Associations of Internet Use with Oral Hygiene Based on National Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Adolescents smartphone screen time and its association with caries symptoms experience from the Korea youth risk behavior web-based survey 2020-2021

Adolescence is a time when important changes occur in behavioral development, and previous studies have confirmed the relationship between excessive Internet use and decreased oral health behavior. Our purpose is to identify the indirect effects and behavioral factors of smartphone screen time on the caries symptom experience of adolescents. Using data from the 16-17th Korea youth risk behavior web based survey (2020-2021), we investigated the smartphone screen time of 109,796 students in middle school 1st to high school 3rd. Adolescents who used smartphones more than 6 h per week were 28% more likely to experience caries symptoms than those who used smartphones less than 2 h (odds ratio = 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.35). Those who consumed cariogenic drinks more than once a day were 25% more likely to experience caries symptoms, and those who brushed their teeth less than once a day were 26% more likely to experience caries symptoms (odds ratio = 1.25, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.46, 1.06-1.51). Excessive smartphone screen time is associated with addictive eating habits and reduced physical activity that increase cariogenic dietary behaviors, and decrease oral health behaviors. It suggests that excessive smartphone use indirectly related to the experience of caries symptoms.

Can the sustainable development goal 9 support an untreated early childhood caries elimination agenda?

BACKGROUND

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a global public health challenge that requires innovation, infrastructure, and health system influences to bolster initiatives for its management and control. The aim of this scoping review was to investigate the published evidence on the association between ECC and the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG9) concerned with industry, innovation, and infrastructure development.

METHODS

The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus between July and August 2023 using a search strategy related to the promotion of resilient infrastructure, sustainable industries, scientific research and innovation, access to the internet and ECC. Only English language publications were included. Studies that solely examined ECC without reference to the SDG9 targets were excluded.

RESULTS

The search yielded 933 studies for review. After screening for the eligibility and removing duplicates, 916 unique articles remained for further screening. However, none of the identified studies provided data on the association between resilient infrastructure, sustainable industries, scientific research and innovation, access to the internet and ECC.

CONCLUSION

There were no primary studies that assessed the association between ECC and SDG9, even though the plausibility of a potential relationship exists. Future studies are needed to generate evidence on the link between ECC and SDG9 as this link may contribute to the reduction in the proportion of children with untreated ECC.

Problematic media use is associated with poor oral health in Turkish school-age children: a pilot cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

In the recent years, problematic media use (PMU) has become a serious health concern for children. The precisely defined effects of PMU on children's oral health are unknown. It was aimed to investigate the relationship between the PMU and oral health and oral habits in school-age children.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, mothers and their healthy children aged 6-11 years who applied to pediatric dentistry outpatient clinic were enrolled. PMU was assessed using the parent-reported Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form (PMUM-SF). PMUM-SF scores were divided into 3 groups from the lowest to the highest tertile. Multivariable logistic regressions for PMU (moderate-high vs. low) were used to predict the odds of having good and parafunctional oral habits, poor oral hygiene, gingivitis and caries.

RESULTS

Totally 153 mother-child pairs participated in this study. Plaque index, gingival index, ICDAS-II (International Caries Detection and Evaluation System), DMFT and DMFS [decayed (D), missing (M), filled (F) tooth (T) /surfaces (S)] scores were significantly higher in children with moderate-high PMU (P < 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounders, moderate-high PMU decreased the probability of good oral habit of daily toothbrushing [Odds (95% CI) = 0.43 (0.20-0.94)] while it increased the risk of oral parafunctional habit of object sucking/biting [Odds (95% CI) = 3.34 (1.27-8.74)]. Moderate-high PMU increased the risk of moderate-severe gingivitis, moderate-extensive caries and the presence of DMFT [Odds (95% CI) = 2.13 (1.01-4.50); 4.54 (1.11-18.54) and 2.16 (1.07-4.36), respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

Turkish school-age children with a remarkable PMU were significantly more likely to have poor oral health and exhibit oral parafunctional habits Oral health screening seems to be needed for Turkish children experiencing PMU.

Unpacking the relation between children's use of digital technologies and children's well-being: A scoping review

Over the last decade, a substantial number of studies have addressed children's use of technologies and their impact on well-being. Nonetheless, there is still a lack of clarity on the operationalisation of technology use, well-being, and the relation between the two. This scoping review intended to shed lights on Digital Technologies Use, its operationalisation, and the relation between Digital Technologies Negative Use (DTNU) and children's well-being. For the scope of the special issue we focused on negative use. Results showed two conceptualisations of DTNU: compulsive/addictive use of devices and the Internet (e.g., Internet addiction) and negative online experiences/risky behaviours (e.g., cyberbullying). Well-being in relation to DTNU was mainly studied in terms of psycho/social dimensions (e.g., depression), and a gap in cognitive well-being studies was identified. Study designs were largely quantitative, and, in most studies, well-being was considered as a predictor of DTNU. Also, research with children under 12 years was lacking. Future research on DTNU should look at: how dimensions of addiction and negative online experiences relate; provide more evidence on cognitive well-being; explore the interplay of well-being multiple components relying on integrative conceptual frameworks. The recent notion of digital well-being should also be explored considering the results of this review.

Association of problematic Internet use and oral health-related quality of life among medical and dental students

BACKGROUND

The Internet as a communication tool is an essential component of daily life. Nowadays, problematic Internet use (PIU) has led to various psychosocial problems that can indirectly lead to oral diseases due to neglect of healthy behaviors. Also, college students are a large proportion of Internet users. The present study aimed to determine the association between problematic Internet use and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among medical and dental students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on medical and dental students in the first and second years of education (basic sciences courses) at the Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, between January and July 2020. The data collection process was carried out in the following sequence: questionnaire on demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, academic field, and year); Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ); and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire.

RESULTS

Among 268 medical and dental students, 171 students (63.81%) [95% confidence interval: 58.02%- 69.60%] had problematic Internet use. The mean PIU score in the first-year was significantly higher than the second-year students. In addition, 65% of single students and 25% of married subjects were dealing with PIU. The statistical difference between mean OHIP scores among PIU students (12.5 ± 2.9), with average Internet usage (7.39 ± 6.6), was significant. The Spearman correlation coefficient between PIU and OHIP was 0.309 and significant (P-value < 0.000001). It indicates that students with higher PIU showed higher OHIP scores.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that problematic Internet use was significantly associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among first and second-year medical and dental students. Thus, the students with problematic Internet use experienced a poorer oral health-related quality of life than average Internet users. Furthermore, appropriate preventive and interventional strategies need to be developed to encourage rational use of the Internet to protect the users' oral health, especially among medical and dental students.

Internet Addiction, Oral Health Practices, Clinical Outcomes, and Self-Perceived Oral Health in Young Saudi Adults

The study assessed the relationship between Internet addiction and oral health practices and clinical outcomes and whether this was affected by oral health perception. In 2017, a cross-sectional study included university students in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires assessed demographic background, oral health practices (consuming sugar, tobacco use, and oral hygiene), perceived oral health, and Internet addiction. Caries experience and gingivitis were assessed using the World Health Organization criteria. The multivariate general linear analysis assessed the relationship between dependent variables (oral health practices, DMFT, and gingivitis) and exposure (Internet addiction). Data were available for 919 participants, 75.4% females, mean age = 19.8 years, and 1.6% with significant Internet use problem. The mean percentage of teeth with gingivitis was 8.5% and mean DMFT was 2.9. Among those with good perception of oral health and compared with participants with significant Internet use problem, average Internet users had lower consumption of sugar and tobacco (B = -6.52, P = 0.03 and B = -2.04, P = 0.03), better oral hygiene practices (B = 2.07, P = 0.33), higher DMFT (B = 2.53, P = 0.10), and lesser gingivitis (B = -15.45, P = 0.06). Internet addiction was associated with negative oral health practices and poor clinical outcomes among young Saudis. Holistic health promotion approaches need to address the negative impact of Internet addiction on health and oral health status for this at-risk age group.

Excessive computer use as an oral health risk behaviour in 18-year-old youths from Poland: A cross-sectional study

Background

Many studies have indicated that the excessive use of computers (more than 3 hr/d) might be associated with an unhealthy life-style.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between excessive computer use with the condition of the teeth and periodontium and the oral health behaviour of 18-year-olds.

Design

Cross-sectional studies, using a questionnaire, were carried out on 1,611 18-year-olds from Poland. The questionnaire contained questions about socioeconomic status and information about health-related behaviour. The condition of their teeth and gingivae were clinically assessed.

Results

Excessive (>3 h/d) computer use was reported by 492 (31%) of participants, who had an increased frequency of unfilled cavities (1.97 vs. 2.27, p = .047) and a higher risk of oral hygiene neglect (e.g., using dental floss 41% vs. 34%, p = .009). Excessive computer use was also seen to be associated with poor dietary habits. Individuals who declared excessive computer use also had a higher risk of gingival bleeding (35% vs. 29%, p = .009).

Conclusion

In the group studied, excessive computer use by adolescents constituted a risk factor for neglect of oral hygiene, poor dietary choices, and failure to benefit from oral health care. Therefore, these aspects should be included in the risk assessment of oral disease and incorporated into educational programs that promote a healthy lifestyle.