The aim of this study was to systematically review the available literature on the levels, causes, and impact of stress among dental students. The investigators searched eight electronic databases: Medline, Medline in process, Psychinfo, ERIC, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. Two independent reviewers conducted the selection, data extraction, and quality appraisal for included studies. The investigators then coded both quantitative and qualitative studies using similar codes and pooled results from studies that used the Dental Environment Stress questionnaire to demonstrate dental students' stress levels. The search initially identified 4,720 studies, of which 124 studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis and twenty-one were included in the meta-analysis. Evidence from this research showed that dental students experience considerable amounts of stress during their training. This stress is mainly due to the demanding nature of the training. In addition, studies suggest adverse effects of elevated stress on students' health and well-being. Most of the available literature is based on cross-sectional studies; thus, future longitudinal studies are needed to follow students throughout their curriculum. In addition, further research needs to explore and test stress management interventions.
Keywords: dental education; dental students; stress; systematic review.