ABSTRACT
Aims: To investigate self-perceived stress level of senior dental students in Saudi Arabia during different fixed prosthodontics procedures. Also, to explore the possible stress-related factors during each procedure. Settings and Design: A structured, close-ended, and open-ended, anonymous questionnaire was distributed in a website format to senior dental students of 19 dental schools in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Students were asked to rate the level of stress they feel during different fixed prosthodontics procedures on a scale from 0 to 10. They were also asked to rate the adequacy of their preclinical training in these procedures and how many times they have performed each of the procedures clinically. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were presented in means, percentages, and standard deviation and inferential statistics were performed using One-way ANOVA, independent t-test and Pearson's correlation. Results: About 423 students answered the questionnaire, in which 228 (54%) were females and 195 (46%) were males. Vital tooth preparation (5.27 ± 2.459) and pos space preparation (5.13 ± 2.766) were rated as the most stressful procedures (P < 0.05). Fear of error or mishaps was the most reported reason for stress during these two procedures. Pearson's correlation showed significant but weak negative correlation between stress scores and number of times the student has performed the procedure (P < 0.05). Students who believe that they had adequate preclinical training reported significantly lower stress scores (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Self-perceived stress among dental students is related to the type of procedure they perform in the clinic and how frequent they have been exposed to it during their preclinical training.
ABSTRACT
Aims: Stress is a common problem that can have a considerable impact on student performance and subsequently the quality of treatment given to the patients. This study aimed to investigate the levels and reasons of stress among senior dental students when they perform different complete denture clinical procedures. Settings and Design: A questionnaire was designed and distributed electronically among senior dental students of 19 universities in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The students were asked to score the levels of stress during five complete denture clinical steps on a scale from zero to ten and report factors contributing to it. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were carried out by One-way ANOVA and independent t-test to compare stress scores between different procedures. Results: A total of 419 responses were collected, 195 (46.5%) males and 224 (53.5%) females. One-Way ANOVA revealed statistically significant difference in the mean stress scores between the five procedures (P < 0.001). The highest mean stress score was for border molding and final impression procedure (4.06 ± 2.664) and jaw relation (4.20 ± 2.690). Moreover, the Stress scores were significantly higher among females when compared to males in all procedures (P < 0.05) except the placement of final denture (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Border molding, final impression, and jaw relation records cause more stress for dental students than the other complete denture procedures. Difficulty of these two procedures was the most common reported stress provoking factors.
