Stress has been described as an epidemic of the 21 st century and even students are not exempted from this scenario. It is now well-established that dental students perceive and experience high levels of stress. Although some stress is inherent in dentistry and education and is likely to be beneficial as a learning stimulus, there is a concern that high levels of stress and prolonged stress exposure may precipitate burnout, a term that describes the experience of long-term work-related

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... n and diminished interest. Hence this study was attempted. Aim: To evaluate burnout and stress among students of two dental universities with different curriculum (Karnataka Lingayat Education University, KLEU, and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health sciences (RGUHS). Materials and Methods: Information regarding the level of stress and burnout was assessed based on Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Version (MBI-SS) and Perceived Stress Score (PSS) questionnaire. The responses obtained from 137 participants were analyzed using independent t-tests and Chi-square test. Results: Statistically significant increase in stress mean scores (P = 0.002) was found in KLEU dental students when compared to RGUHS. Applying strict rule of burnout syndrome statistically significant increase in burnout syndrome (P = 0.029) with odds ratio 3.97 times more was found in KLEU dental students. No difference in burnout and stress between males and females and the social classes was noted.