THE HEAD IS A COMMON AREA FOR CHILD ABUSE INJURY. THIS FACT HAS PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR THE DENTIST BECAUSE INJURY TO THE ORAL AND FACIAL STRUCTURES MAY CAUSE A PATIENT TO SEEK DENTAL CARE FOR RELATED INJURIES. THE DENTIST, THEREFORE, SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE ABUSED CHILD SYNDROME. DENTISTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THEIR PRIMARY MORAL AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES INVOLVE NOTIFYING THE PROPER AUTHORITIES OF THEIR SUSPICIONS OR OPINIONS AND THAT THEY ARE NOT EXPECTED TO PURSUE THE INVESTIGATORY ASPECTS OF THE CASE. THE FOLLOWING ETIOLOGICAL FACTORS, COMPOSING A COMPLEX PANEL OF PSYCHIATRIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, MAY BE RELATED TO THE OFFENDER'S BEHAVIOR: SOCIOECONOMIC STRATA; INTERACTION AMONG THE PARENTS' PERSONALITY TRAITS, THE CHILD'S CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT; OFFENDER'S BACKGROUND OF FRUSTRATION; OFFENDER'S HISTORY OF HAVING BEEN A VICTIM OF CHILD ABUSE; AND SUBCONSCIOUS DESIRES TO INJURE OR NEGLECT. THE PATHOLOGICAL FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED INVOLVE RECOGNITION OF THE LOCATION, SEVERITY, AND CAUSE OF THE INJURY. POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS IN FATAL CASES MUST BE THOROUGH AND INCLUDE INFORMATION ON ESTIMATION OF TIME OF DEATH, PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF THE CHILD, AND POSTNATAL MEDICAL HISTORY. TOTAL BODY X-RAYS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION SHOULD BE INCLUDED. THE DENTIST SHOULD CONTACT LOCAL AUTHORITIES CONCERNING THE STATUS OF MANDATORY REPORTING BECAUSE CHILD ABUSE LEGISLATION IS UNDERGOING RAPID CHANGE. DENTISTS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THEIR OBLIGATION TO TESTIFY WHICH NECESSITATES THE KEEPING OF PRECISE RECORDS ON SUSPECTED ABUSE. THE RECOMMENDED APPROACH FOR THE MAJORITY OF CHILD ABUSE CASES INVOLVES INTERDISCIPLINARY CORRECTIVE THERAPY EMPHASIZING PSYCHOTHERAPY AND COUNSELING. WHILE IT IS NECESSRY TO REMOVE THE CHILD FROM A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT, RECONSTITUTION OF THE FAMILY UNIT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL, WITH EACH CASE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY. REFERENCES AND STATISTICAL DATA FROM RESEARCH STUDIES ARE PROVIDED. (JCP)