Analysis of children's dental health, academic progress and time consumption in relation to using electronic media

Relevance of the problem and aim of the work: with the rapid advancement of digital technologies, most people no longer imagine their lives without the Internet, television and other smart devices but the problem is that these digital technologies become part of childhood. Schools, playgrounds, dining establishments and other spots are the places where over-hypnotized and shining from smart devices children‘s faces can be seen, while parents often do not even imagine how damaging this activity can be to their offspring. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the amount of time spent on electronic devices can influence the quality of sleep, academic progress, development of dental fear and the state of dental care of the 10-11 year olds of the municipality of Marijampolė. Material and the methods: the target population is 10-11 year old children from 5 Marijampole municipality educational institutions. For the purpose of the study, a questionnaire was conducted for parents and a children's oral cavity clinical examination was performed in order to determine the DMF index. 303 questionnaires and clinical evaluation surveys were collected. Statistical analysis of the received data was performed. Results: the study involved 303 pupils with an average age of 10,44 ± 0,51. Almost half (52%) of the examined children were boys, 48% - girls. The prevalence of children’s dental fear is 56,5% and the average of DMFT index is 1,21 ± 1,79. The influence of using electronic media on the development of dental fear of children was determined (p=0,034