Substance use remains a major public health concern, yet limited evidence exists regarding its prevalence among dental students, a group uniquely positioned as future health advocates but also vulnerable to academic and psychosocial stressors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the global prevalence of substance use among dental students and explore variations by substance type and gender.
Materials and Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus up to December 2025. Eligible studies included observational designs reporting the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or other substance use among dental students. Screening, selection and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers, with the study quality assessed using a modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was evaluated with the I² statistic.
Results:
Twenty-three studies involving more than 8,000 dental students across multiple regions were included. Alcohol use was the most prevalent, with a pooled prevalence of 67% (95% CI: 0.48–0.85), followed by cannabis (38%; 95% CI: 0.18–0.61), chewing tobacco (26%; 95% CI: 0.10–0.48) and cigarette smoking (22%; 95% CI: 0.13–0.31). A gender-stratified analysis showed alcohol use in 63% men and 58% women. Considerable heterogeneity was observed across all substance categories (I² > 95%).
Conclusion:
Substance use is highly prevalent among dental students worldwide, posing risks to academic performance, clinical competence and professional credibility. Institution-level interventions and further longitudinal and interventional research are needed to inform preventive strategies.
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