(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
INTERNET addiction could have negative effects on dental health, a study of Japanese adolescents shows.
The study, published in Nature, was conducted by Dr. Masanori Iwasaki of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology; and Satoko Kakuta and Toshihiro Ansai of Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Japan.
âTo date, there is a lack of knowledge on the dental health of adolescents with internet addiction,â says Dr. Iwasaki, the studyâs lead author.
Internet addiction is defined as excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges or behaviors regarding internet use and associated with depression, aggressive behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and interpersonal problems among adolescents.
The study looked at whether internet addiction was indirectly associated with dental caries or tooth decay through unhealthy behaviors among 1,562 10th to 12th-grade students in one high school in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwest Japan.
It used the Japanese version of Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) consisting of 20 items regarding internet overuse.
Serious behavioral problem occurs when the addiction results in physical inactivity, short sleep duration, and inappropriate dietary habits, such as irregular mealtimes and frequent consumption of soft drinks and snacks, says Dr. Iwasaki.
The students were assessed for eight different lifestyle behaviors: tooth brushing frequency, tooth brushing before bed, their use of interdental cleaning device, sleep duration, soft drinks consumption, sweet snacks consumption, meal regularity in the evening, and late-evening snacking. The scores ranged from zero (most healthy) to 8 (least healthy).
Their oral health was measured by the number of decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth. In accordance with the protocol proposed by the Japan Association of School Dentists, teeth with obvious caries lesions detected by visual clinical examination were categorized as decayed teeth.
âDental caries was more common among high school students with internet addiction, which is partially explained by these students having unhealthy lifestyle behaviors,â says Dr. Iwasaki.
Dental caries is a common chronic disease in adolescents and is associated with pain, decreased appetite, difficulty in eating, malnutrition, poor school performance and attendance, poor quality of life, and future tooth loss, he says.
Dental caries is a result of bacterial activity in dental plaque. The acid is produced when bacteria ferment carbohydrates from food and produce dental plaque that causes tooth demineralization. In turn, demineralization results in tooth decay.
Several lifestyle behaviors are considered risk factors for dental caries: less frequent toothbrushing, irregular meal frequency, and higher consumption of snacks and sweetened drinks.
âWe found that internet addiction was associated with short sleep duration, frequent consumption of soft drinks and sweet snacks, irregular mealtimes, and late-evening snacking,â Dr. Iwasaki says. âIn addition, we found that the study participants with internet addiction had poorer oral health behaviors, such as less frequent toothbrushing and not brushing teeth before bed.â
They were more likely to be 16 to 17 years old, female, have poorer oral health habits, and were less likely to use fluoride toothpaste.
Dr. Iwasaki points to previous studies which showed that adolescents suffering from internet addiction tend to restrict their eating habits to accommodate their heavy internet use.
âSimilarly, those suffering from internet addiction may dedicate less time to oral health behavior so that they can spend more time online,â Iwasaki explains. âTooth brushing has less priority and will be missed in that situation.â
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./PN
