Asst. Prof. Ajiravudh Subarnbhesaj received his higher graduate diploma in Oral Medicine from Mahidol University, his M.D.Sc. in Oral Pathology from the University of Sydney, Australia, his DDS from Khon Kaen University, and his Ph.D. in Dental Science from Hiroshima University, Japan.

He also have the Dental Council's Diploma from Thai Board (Oral Diagnostic Sciences Major in Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine.

Creating a safe and secure learning environment to reduce stress and depression among dental students and staff

Dentistry has been notoriously known as one of the most stressful subjects in education because every student has to work in a very small and delicate area such as the oral cavity. Furthermore, they need to manage their time to facilitate their patients. At the same time, all the essential dental procedures require hundreds of hours of practice. Dental education in the 21st century is becoming more about skills than content knowledge. Dental students are not empty buckets to fill with facts and figures, but real individuals who need to learn empathy, resilience, respect, critical thinking skills and responsible decision making. Dentistry in the new era is focusing on helping students discern and analyze knowledge, while working harmoniously with others. To do this level of teaching, we need to create a safe learning environment which means one in which every student is provided with the opportunity to develop spiritually, academically, emotionally, and physically in a supportive atmosphere, free of intimidation and abuse. This will help students feel confident to share their ideas, values and attitudes without fear of negative feedback from their teachers. Promoting wellbeing and looking at the causes of stress and burnout are critical for the future of the dental profession. Dental Faculty Consortium of Thailand ,comprising all the deans of dental schools around Thailand, has been taking stress issues and mental problems among dental students and staff seriously by continuously organizing workshops and seminars to provide space for dialogue, mindfully listen to their problems and needs and try to solve the problems as soon as possible. This talk will discuss in detail about the process of establishing a safe and secure learning environment and developing a mutually agreed practice guideline for managing stress and promoting physical and mental wellbeing in Thai dental schools.