Prevalence of Gamer’s Mark on the wrists of dental students in Mumbai: A multicentric study

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Repeated friction between the wrist and the mouse pad leads to the development of a lesion on the wrist of the operator known as the ‘Gamer’s mark’. In the context of the rapid development of digital technology and increased dependence of dental students and professionals on the same, the present study aimed to analyze the prevalence of Gamer’s mark among dental students in the city of Mumbai. The present cross-sectional study was on 1412 dental students in four different institutions in Mumbai using a five-point questionnaire comprising questions relevant to the characteristics of gaming history and the presence of the lesion on the wrist. The responses were recorded in an Excel sheet and subjected to data analysis. The prevalence of the lesion across the full cohort was found to be 0.5%. Of the 103 participants reporting a history of gaming, 66.99% (n=69) had the lesion on either of their hands which comprised 50 males and 19 females. There was a statistically significant difference noted (p<0.05) wherein a higher number of males (p=0.02) as well as females (p=0.04) had the lesion as compared to those that did not (p<0.05) The correlation between the duration of the Gamer’s Mark lesion and the intensity of gaming underscores the need for awareness and preventive strategies in the dental community. As dentistry continues to embrace digitalization, it is imperative to address the potential health implications associated with prolonged computer usage.