Introduction Dentistry students face a challenging academic and clinical curriculum that can result in depression and anxiety. While studies usually report sources of stress for dentistry students, there is less information on levels of stress. This study used the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS‐21), to report perceived levels of depression, anxiety and stress in a cohort of Australian undergraduate dentistry students. Methods Students enrolled in years 1‐4 of the Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) program at The University of Queensland were invited to complete the DASS‐21 using an online questionnaire. Students completed the same questionnaire 1 year later. Results At baseline, the mean DASS‐21 scores for this cohort (n = 179; females = 56%) were in the normal range for depression (4.69, SD 3.87) and stress (5.50, SD 3.65), and mild range for anxiety (4.25, SD 3.21). Overall, 24% (n = 42), 44% (n = 78) and 11% (n = 20) of students had moderate or above levels of depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. At 1‐year follow‐up, DASS‐21 scores were not significantly different. Conclusions Dental students have higher levels of depression, anxiety or stress than the general population, indicating they may be at risk for greater psychological distress. The information from this study should guide curriculum and learning environment design, as well as interventions to support students through this challenging degree.

Differences between the preclinical and clinical phases of the curriculum point to the structure of teaching and learning in health professional degrees. Further research should investigate how each environmental domain more specifically correlates with other aspects of the curriculum and student progression, including well-being. This could include logistical factors such as timetabling and its effect on physical well-being, to less tangible factors that may impact on mental well-being.

We found that the total and per-person consequences of SSB tax were considerable, both in terms of dental caries (tooth decay) averted and dental care avoided. These results have to be compounded with the implications of SSB tax for other aspects of health and health care, especially in the context of chronic diseases. On the other hand, the improved outcomes have to be weighted against a welfare loss associated with introducing a tax.

Highlights  A system integration model for oral health care for clients of homeless services in Brisbane  By providing adults experiencing disadvantage a facilitated pathway to accessing dental appointments, attendance to the subsequent appointments at the public dental clinic was high

Background: Social determinants of oral health are complex and have been described by conceptual frameworks. A widely embraced model of children's oral health was published by Fisher-Owens et al. (2007), identifying theoretical constructs influencing oral health. The current study aimed to investigate community-level constructs described in the conceptual model. Methods: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children is a cross-sequential dual cohort study, with a representative sample (n = 10090) of Australian children. Generalized estimating equations were applied to model seven waves of carer-reported oral health and community measures. Results: In the final model, children living in Queensland had a 1.48 (CI 1.35-1.62) increased odds of dental caries over time. Children in low socio-economic status (SES) areas (OR 1.32 CI 1.20-1.44) had an increased odds of caries. The state of Queensland (OR 1.24 CI 1.05-1.46) and poor neighbourhood liveability (OR 1.17 CI 1.05-1.31) were predictors of dental injury. Conclusion: By modelling available community measures, this study found SES and rurality were predictors of caries over childhood. Our results highlight the difficulty of applying conceptual models to oral health. The use of qualitative studies and realist reviews should be considered to complement statistical models to provide contextualized insights into funding, policy and service delivery on children's oral health.

Objectives The literature describing the oral health of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is scant and the findings equivocal. The aim of this study was to describe the oral health and oral self‐care behaviours of people living with MS and compare it to the Australian population. Methods Participants enrolled with the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS) were invited to participate in the survey using an online or paper‐based questionnaire. Data were collected on level of disability, oral health, oral self‐care and factors influencing attendance for oral health care. Results Completed questionnaires were received for 1523 respondents. Over one‐fifth (n = 320; 22%) rated their oral health as fair or poor, and more than half (n = 840; 57%) reported toothache in the last 12 months. These proportions were higher than those for the general Australian adult population (oral health prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.25 [1.12, 1.40]; toothache PR = 3.63 [3.39, 3.88]), and this is despite comparable or better self‐maintenance habits and dental attendance reported by respondents. People with MS reported high rates of mouth dryness (68.4%), teeth sensitivity (64.7%), change of taste (40.5%) and orofacial pain (39.0%); fewer than 10% experienced none of these. There was a lower prevalence of self‐reported need for treatment (extraction or filling) than in the Australian adult population (15.8% vs 32.9%). Conclusions People with MS have a greater oral health burden, demonstrated by their poorer self‐reported oral health than the Australian adult population. Furthermore, they experience high rates of toothache, mouth dryness, teeth sensitivity, change of taste and orofacial pain. These findings are contrary to their self‐reported good oral self‐care and dental attendance habits and suggest some of the oral health impacts are due to MS rather than dental behaviours.

Objectives Research into dental diseases in children is no longer primarily focussed on biological and dietary factors, with social determinants an important influence. The aim of this study was to systematically review the focus of research on influences on children's oral health in Australia. Methods Relevant databases were searched for English language publications between 2008 and 2017. Included studies were original research articles with a focus on influences of oral health for Australian children. A thematic synthesis approach was adopted, and included studies were coded using the Fisher‐Owens et al (2007) framework which included child‐, family‐ and community level influences. Results A total of 252 studies were included in this review. The focus of the included studies was most frequently on child level influences (n = 200, 79.4%), followed by community level (n = 175, 69.4%) and family (n = 86, 38.1%)‐level influences. Overall, the highest proportion of included studies were on the child level influences of physical attributes (n = 86, 34.1%) and child maturing (n = 83, 32.9%). The influences with the least number of studies were social environment (n = 2, 0.8%), social support (n = 3, 1.2%) and physical safety on both a family and community levels (n = 3, 1.2% and n = 1, 0.4%, respectively). Discussion Monitoring child level influences of oral health has consistently occurred in national surveys and epidemiological studies. Family level influences are comparatively underinvestigated and should be a focus of future research in Australia. This study has helped to identify area gaps in the literature and can guide future studies.

This sample of dentistry students portrayed a profile of temperament and character similar to profiles of other health profession students with the intellectual ability and drives to undertake a competitive and challenging degree. Longitudinal studies are needed to track changes in personality throughout the degree. This would provide insight into how and when to best support students.