Levels of perceived stress according to professional standings among dental surgeons of Karachi: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND: Globally, occupational stress is a common finding among dentists. The present study aimed to assess prevalence of perceived stress among practicing dentists of Karachi, Pakistan, and assess the perceived stress levels according to the professional standing among dental surgeons. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sampling technique in which 200 dentists from Karachi were recruited. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to collect data, including demographic and professional backgrounds. Stress level assessment was performed using the perceived stress scale (PSS). RESULTS: The response rate was 78.5%. In general, a moderate stress level (mean PSS = 18.35 ± 5.417) appeared in the sample size of 157 dentists, and the prevalence of perceived stress was 86%. The level of perceived stress was significantly lower in groups including 40 years old and above (mean diff; p = − 0.197), Rupees 1 lac (100,000) and more of monthly income (mean diff; p = 0.029), 11 and more years of experience (mean diff; p = 0.001) and Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor (mean diff; p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: All groups representing the senior status of dentists have appeared with lower stress than groups representing the junior status of dentists. Exploratory studies are required to discover an effective coping strategy to deal with occupational stress among the junior dentists of Karachi. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12903-022-02272-5.