Sir, I read, with interest, Mr Foster's article on Safeguarding in BDJ Team.1 I was delighted to see safeguarding taking a prominent role in your publication and would like to take this opportunity to offer further support to this article. I would also like to highlight an often underutilised but nevertheless essential tactic with regards to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

Through training, dental professionals are taught to closely analyse behaviour of those we encounter when engaging, or frequently not engaging, with our services. We are told of indicators of neglect and abuse and are well-versed in identifying these, if not entirely in the subsequent pathway we are required to follow. A recent case within our hospital service has highlighted our responsibilities as dentists and dental care professionals even to those we do not encounter on our clinics.

During a routine outpatient assessment appointment, an adult patient, who attended alone, disclosed that she was dependent upon the use of heroin. Customarily, this would impact only upon this particular patient's ongoing care. There were, however, further implications that were realised by asking the simple question: 'who lives at home with you?'

Following this question, the aforementioned patient disclosed that she lived with her partner - a previous heroin dependent, now using methadone. Also within the household were three children aged seventeen, fifteen and three. By way of this simple enquiry, it was revealed that there may be minors that were potentially at risk. Subsequently, the team were able to assemble the appropriate information and action accordingly.

I would urge both dental and medical colleagues to utilise this approach for all of our patients - adult and child, vulnerable and not. It is a simple addition to our clinical history-taking but may uncover crucial information. At worst, this could be absolutely key in the protection of children and vulnerable adults and, at best, will inform us more about the lives of our patients.

SJF Wright Glasgow Dental Hospital & School