The effects of smartphone use on oral health behaviors among adolescents: focusing on the mediating effects of sleep and stress

Results: Longer smartphone use duration was significantly associated with poorer oral health behavior (β=-0.095,p<0.001).Adolescents with higher levels of smartphone use showed lower rates of tooth brushing, flossing, scaling, and dental check-ups.Stress, sleep insufficiency, and depressive experience exerted significant partial mediating effects, with depressive experience demonstrating the strongest indirect effect. Conclusion:Excessive smartphone use negatively affects oral health behaviors directly and indirectly through mental health factors.