Dentistry

Source: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/dentistry/ Parent: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/

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1. Make note of the Queen Mary institution code: Q50
2. Make note of your chosen course UCAS code:

#### Dentistry

• A200 — BDS
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Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements

Dentistry

Entry Year: 2026

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Key information

Degree : BDS

Duration : 5 years

Start : September 2026

UCAS code : A200

Institution code : Q50

Entry Requirements : Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)

Home fees : £9,535

Overseas fees
:   £53,950\
    [Funding information](#funding)\
    [Paying your fees](https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/feesandfunding/payment/)

• Overview
• Structure
• Teaching
• Entry requirements
• Funding
• Careers
• About the School

Dentistry

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• Overview
• Structure
• Teaching
• Entry requirements
• Funding
• Careers
• About the School

Overview

Study an innovative dental curriculum at a top school with world-class facilities and access to London’s diverse population.

This five-year degree is designed to help you build the skills needed to become a dental professional. The Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London offers a new and innovative curriculum, covering the care of the mouth, including the prevention and treatment of dental diseases, screening for oral cancers, managing trauma, orthodontics, and oral surgery. Throughout the programme, you will develop your academic, clinical, professional, and personal skills, putting into practice your communication and teamwork abilities while delivering supervised dental care. You will gain experience collaborating with dental professionals and broader healthcare teams, demonstrating the expertise, competencies, and ethical behaviours essential to qualifying as a safe and capable practitioner.

Our location in east London means you will serve a population of great diversity and encounter a wide range of disease, including some of the more unusual oral cancers. You will be exposed to patients early on, and as you progress through your studies, you will gain hands-on experience at our outreach clinics in Canary Wharf, Stratford, and our newest centre in Homerton.

We encourage you to take a holistic approach to dentistry by studying the human sciences along with your core dentistry modules – including sociology and psychology – to examine patients’ attitude to oral healthcare and the dental profession.

The Dental Schools Council has published a guide to the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry, which we recommend you read before making your application.

More information about the course including entry requirements and selection criteria.

Our undergraduate dental curriculum incorporates the General Dental Council’s (GDC) Safe Practitioner framework of behaviours and outcomes for dental professional education which is effective from 2025. The dental curriculum has been reviewed and co-created with students with the aim of ‘Opening the doors of opportunity to serve our patients by producing outstanding Dentists, Therapists and Dental Care professionals of the future’. The curriculum embodies what is expected by the GDC with the domains listed below running through each year of the course:

•    Clinical knowledge and skills.\ •    Interpersonal skills.\ •    Professionalism.\ •    Self-management.

Applicants should be aware that the government plans to make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, as announced in the 10 Year Health Plan for England. This requirement is expected to apply to individuals entering a dental course of study from academic year 2027/28. More information is expected from the Department of Health and Social Care in due course.

UCAS application deadline: 15 October

Structure

Throughout the course you will be supported and guided so that you achieve your potential and patients will be at the centre of your teaching and learning. A breakdown of what is delivered in each year is provided below:

• Year 1
• Years 2 - 4
• Year 5

Year 1

YEAR 1

Fundamentals of clinical practice

The first-year BDS curriculum provides a comprehensive foundation in basic sciences, clinical practice, and professionalism, preparing you for your future role as a dental professional. In your first year, you will be introduced to the fundamental biological, clinical, and professional principles needed to begin your journey as a dental practitioner.

The curriculum emphasises early clinical exposure, patient-centred care, and the development of essential skills. The core modules focus on the structure and function of body tissues, organs, and systems, with a particular emphasis on oral health and function. You will explore the relationship between tissue structure and function, including dental materials science, and examine how physiological systems and their disorders impact both general and oral health. The curriculum is integrated with Clinical Practice & Professionalism and Population & Public Health modules to ensure a cohesive learning experience that underscores the interconnectedness of systemic health, pharmacology, and oral care.

To develop your clinical and professional competencies, you will engage in lectures, small group sessions, clinical skills training, and patient observation, enhancing your communication, teamwork, and professionalism skills. The course promotes evidence-based dentistry and prevention principles, fostering critical thinking and clinical decision-making. Professionalism is assessed through portfolio development, with staff and peer feedback encouraging reflective practice and lifelong learning. You will also benefit from collaborative learning with Dental Hygiene and Therapy students, strengthening your interprofessional education.

You will cover:

• Oral biology and the normal biological structure and function of cells
• The main organs and body systems
• The effects of illness on people and their families
• Development of clinical skills using haptics, clinical skills laboratories and the dental clinics. This increases the exposure of students to clinical dentistry in the first year.
• Dental materials and their application
• The impact of environmental and social factors on health
• The impact of systemic health and medication on oral health
• Critical Thinking and Professional Skills
• Interpersonal and Professional Skills

The Year 1 curriculum reflects the Spiral Curriculum Model, ensuring that topics introduced in this year will be revisited and built upon throughout the course, reinforcing your knowledge and clinical competence.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Years 2 - 4

YEARS 2 AND 3

Developing clinical skills

You will apply and integrate the knowledge gained in the first year to body systems in both health and disease, with topic areas geared towards the requirements of a dental practitioner.

Substantial portions of your time will be spent with patients, coupled with complementary educational activities, including seminars, clinical skills laboratory work, tutorials, e-learning projects and library activity.

You will cover:

• Abnormalities and diseases of the mouth and how to care effectively for these patients
• Oral biology, including the study of normal structures and functions of the adjacent tissues
• Specialist areas such as adult and child restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral medicine, oral surgery and orthodontics.

You will also work in our outreach centres, devising strategies for prevention and treatment. You will receive teaching at The Royal London Dental Institute, as well as rotating around our three outreach dental clinics. This will provide you with an excellent opportunity to serve the local community, treat and improve the oral health of patients whilst developing the skills required to become an excellent practitioner.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 5

YEARS 4 AND 5

Preparation for practice

You will apply and consolidate your knowledge and skills in preparation for professional dental practice. You will be exposed to a greater range of cases, including hospital-based treatments. Teaching is delivered through symposia, small group teaching, modules and wide clinical experience.

New digital scanning technology is embedded in the course. 3D images of a patient's mouth will transform treatment planning and delivery of restorative dental care.

To prepare for graduation you will hear from graduates on their experiences applying for jobs and learn about the different career routes from dentists working in  specialised fields.

Student-selected components

You will choose particular areas to study in greater depth, based on your own interests.

Examples of student-selected modules currently on offer include:

• Audit
• Quality Improvement projects
• Research
• Clinical and Communication Skills
• Dental Materials Science
• Pathology
• Pharmacology
• Prevention of Oral Diseases.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Intercalated degrees

Intercalated BSc

Take a year off from your dental studies to earn a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. You might choose this strategic route to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific basis of dentistry, demonstrate your commitment to a particular area, or simply broaden your career options.

You can apply for an intercalated BSc to start after your second, third or fourth years. Selection is based on your exam results and performance at interview. Browse our intercalated degrees.

A small number of students also take intercalated degrees at other institutions.

Intercalated MSc

• There is opportunity for students to intercalate during their studies.
• Courses leading to an intercalated degree offer students an excellent opportunity to think critically about, and to study more deeply, the scientific bases of the medical sciences.
• Experience has shown that those who have undertaken an intercalated degree gain a deeper knowledge of the underlying science as well as a great understanding of their clinical studies.

We also offer Master of Science (MSc) degrees for intercalation, taken after your third or fourth years.

Find out more about intercalated degrees.

Additional Costs

Opportunities for observational placements (within the UK or abroad) may become available to eligible students. These would be self-funded so you will need to factors in costs for flights, accommodation and potentially host fees.

Testimonial

Here we have such a wide demographic of patients, especially being in East London, there are loads of different patients that walk through the door. So, the experience that I've had clinically and also from just talking to a lot of different people has been absolutely amazing.

Teaching

Teaching and learning

You will learn through:

• lectures, seminars and symposia
• outreach clinical teaching
• practical sessions in our clinical skills laboratories, Haptics, VR and IT labs
• training in interview techniques and special sessions devoted to communication between dentists, patients and members of the Dental Team.

You will have access to an extensive online medical knowledge base, which includes lecture notes from across the programme, papers and research.

Assessment

Your progress will be assessed throughout the programme, using:

• Continuous assessment – including in-course examinations, independent projects and success in student-selected components
• Longitudinal assessments to evaluate the development of clinical competence, interpersonal skills and professionalism throughout all years
• Examinations – where you’ll demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes you’ve developed throughout the programme
• Formative assessments, which do not count towards your final marks but allow us to identify whether you need additional help with your studies
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to assess your clinical and communication skills. You will be assessed on your ability to interact with clinical simulations, accomplish tasks and communicate or interact with both real and simulated patients
• Clinical case studies
• Feedback is provided to support student learning and the development of insight as well as facilitate reflective practice
• Reflective practice is an essential component of your professional identity formation. You will be taught and assessed on your ability to think critically about your practice enabling you to identify your learning needs. This will support self-awareness development, which enables self-monitoring and regulation.

Resources and facilities

The Institute of Dentistry moved into the Alexandra Wing of The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in 2014. Costing £78m, it is the first new dental school to be built in the UK for over 40 years and houses state-of-the-art facilities – setting the standard for the most modern learning environment for dental education of any UK dental hospital.

Facilities to aid your studies include:

• The Blizard Building, which offers an inspiring environment for medical and dental students and staff – including open-plan research laboratories, a 400-seat lecture theatre, and a café
• Garrod Building, which has been recently opened (Jan 2024) following a £11.2 million refurbishment project by the university. The space is the new home for Barts and The London Students Association and Queen Mary's Institute of Health Sciences Education. It also houses The Griff, which is located at the heart of the Garrod Building serving delicious coffee, food and drinks
• Newly refurbished treatment areas
• Numerous library facilities – the Queen Mary Library at Mile End, large medical archives at The Royal London and Barts hospitals, and the University of London Library
• Kenworthy Road Dental Clinic, a £3.2 million investment, was completed in January 2024 and opened by England's Chief Dental Officer to provide free dental services in Hackney and nearby areas - a place where dental decay is prevalent and access to care is in high demand. The state-of-the-art facility provides a fit for purpose environment with 20 dental chairs for undergraduate dental students and dental hygiene therapy students. This Outreach centre alone will provide around 7,000 dental appointments per year for the local community.

Entry requirements

Non-UK students

To see a list of the international qualifications we accept, please see our full entry requirements.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Individual circumstances

We will take into account some of your personal circumstances and background when considering your application.

Further information

Candidates must be aged 18 or over by the start of the course (mid-September). Applicants who will be under the age of 18 by the start of the programme can apply for deferred entry so that they will meet the minimum age requirement by the start of the course the following year.

Funding

Loans and grants

Years 1-4: you can apply for the same package of student finance as students on other courses. Graduate students are not eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government.

Year 5 and beyond: the NHS will pay your tuition fees. Grants, loans and bursaries are available to cover living costs for UK and EU students, including graduate students.

Read more about financial support for medical students.

Scholarships and bursaries

The John Abernethy (Barts) Scholarship of £5,000 per year is available to two new medical students and one new dental student each year, on the basis of household income and academic achievement. All first degree home students who enrol in the School of Medicine and Dentistry are considered for the scholarships – you do not need to enter a separate application.

Find out about other bursaries and scholarships.

Find out more about fees and funding.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

• additional sources of funding
• planning your budget and cutting costs
• part-time and vacation work
• money for lone parents.

Careers

Most graduates go on to work as Dental Foundation Trainees, then either remain in the NHS or move into the private sector. Dentists can work in general practice in the community or in the armed forces, within the UK or overseas. A small number defer starting work as a dentist to pursue a specialist postgraduate degree.

There are numerous specialist options including oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, children’s dentistry and prosthodontics (implants and false teeth). You could specialise in periodontology (gum disease) or restorative dentistry (fillings, crowns and bridges), or become a lecturer and researcher in any of these areas. Oral pathology – diagnosing and treating oral diseases  – is another possible career path.

Dentistry can be an ideal career for those who would like to take regular time off, work flexible days or hours, or practice in multiple locations.

Recent graduates work in a range of dental general practices and hospitals in London and across the UK including:

• Barts Health NHS Trust
• Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Perry Vale Dental
• Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
• Surrey Docks Dental Practice
• University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group

Our graduates also work across the UK and beyond including Health Education England (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22 and 2022/23).

Career support

You’ll have access to a bespoke careers programme, including workshops, talks and practical sessions to prepare you for applying for your first job as a dental professional. We also make sure you understand the various specialist careers paths and how to access them.

You’re encouraged to build your extracurricular work experience throughout your period of study, through programmes such as our award-winning QProjects work experience scheme.

The Queen Mary careers team can also offer:

• support with finding work experience, internships and volunteering services
• feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
• interview coaching.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Course data

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

About the School

Opened in 1911, the Institute of Dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has a long and proud record of internationally recognised excellence in oral and dental science. Queen Mary has consistently been ranked in the top 20 in the world for dentistry in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, and we were ranked joint first in the country for research environment for dentistry in the most recent national assessment (REF 2021).

We are a research-led institution, at the forefront of the provision of dental education and excellent patient care, with specialisms including oral cancer and public oral health. With around 70 students per year, we are a relatively small dental school with a strong sense of community. You’ll be taught by experts who are passionately engaged with their subject.

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Institute of Dentistry

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### Accommodation

### Why Queen Mary

### How to apply

### International Students