How to Become a Dentist

A career in dentistry is a popular choice, which combines good earning potential with the chance to care for others and make a difference in your community.

But how do you become a dentist? In this guide, we’ll take you through the career path step by step – from applying to dental school to taking your first steps as a professional dentist.

Apply for dentistry

All dentists need to have a degree in dentistry (BDS or BChD) from an institution approved by the General Dentistry Council (GDC). The first step to becoming a dentist, therefore, is to apply to dental school.

There are 16 universities offering accredited dentistry degrees in the UK – you can read our guide to the best dental schools here. Like medicine, you can only apply for four dentistry courses through UCAS and you will have to make your applications by the earlier deadline, usually in mid-October.

For undergraduate entry, most schools will require three A Levels, typically including Chemistry and Biology. AAA is the most common entry tariff, though some universities have higher and others lower requirements. There are three more key components to your application:

  • Write a personal statement
  • Take the UCAT
  • Sit interviews – either MMI (multiple mini interviews), a panel interview, or both

Some dental schools will also require you to have completed some work experience, usually around two weeks’ worth.

Throughout your application, universities are looking for candidates will good scientific knowledge and skills, a passionate interest in dentistry, a strong work ethic, and a caring and sensitive attitude towards working with patients.

For personal advice on improving your application, book an admissions consultation with one of our dentistry experts.

Degree in dentistry

Once you’ve been accepted, it’s time to complete your dentistry degree. This usually takes five years, though if you have already completed an undergraduate degree in a related discipline like biomedical science, some dental schools offer four-year courses.

Dentistry degrees are typically structured so that you are taught the theory (clinical knowledge and skills) in the first two years, before doing more hands-on practice, under the supervision of professional dentists, with real patients in the final years of your course.

Register with GDC

Next, you will need to register with the GDC (General Dentistry Council). To register, you must have passed your dental degree at a GDC-accredited school, have accumulated enough hours of clinical practice, and pass the GDC’s own aptitude test.

Throughout your career, the GDC will require you to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in order to retain your registration. This ensures that your knowledge remains current as medical and scientific knowledge evolves and dental best practices are updated.

Training to become a dentist

To become a dentist in the NHS, you will need to complete further training.

Dental Foundation Training or Vocational Training (required by the NHS)

Dental Foundation Training (DFT) or Vocational Training (VT) is a supervised course of training, which involves working in an approved practice for one year after you graduate. You will be supervised by a fully qualified dentist during our training.

Once you have completed this phase, you can apply for full registration with the GDC. At this stage, you can either begin your career proper or undertake further training.

Dental Core Training (optional)

Dental Core Training (DCT) is open to dentists who have completed DFT. It usually takes between one and three years to complete. The programme allows trainees to work in a range of different clinical settings under senior dentists with a range of specialties.

It is not required to become a dentist; however, some dentists choose to undertake it because of the further career opportunities it opens up.

Dental Speciality Training (optional)

The final training programme, open to those who have completed DCT, is Dental Speciality Training (DST). Here, trainees can specialise in thirteen different fields within dentistry – from oral surgery to orthodontics. This stage usually takes three to five years.

Entry into DST programmes is competitive – it’s not uncommon to have to apply several times before you are successful. Once you’ve completed the programme, you need to take a member exit exam. If you pass, you’ll become a specialist. Although DST is difficult to get onto and time-consuming, there’s a reason it’s competitive – specialists can usually command the highest salaries in the dental profession, typically more than £100,000 p.a.

Begin your career

After completing your training, it’s finally time to begin your career as a dentist!

Depending on which level of training you’ve done, you have various options open to you – whether it’s working in hospitals, becoming a community dentist, or even joining the armed forces as a dentist.

However, the most common route it ‘general dentistry’. This is the type of dentistry that the majority of us interact with most often – for instance, when we go for our regular check-up at a dental practice. Most newly qualified dentists choose to work in an established practice as an ‘associate’. This means you consult with patients and provide them with treatment, but you do not own the practice.

 

International Dentists

Dentists trained outside the UK can practise in the country by meeting specific requirements. This often includes passing the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) or the Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS). Applicants must also demonstrate proficiency in English through tests like the IELTS or OET and meet the GDC’s criteria for registration. International dentists may need additional training or adaptation courses to align with UK standards.

How Dukes Plus Can Help

If you want to become a dentist, we can help. We are experts at supporting students with their applications to dental schools, including:

If you would like to discuss how we can help improve your application, book a free consultation with our experienced team today.

If you’re just beginning to explore a career in dentistry, you may also want to book our incredible dentistry summer school for students aged 15-18.

Speak to an Expert

Speak to an Expert

To find out how Dukes Plus can assist with your dental school application, book a free consultation today.

FAQs

It takes five years to complete most dentistry degrees, followed by at least one year of training before you can become a dentist. If you want to become a specialist dentist, you may need to train for five or more years longer.

 

In the UK, if you are taking dentistry as your first degree, this will last five years. If you have already completed a degree in a related subject like biomedical science, a small number of dental schools offer four-year dentistry courses.

 

Yes. To become a dentist in the UK, you must complete a degree in dentistry from an institution accredited by the General Dentistry Council.

 

The starting salary for newly qualified dentists in the NHS is around £34,000, though this can rise to more than £150,000 for senior specialists. The average dentist’s salary in the UK is around £62,000.

 

In the UK, you apply to dental school through UCAS. You will need to apply by the October deadline. After you have submitted your UCAS application, you will need to take the UCAT and most likely sit an interview.

 

Yes. If you have already completed a degree in a related field like biomedical science, a small number of dental schools in the UK offer four-year dentistry courses.