Burnout in dental students is primarily linked to clinical training status, perceived stress, and limited psychosocial resources, with exhaustion being the most prominent symptom.
- A February 2026 study reported that approximately 1 in 4 dental students globally experience burnout, including emotional exhaustion and cynicism.
- Exhaustion is significantly higher among students in clinical training, during fall semesters, and those with high stress and low well-being.
- Cynicism correlates with increased stress and lower grit (resilience and perseverance).
- Effective solutions require multilevel strategies addressing workload, clinical pacing, and coping resources.
- A balanced approach that reduces excessive demands while strengthening coping capacity supports both educational outcomes and long-term professional sustainability.
Burnout among dental and dental hygiene students may be linked most often to clinical training status, perceived stress, and individual psychosocial resources, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Dental Education.
Exhaustion appeared to be the most prominent core component of burnout and was independently linked to students’ clinical training status, the authors wrote.
“Addressing burnout in dental education requires a balanced approach that reduces excessive demands while strengthening coping capacity, supporting both educational outcomes and long-term professional sustainability,” wrote the authors, led by Violet D’Souza of the faculty of dentistry at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada (J Dent Educ, October 31, 2026).
Burnout has been a hot topic in dentistry.
In 2023, a study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice revealed that about 1 in 10 dentists experience burnout syndrome, with most clinicians reporting symptoms of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.
More recently, a study published in February 2026 in BMC Medical Education revealed that approximately 1 in 4 dental students globally have reported experiencing burnout, including emotional exhaustion and cynicism.
To assess burnout, perceived stress, and more among dental and dental hygiene students during fall 2023 and winter 2024 and to examine factors associated with burnout, a cross-sectional survey was administered to Dalhousie University students. The anonymous questionnaires were completed by 207 Doctor of Dental Surgery and dental hygiene students and assessed burnout, perceived stress, grit, and well-being. The students who participated were predominantly females and most were between the ages of 23 and 26.
General linear models explored possible correlations with program, term, clinical status, and demographics, adjusting for age and gender, according to the study.
Exhaustion was dramatically greater among students in clinical training (p = 0.035) during the fall semester (p < 0.001) and among those reporting higher levels of stress (p = 0.007) and lower well-being (p < 0.001), the authors wrote.
Additionally, cynicism was linked to more stress (p < 0.001) and lower grit (p = 0.013), they wrote.
Nonetheless, the study had multiple limitations, including its cross-sectional design. This prevents causal inference, the authors wrote.
“Multilevel strategies addressing workload, clinical pacing, and coping resources are needed to enhance student well-being and promote sustainable professional development,” D’Souza and colleagues wrote.
