Recurrent Oral Ulcers and Its Association With Stress Among Dental Students in the Northeast Indian Population: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Survey

Aim The term “aphthous” is derived from the Greek word “aphtha,” which means ulceration. The cause of aphthous ulcers is multifactorial, but emotional stress is one of the most important risk factors for its occurrence in young individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of recurrent oral ulcers (ROUs) with stress among dental students in the Northeast Indian Population. Materials and methods A total of 1,134 students were recruited for the study. Two sets of questionnaires were designed. The first set consisted of 11 questions related to demographic data and information about recurrent oral ulcers. The second set of questionnaire had 14 questions related to stress symptoms. Google Forms (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) was used for recording the responses of the study participants. Questionnaires were sent to the participants through e-mail, and responses were recorded. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA) and Microsoft Office Excel (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA). The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. Results Among the 1,134 participants, 32.7% (371 students) reported a previous history of recurrent oral ulcers. Out of 371 participants who had given a history of oral ulcers, only 27.2% exhibited direct stress to ulcer association. On further assessment using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), it was found that a far greater percentage of students (i.e., more than 27.2%) were under some form of stress or the other. Conclusions The results of this study will help improve the quality of life among the study population, either by tackling their stress levels or by identifying adequate interventions.