Sheryl L. Syme, RDH, MS, is an associate professor, director of the Bachelor of Science Degree Completion Program, and director of curriculum management in the Division of Dental Hygiene of the Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in Baltimore. She is also the education director for the Mid-Atlantic PANDA (Prevent Abuse and Neglect through Dental Awareness) Coalition and coauthor of the Abuse and Neglect chapter in Darby's and Walsh's Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice, 4th edition. She can be reached at ssyme@umaryland.edu.
Oral health professionals need to be able to recognize the sometimes subtle signs of victimization in order to effectively assist this vulnerable population.