Exploring Burnout, Stress, and Well-Being Among Dental and Dental Hygiene Students

Burnout is a critical concern in health professions education, given its documented associations with deteriorating mental health, impaired performance, and increased risk of errors in patient care.

To assess burnout, perceived stress, grit, and well-being among Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and Dental Hygiene (DH) students across two academic terms, and to examine factors associated with burnout.

A repeated cross-sectional survey was administered to DDS and DH students at Dalhousie University in Fall 2023 and Winter 2024. Anonymous REDCap surveys assessed burnout (MBI-GS), perceived stress (PSS-10), grit (Grit-S), and well-being (WHO-5). General linear models examined associations with program, term, clinical status, and demographics, adjusting for age and gender.

A total of 107 students completed the Fall survey and 100 students the Winter survey. Exhaustion was significantly higher among students in clinical training (p = 0.035), in the Fall (p < 0.001), and among those reporting higher stress (p = 0.007) and lower well-being (p < 0.001). Cynicism was associated with higher stress (p < 0.001) and lower grit (p = 0.013). Professional efficacy was positively associated with grit (p < 0.001), well-being (p = 0.029), and older age (p = 0.049). After adjustment, no independent program effect (DDS vs. DH) was observed.

Burnout among oral health students was associated primarily with clinical training status, perceived stress, and psychosocial resources rather than program type. Exhaustion was the most prominent burnout dimension and was independently associated with clinical training status and survey term. Multilevel strategies addressing workload, clinical pacing, and coping resources are needed to enhance student well-being and promote sustainable professional development.