or facial injuries. Many studies have highlighted the difficulties in measuring domestic violence because of underreporting. Screening may be helpful to identify victims of domestic violence. Screening tools exist but no studies have evaluated their effectiveness. Dentist and oral and maxillofacial surgeons are not generally trained to intervene in situations involving domestic violence. Referral to specialist agencies for intervention maybe a better option. Many intervention programmes exist either to support, reduce and/or prevent domestic violence. However, the effectiveness or harms of these intervention programmes at reducing violence have not been properly investigated in healthcare settings.