Dentistry courses in the UK generally last five years (six if a foundation year is required) and are demanding at both an academic and technical level. Dentistry students will study the cause, prevention, management and treatment of oral and dental disease.
Dentistry is one of the most competitive courses in the UK to apply for and successful applicants will require strong academic grades, the commitment to complete a long degree and the practical and mental skills needed to concentrate over long periods of time. Dentistry graduates will complete their course with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) award. Dentistry is the only subject in which graduates are paid more than £30,000 in professional jobs six months after finishing university.
The first year of study will concentrate on basic medical and clinical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, physiology, oral biology and biochemistry. These academic studies will continue throughout the degree, but practical work under supervision will begin to be carried out towards the end of the first year. State of the art simulation dummies are provided to practice practical work.
Dentistry graduates initially begin employment as trainees in the NHS or the private sector. Because of the highly specialised skill set that Dentistry graduates have, they can choose to specialise in a particular area early in their career, before making changes later on.
Careers include dental nurses, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians and dental support, whilst becoming a Dental teacher is also hugely rewarding.
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education 2016-17.
Please note that entry requirements vary for each UK university.
The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is part of the selection process of some UK medical and dental schools. It is an online test designed to test cognitive abilities, attitudes, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. There are four reasoning tests and a situational judgement test.
- Verbal reasoning. Assesses ability to think logically about written information and arrive at a reasoned conclusion: 21 minutes, with 11 passages to read and 44 questions.
- Quantitative reasoning. Assesses ability to solve numerical problems: 24 minutes, 9 tables, charts, graphs etc. as information and 36 questions.
- Abstract reasoning. Assesses ability to infer relationships from information by convergent and divergent thinking: 13 minutes and 55 questions.
- Decision analysis. Assesses ability to deal with various forms of information to infer relationships, make informed judgements, and decide on an appropriate response: 32 minutes, 1 scenario full of information and 28 questions (basic calculator provided)
- Situational judgement. Measures your responses in situations, and your grasp of medical ethics: 27 minutes and 67 questions on 20 scenarios.
The test is taken at your local test centre, with each subtest in a multiple choice format. Past papers are not available but there are specimen questions on the UCAT website. The UCAT can be taken by applicants at the following universities:
Please note that entry requirements vary for each UK university.
To learn more about the best Dentistry courses in the UK, find details on the top ten ranking Dentistry universities in the Guardian University Guide 2022 below:
If you are interested in studying Dentistry in the UK, arrange your free consultation with SI-UK today.
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