Dental student experiences with gambling: a survey of attitudes, exposure, and impact.

The aim of this study is to assess the extent and characteristics of gambling among dental students. Three hundred sixteen dental students enrolled at a private midwestern dental school accessed the twenty-six-item modified South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) as an online survey. Students were advised of the anonymity and confidentiality of the survey results. Student characteristics are presented as descriptive data. One hundred eighty-six students (58.9 percent) responded. Nearly two-thirds (61.3 percent) of the respondents reported having gambled at least once during the past twelve months. Using the SOGS score, six students can be considered problem gamblers with a value of 3 but <5, and three students can be considered as pathological gamblers with a score of >or=5. Gambling is a common activity among dental students and should be considered a possible factor for students who develop academic or social difficulties. Students do not appear to have a realistic perception of what constitutes problem or pathological gambling and may benefit from programs that address this issue.