Smartphone applications in domestic abuse referral pathways: implications for dental practice

Abstract Domestic abuse is a persistent public health, safeguarding and human rights challenge. In England and Wales, the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that approximately 3.8 million people aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025. Dentistry has an important role because interpersonal violence frequently affects the face, mouth and teeth, and a dental appointment may provide an opportunity to access healthcare. However, general dental practitioners may be uncertain how to progress from recognising possible abuse to an appropriate safeguarding response, particularly when disclosure is hesitant or incomplete. Smartphone applications can provide information, safety planning, incident recording and routes to specialist support, but their evidence base and safety implications vary. The strongest peer-reviewed evidence among the resources considered relates to myPlan and related safety decision aids, with benefits for selected outcomes that vary by intervention and population. Digital tools should therefore support, rather than replace, professional judgement. This narrative review critically appraises selected digital resources and sets out a conceptual dental safeguarding pathway centred on privacy, sensitive enquiry, objective documentation, risk assessment and proportionate referral or escalation.