Health and Wellness

In This Section

Your wellness matters.

Dental school is exhausting — mentally and physically. In the midst of rigorous class and clinical schedules, it’s important to set aside time to care for your personal wellness. Wellness is not a destination that can be reached and then forgotten. It is a journey that requires continuous effort and adjustments based on life’s demands.

ASDA is your community, support system & advocate. We pledge to:

Demonstrate the value and impact of community and engagement on member wellness
Promote the dimensions of wellness and means of addressing each of them as they relate to the dental student experience
Provide intentional programming that assists members with incorporating wellness into their routines

Make an impact in 5 dimensions.

It’s in your best interest and that of your patients if you are the healthiest version of yourself. ASDA highlights five dimensions that you can focus on to improve and maintain your wellness.

Emotional

Physical

Intellectual

Occupational

Environmental

Learn more about how each dimension impacts your wellbeing and discover resources from ASDA members and subject-matter experts here.

Add wellness into your routine.

Wellness Wednesday

On Wellness Wednesdays, ASDA shares new resources, highlights member insights, or hosts a wellness activity. Discover how you can add wellness into your routine across all 5 dimensions of wellness.

Follow @dentalstudents on Instagram so you don’t miss any information about upcoming programs.

Wellness Month

During the month of September, ASDA emphasizes wellness through weekly individual and chapter activities.

Details about this year's program coming soon!

Access to Nutritional Resources

Food insecurity is a growing concern in the dental student community. Basic nutrition is often overlooked due to long hours in class or clinic, limited options to work, and the high cost of living.

At the 2026 House of Delegates, the following policy was passed to help address this issue:

“ASDA recognizes that food insecurity is a growing concern among dental students and encourages members and ASDA chapters to work with local constituents and other stakeholders to institute local programs to address this issue.”

ASDA encourages you and/or your ASDA chapter to help your fellow dental students by creating and maintaining a food pantry at your school.

View the five steps to establishing a food pantry.

Access ASDA resources.

Live and on-demand webinars
Contour articles
- View the Wellness section in each issue of Contour.
- September is the annual wellness issue of Contour. View the latest issue here.

You are not alone.

If you’re noticing changes in your personal wellbeing and health due to a decrease in exercise, changed eating habits, increased stress or depression, you are not alone.

There are ways to screen yourself to determine if you're experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, provided by Mental Health America.

In crisis? If you or someone you know is in crisis now, seek help immediately. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center or dial 911 for immediate assistance.

Additional Resources