Smartphone Addiction, Sleep Quality, and Temporomandibular Disorders Among Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Ezgi Sıla Taşkaldıran; Gülce Nil Varlıhan; Sevda Naghizadeh Asgari

doi:10.18621/eurj.1840748

Smartphone Addiction, Sleep Quality, and Temporomandibular Disorders Among Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Abstract

Objectives: The rapid digitalization of daily life has made smartphone dependence a growing public health concern, particularly among university students. This study explored how smartphone addiction relates to sleep quality, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and bruxism in dental students at different stages of training.

Methods: A total of 259 participants completed validated questionnaires assessing the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, bruxism, and TMD symptoms.

Results: Nearly half of the students exhibited signs of smartphone addiction. Higher addiction scores were significantly correlated with poorer sleep quality and greater TMD severity, particularly among preclinical and doctoral students, while no significant relationship was found between bruxism and addiction scores.

Conclusions: These results imply that excessive smartphone use may silently impact mental and orofacial health by causing stress, sleep disturbances, and postural strain. Promoting healthier technology habits and addressing digital dependence could be key to protecting the well-being of future dental professionals.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the Istanbul Aydın Unıversity Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision no.: 2024/66, date: 31.07.2024). All procedures performed during data collection, review of patient records, and study implementation complied with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments. Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Public Health (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ezgi Sıla Taşkaldıran ^*
0000-0001-7580-4263
Türkiye

Gülce Nil Varlıhan
0000-0003-0087-8633
Türkiye

Sevda Naghizadeh Asgari
0009-0005-4590-6257
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

January 29, 2026

Publication Date

January 29, 2026

Submission Date

December 12, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 17, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.1840748

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA98AP32LR

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

AMA

1.Taşkaldıran ES, Varlıhan GN, Naghizadeh Asgari S. Smartphone Addiction, Sleep Quality, and Temporomandibular Disorders Among Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Eur Res J. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication):1-8. doi:10.18621/eurj.1840748