Emotional regulation, empathy and surgical performance inundergraduate dental students: A prospective cohort study

Dental students experience high stress from academic and clinical demands, which may affect performance and well-being. Surgical procedures often increase patient anxiety, adding complexity for students. This study explored the relationship between perceived difficulty, emotional regulation, and empathy, and their impact on clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

A prospective cohort study included fourth-year dental students in the Clinical Oral Surgery and Implantology subject at the University of Barcelona Dental Hospital. Data collected comprised demographics, emotional regulation difficulties, and preoperative anxiety, using validated questionnaires. Procedure-related variables (perceived difficulty, operative time, complications) and patient data (anxiety, perceived empathy, satisfaction) were recorded.

Thirty-six students performed 108 extractions on 72 patients, with a mean operative time of 38.2±19.9 minutes. Emotional regulation difficulties were not associated with surgical difficulty, empathy, operative time, or complications. Interestingly, patient state anxiety was significantly related to higher difficulty on emotional regulation by the undergraduate. No significant correlation was found between patient anxiety and number of visits. Perceived empathy positively correlated to patient satisfaction.

Empathy and emotional regulation are essential for enhancing patient experience and outcomes. Our findings suggest that students' emotional regulation difficulties are related to situational anxiety during clinical encounters. These results support integrating interpersonal skills into dental education to improve clinical practice and patient-centered care.