Child neglect can take many forms. Legally, it is generally defined as the failure of a parent or caregiver to provide for a child's basic needs. Those needs are usually categorized as physical, emotional, educational, and medical. Many state definitions are similar to the one found in the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. §5106g), as amended by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010. It defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum: "Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or "An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."

Dental neglect is a subcategory of medical neglect. How prevalent is it, and how often is it reported? In Child Maltreatment 2019: Summary of Key Findings, it is reported that 2.3% of victims of child maltreatment suffered medical neglect (p. 4). The number of those suffering dental neglect was not reported and some of the difficulty arises because dental neglect is often grouped into greater medical neglect. Dental neglect can cause serious systemic and social consequences. One study found that children with oral health problems were more likely to have problems at school and were more likely to miss days of school.