ORIGINAL RESEARCH The Role and Education of Dental Care Professionals in Identifying Domestic Violence: Report of an Audience Participation Exercise and Round Table Discussion Susan J. Lea 1 • Barry Quinn 2 • Patricia A. Reynolds 3 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016 Abstract Domestic violence (DV) is a major public problem affecting 30% of women over 16. Three quarters of victims have violence to the head and neck, and therefore the role of the dentist is paramount in DV identification. Only one-third of dental schools in the UK include DV in their curricula and there is a need to introduce effective education for the whole profession. This study reported the results of an anonymous questionnaire delivered to an international senior academic and professional audience and a subsequent roundtable discussion of experts who considered issues and education surrounding DV. A 10 question survey was administered to an international audience from 14 countries with specific interests in education. It followed an introductory lecture on DV, and gathered on- the-spot feedback of the audience’s perceptions of the problem of DV and dental educa- tion. The results were collated and used to inform the expert roundtable group that aimed to discuss professional responsibility, dental education and training in DV, and potential further work. Fifty-seven questionnaires were returned from participants spanning 14 countries, though comparing the views of different groups in the survey was not possible, as this was anonymous and voluntary feedback. Only 42% of the audience considered that DV was sufficiently covered by the dental curriculum with a lack of certainty over pro- fessional responsibility. The roundtable group of 11 senior academics and professionals & Susan J. Lea S.J.Lea@greenwich.ac.uk Barry Quinn barry.quinn@kcl.ac.uk Patricia A. Reynolds p.a.reynolds@kcl.ac.uk 1 University of Greenwich Vice Chancellor’s Office, 182 Queen Anne Court, Old Royal Naval College, 30 Park Row, London SE10 9LS, UK 2 King’s College London Dental Institute, Room 308, Floor 26, Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK 3 King’s College London Dental Institute, Central Office, Floor 18, Tower Wing, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK 123 Tech Know Learn DOI 10.1007/s10758-016-9293-9