Text Neck in Dental Students: Prevalence, Ergonomic Correlates and Response to a Brief Exercise Programme

PURPOSE: Musculoskeletal disorders may begin during dental training and adversely affect clinical performance and long-term professional health. This study compared neck-related disability and cervical posture in dental and engineering undergraduates and evaluated whether a brief exercise programme supported by digital reminders could improve these outcomes. METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study with a pilot intervention component, 208 third-year undergraduates (104 dental and 104 engineering students) underwent baseline assessment of the Neck Disability Index (NDI), craniovertebral angle (CVA), and musculoskeletal discomfort. Forty-six participants with neck-related disability completed a standardised 5-min neck exercise programme three times daily for 4 weeks, reinforced by smartphone reminder notifications. RESULTS: Baseline NDI scores were similar between groups (6.73 ± 3.41 vs. 6.65 ± 4.62; p = 0.89). Engineering students demonstrated greater forward head posture, reflected by significantly lower CVA values than dental students (49.40° ± 8.62° vs. 52.73° ± 4.29°; p < 0.001). Following the intervention, NDI improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.001), whereas CVA improved significantly only among engineering students (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot evaluation, a brief, low-cost exercise programme with digital reminders improved neck-related disability over 4 weeks, although postural (CVA) change was limited and group differences in age and gender warrant cautious interpretation. Larger controlled trials with longer follow-up are needed before routine integration into dental curricula can be recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2025/11/097114).