Prevalence of recurrent apthous stomatitis and its association with stress among undergraduate students in a dental institution– a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common mucosal disorders of the mouth. The exact etiology of aphthous ulcer is uncertain, but precipitated factors include stress, trauma, food sensitivity etc. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of RAS among dental students and to find out its association with stress. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 undergraduate dental students. The data were collected using questionnaires in two sections-1) Prevalence of occurrence of RAS was assessed by using a self reported questionnaire and 2) Stress factor was assessed by using perceived stress scale. Results: This study was carried out in 100 under graduate students out of which 61% experienced aphthous ulcer. 26(42.6%) of students with aphthous ulcer had moderate stress and 35(57.4%) had severe stress. Perceived stress scores were high in dental students especially among the ulcer experienced group (61%) (p=0.001). Conclusion: This study outlines the factors involved in prevalence of recurrent RAS and its association with stress and reports the observational methods that can be enlisted to decrease the stress among dental students and improve their academic performance.