Dentistry
As well as being a hugely competitive area, Dentistry also requires a number of skills on top of academic qualification. Here are some of the key skills you will need to pursue a career in dental care:
- Willingness to learn and make sense of scientific knowledge
- Good manual dexterity
- Good eyesight and colour vision
- Happy to work as part of a team
- Communication, empathy and inter-personal skills
Dental Schools
There are 16 dental schools in the UK; three of which are graduate entry only and two postgraduate only dental institutions, all of which are regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC) . A list is available from the British Dental Association (BDA)
Entry requirements and Admission Tests
Entry requirements may vary by institution - Chemistry and Biology A Level will be the normal minimum. Entry to the course usually requires high grades at A-level/Highers in Chemistry, Biology and Physics or Mathematics.
Some universities require candidates to sit the UK clinical aptitude test UCAT or the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) as well as having the usual academic requirements.
Work Experience
Relevant work experience and work shadowing will be looked for as evidence of your motivation.
Personal Statement
Make sure you explain in detail when and why you decided to become a dentist. Any particular life event or any specific reasons that made you choose this course. It is very important to give reasons why certain aspects of your life precluded your decision to apply for dentistry. Remember: Nobody was ‘born’ to study dentistry, and financial benefits are rarely accepted as a motive!
Not only do you need to refer to your work experience but also reflect on it. It is your ability to relate what you saw and what you learnt to your understanding of the course and career that counts. It is paramount not only to convey what you saw during work experience, but also how that reinforced your desire to study Dentistry.
Pay attention also to things happening around the dentist. How the dental nurse operates, how the practice operates as a whole and the significance of each member of staff and the role they play in the dental team.
Successful personal statements demonstrate communication skills, teamwork, manual dexterity, time management, patience and decision making.
Finally, summarise your qualities and reinforce the fact you want to be a dentist.
Wider Reading
As with all Degrees, it is important to demonstrate your wider reading and knowledge of the subject you are applying to and we would suggest you familiarise yourself with the following:
British Dental Association - It can be beneficial for dental students to become members of the BDA. It provides a student newsletter, blog and magazine and access to useful texts and networking events. On their website use the Quick Navigation Menu to locate Becoming a Dentist. Here you will find outlined the different jobs in dentistry, qualifications and training, links to UK dental schools and information on working as a dentist in the UK and overseas.
British Orthodontic Society - this has useful information about orthodontic training on from dentistry. To access it from the homepage go to Orthodontics and You, Orthodontics and Schools, Careers in Orthodontics.
Dental Technicians Association - Dental technicians design, construct and repair dental appliances. There is a careers section in Careers in dental technology covering the scope of the work, qualifications, course entry requirements and links to course providers.
British Dental Hygienists Association - find out about a career as a dental hygienist by clicking on the NHS website. There’s information here on relevant qualifications and where you can train.
British Association of Dental Therapists - this is the main website for the profession. Go to Career pathways for details of what dental therapists do as well as courses and entry requirements.