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Submitted
10 June 2025
Accepted
22 September 2025
Published
30 December 2025
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Abstract

Background: This study aims to compare dental students' anxiety levels before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it seeks to assess their concerns about potential future threats, such as a hypothetical disease with similar or more severe impacts than COVID-19, referred to as 'Disease X, 'and identify the most effective methods to support them during such challenging times. Methods: The present descriptive observational study was conducted from October 2019 to February 2023, with a sample size of 329 participants. One hundred dental students completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAI-AD), a widely used psychological instrument for measuring anxiety, before (n=51) and after (n=49) the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 229 students responded to an online questionnaire addressing their concerns about the re-emergence of pandemics or disease X.  The anxiety scores were analyzed using a t-test and the survey using descriptive statistics and a t-test, providing a comprehensive understanding of the student's mental health and concerns. Results: Our findings reveal a significant increase in anxiety scores after the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.0001), underscoring the profound impact of the pandemic on dental students. The majority of students (56%) took a proactive approach and suggested the development of an emergency curriculum plan, including online courses (57%) and virtual preclinical and clinical training (51%), as the most effective strategies to address their concerns about the re-emergence of a pandemic. Conclusions: The pandemic increased the anxiety of dental students, and many of them are concerned about the recurrence of future pandemics or disease X.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic mental health anxiety stess dental student dental education

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Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Contemporary Dental Sciences

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El Sawy , A. M. ., Algahtani, F., ElAsfahani, I. A. . ., Barakat , R. ., & Haridy, R. . (2025). Are Dental Schools Prepared for Disease X? A Case Study Addressing Dental Student’s Anxiety and Concerns . Journal of Contemporary Dental Sciences, 2(4), 18–24. Retrieved from https://jcds.qu.edu.sa/index.php/JCDS/article/view/2391
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