How are you coping with the COVID-19 pandemic? Survey of undergraduate dental students' well-being during an unexpected global event

Background COVID-19 pandemic has led to major life changes including suspension of dental education programmes worldwide. The impact of this unexpected disruption in clinical teaching needs to be assessed. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 restriction measures on the undergraduate dental students' perception regarding their physical, mental and social well-being as well as financial stress and anxiety for their future careers. Materials and methods An electronic questionnaire (Qualtrics, Provo, Utah, USA) with main themes (general well-being, academic stressors, financial implications and dental career concerns) related to the COVID-19 lockdown was sent to the undergraduate dental students at the University Of Otago, New Zealand. Participants were asked to rank their answers according to a 5-level Likert scale (strongly disagreed-strongly agreed). Other questions included demographic, fee-paying status and living situation. Results There were 301 out of 376 students who responded to the survey. Generally, the students perceived that the COVID-19 restrictions affected their behavioural and social well-being (3.20 +/- 0.75) and less impact on their physical (2.75 +/- 0.82) and psychological (2.79 +/- 0.62) well-being. Students were significantly worried about their academic work and future careers (3.41 +/- 1.20), but less concerned with their financial situation (2.74 +/- 1.14). Conclusions The study provides valuable information on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate dental students, and areas that the University should consider when providing support to the affected students. It is important that the University is proactive and prepared to deal with future pandemics effectively and efficiently.