Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the extent of internet addiction among undergraduate dental students in Chennai. Introduction: Internet addiction is a common problem faced by students. Excessive use of the internet has an adverse effect on the social and psychological well being of the user. This study is conducted to assess the prevalence of internet addiction among dental students. Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted, among 194 dental students from different academic years. The level of internet addiction was assessed using Young‟s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT), consisting of 20 questions. The data was analysed statistically using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The Pearson Chi- square test was done to assess the association of level of internet addiction with year of study Results: 1.03% of the subjects reported severe internet addiction. 27.32 % of the study population has moderate levels of internet addiction. 43.3% of the students have a mild level of internet addiction and 28.35 % of the study. population have a normal level of internet addiction. The association of level of internet addiction with year of study was done and a p value of 0.001 was obtained which is less than 0.05, hence statistically significant. Conclusion: The internet addiction has many ill effects on various aspects of life. It has a negative impact on mental health and academic performance. The students in the highest level of addiction should be identified and proper counselling should be provided to make them come out of the addiction.

Dental, Internet addiction, Innovative method,Students.