DentaltownUK May 2017 - 99

students

Overcoming Stress
in Dentistry

with
Mohammad Moinuddin

Fourth-year undergraduate student (BDS)
King's College London

Intro:
My wish to study dentistry stemmed from
experiences shadowing my own general
dentist as well as dental specialists of varying
fields, and this passion has only grown during
the past 3½ years of dental school.
Dentistry is an ever-advancing niche of
healthcare which offers the unique combination of incorporating manual and artistic
skills into a daily regime; the formation of
close and long-term relationships with
patients; and the ability to contribute positively to the community.
However, the degree does not come without
its due stress, and at times is so trying that
causes one to question whether it's worth
continuing the subject. It is this aspect which
I wish to focus on-looking at some of the
evidence behind dental stress and how to
cope with it, and an insight into my personal
efforts to cope with the rigours of the course.
Stress in dentistry
Dr Michael Kesner, CEO of Quantum
Leap Success in Dentistry, has said that
dentistry has one of the highest burnout
rates of all professions. He outlines some
reasons for this, including the vast knowledge
of medicine, materials, sciences and artistry
required; the financial stresses of running a
practice; the emotional stresses when dealing
with difficult patients; and stresses relating
to medicolegal matters.
However, what is also mentioned is the
stress felt during dental school, where it can
be argued that such long-term stresses may
initiate (Rada & Johnson-Leong, 2004).
I feel that it is during this crucial time
that one should capitalise on the university
environment and what it can offer, enabling
one to identify what helps relieve stress,
before being thrust into the world of clinical
practice and losing access to the same extracurricular opportunities. Indeed, Gale (1998)

highlighted the importance of becoming
aware of the physical
and emotional behaviours which one
exhibits during stress,
to overcoming it.
A study undertaken
by Dr Wael Al-Omari
(2005) examining the
perceived stress among
dental students, dental
hygiene students and
denta l technolog y
students found that
some of the highest
scores given by all
students included
those for 'inadequate
time for relaxation'
and 'examinations'; the two of which are
explicably linked where time required for
studying for said examinations leaves little
to relax; this was certainly the case for me.
As can be seen in Fig. 1, personal factors
(defined by Al-Omari as including making
friends, lack of time for relaxation, reduced
holidays, etc.) show a significant contribution
to one's stress particularly in the third and
fourth years.

However, a further trend can be seen where
academic work and clinical factors become
the major stressors in play for fifth-year
students. This is something one can expect
when considering the increased stresses
associated with finals assessments and applying
for Dental Foundation year placements.
Moreover, qualitative studies by Dahan
and Bedos (2010) have considered the typology of dental students based on their experiences of stress. Upon analysis of the data

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK May 2017
