The Effect of Clinical Education on Dental Students’ Stress and Anxiety Levels

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eken ş., GÜLER B., Cetiner D., Sever A., URAZ A.

Essentials of dentistry (Online), sa.1, ss.1-12, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the levels of stress and anxiety experienced by fourthand final-year dental undergraduate students during their clinical training years. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 110 students, including 60 in their fourth-year and 50 in their final-year, between 2022 and 2023. Demographic characteristics were collected from all participants. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Pagana Clinical Stress Questionnaire were administered at three points: the beginning (T0) and the end (T1) of the fourth-year of clinical training and the beginning (T0) of the final-year of clinical training. Results: The threat subscale scores of the Pagana Clinical Stress Questionnaire were significantly higher at the beginning of the final-year (T0) (12.44 ± 5.39) compared to the end of the fourth-year (T1) (10.47 ± 5.00) (P = .049). Additionally, State Anxiety Inventory-1 scores showed a statistically significant increase from the beginning (T0) (39.23 ± 5.39) to the end (T1) (41.48 ± 5.07) of the fourth-year (P = .030). Conclusion: The findings indicated that dental students experience mild to moderate levels of stress and anxiety during clinical training, with notable increases during key transitional periods. The findings, along with previous studies conducted on the Turkish population, underline the need for targeted stress management interventions and supportive educational strategies within dental curricula to foster psychological well-being and academic confidence among students. Implementing such strategies could foster a more supportive learning environment, improve student well-being, and ultimately enhance clinical performance and professional development.