Introduction:
Dental education and practice are inherently stressful, with potential gender-based differences in stress perception and coping strategies. Despite growing concerns about mental health in healthcare training, gender-specific stress trajectories, and coping mechanisms among dental students and professionals remain underexplored, particularly in culturally distinct settings. This study investigates perceived stress levels and coping mechanisms among dental students and early-career clinicians.

Material and methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 77 dental students, graduates, and postgraduates in Pakistan (December 2024–January 2025). Validated tools – the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Brief COPE Inventory – were administered to assess stress levels and coping strategies. The inclusion criteria encompassed current enrollment in dental training, an absence of diagnosed mental health disorders, and informed consent. Data were analyzed to compare stress scores and coping mechanisms across genders and academic stages.

Results:
The cohort demonstrated moderately high stress levels (mean PSS: 24.73 ± 4.92). While overall stress did not differ significantly by gender (p = 0.631), academic stage analysis revealed significant variations (F(4,72) = 3.42, p = 0.013) with distinct gender patterns: men showed elevated stress in early academic years, while women peaked during clinical training phases. Coping mechanism analysis revealed statistically significant gender differences in four key domains: spirituality (p = 0.003), self-blame (p = 0.039), substance misuse (p = 0.026), and senior support-seeking (p = 0.024).

Conclusions:
The study underscores gender-specific stress trajectories and culturally influenced coping mechanisms in dental education. Targeted interventions are warranted, including substance misuse prevention for men, resilience programs addressing self-compassion for women, and institutional reforms such as mindfulness training and mentorship frameworks. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to validate these findings across diverse populations.