Caries
Linda Ruan, DMD
Pediatric Dentistry Resident
University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Satish B. Alapati, PhD, DDS
University of Illinois at Chicago
Brittaney J. Hill, DDS, MS, MPH
Program Director
University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Maria H. Rahmandar, MD
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Flavia Lamberghini, DDS, MS, MPH
UIC Clinical Associate Professor
Title (Optional)
University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Pediatric Dentistry
CHICAGO, Illinois, United States
Brittaney J. Hill, DDS, MS, MPH
Program Director
University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Purpose: The objective is to investigate whether there is a correlation between playing electronic games and caries scores in children aged 12-17 years old.
Methods: Patients aged 12-17 years old from the University of Illinois Chicago Pediatric Dentistry clinics and Apple Dental Care clinics were screened for eligibility to participate in the study. A 15-question questionnaire was administered to each participant consisting of (1) questions regarding demographics and gaming history, and (2) Pontes’ Internet Gaming Disorder Scale—Short Form (IGDS9-SF). Each participant’s DMFT score was recorded. Collected data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS software.
Results: A total of 130 children (Age-Mean(SD)=13.76(1.54); Male=50%, Female=49%, Rather not disclose=1%; DMFT=2.95(3.33)) were enrolled in the study. Females overall had higher DMFT scores than males, but the correlation with gaming was insignificant. Weak negative correlations were identified between DMFT score and each of the following: (i) preoccupation with gaming behavior (P < .05), (ii) the need to increase gaming time to achieve pleasure or satisfaction (P < .01), and (iii) systematic failure to stop or to control gaming (P < .01). There was no significant correlation between DMFT score and the total score from responses to the Pontes’ IGDS9-SF questionnaire, or between DMFT score and the amount of time spent per week on electronic gaming, or between DMFT score and the number of years gaming.
Conclusions: More time on electronic gaming is not associated with higher caries scores in children aged 12-17 years old. Future research should explore other behavioral concomitant outcome variables.