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Study showed a lack of knowledge and uncertainty in recognizing and reporting CAN cases in Croatian dentists. They expressed the need for undergraduate and post-graduate continuing education on this issue.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the educational experiences of a group of Croatian dental students and to assess their knowledge about child abuse and neglect. In the study, 544 respondents (153 male and 391 female) from all six years at the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine completed questionnaires, with a response rate of 74.9 percent. A chisquare test was applied to test the differences among students' answers. Values of p<0.05 were considered statistically signiicant. Out of the total number of respondents, 33.6 percent had encountered the topic of child abuse and neglect during their lectures. The results show a lack of knowledge of the signs pointing to physical and sexual abuse of children. Students from more senior teaching years showed a greater amount of knowledge related to child abuse and neglect in contrast to students from more junior teaching years. In conclusion, dental students should be better educated and prepared for the important role of helping protect children from abuse and neglect.Ante Jordan is a