Dr Chris Paton

Applying to UK dental schools follows much the same process as medicine: a UCAS application by the mid-October deadline, the UCAT taken the preceding summer, an interview at most schools, and demanding A-level (or equivalent) grades typically including chemistry and biology. There are around sixteen UK undergraduate dental schools, with graduate-entry options at four institutions.

Competition for dental places is high but typically slightly less intense than for medicine, with the result that some applicants treat dentistry as a back-up — admissions panels are sensitive to this and a personal statement that reads as 'medicine without the long training' will be discounted. The Dental Schools Council recommends applicants demonstrate specific motivation for the profession, including hands-on shadowing or volunteer experience in a dental setting.

Career prospects in dentistry differ from medicine — most NHS dentistry is delivered through mixed NHS/private practice rather than salaried hospital employment, and the financial and lifestyle structure of a dental career should be researched directly through the British Dental Association.