The playing of computer games has been linked to everything; from the downfall of society to religious fanaticism. We can add “tooth decay” to the list.
Here’s the story in a line: if you’re a gamer then you’re too busy to brush your teeth.
The initial research, carried out by Jordon Poss at the University of Iowa was presented to the American Association for Dental Research in Washington. The University study tracked teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16 and coupled dietary habits with game playing. It found that participants without structured seating patterns were 30% more likely to have teeth issues than those teenagers with structured eating patterns.
You might well now ask whether the connection between eating patterns and gaming are explicit or implicit. It’s a good question.
I can’t answer it. This story comes from Wales Online and they don’t mention it.
They do say the children with parental rules regarding screen time and diet where less likely to eat or drink while watching TV. Duh. Children with the rules on what they can eat or drink are less likely to snack. Surely the TV/game playing aspect is redundant in that equation.
Equally, the core point of the research has an important caveat. Gamers are more likely to have bad teeth IF their gaming is associated with increased snacking.
This may well be down to Wales Online’s reporting but the link between “games” and “teeth” seems terribly weak here. The story is that snacking is bad for your teeth. We knew this.
