Aberdeen Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Aberdeen interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview (no year stated; revised after February 2026); University of Aberdeen, BDS Interview (web.archive.org copy, 7 February 2026) (no year stated; archived during the 2026 entry cycle); University of Aberdeen, BDS Coming to Interview (no year stated; unchanged since at least January 2025); University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Application Process (medicine page with the BDS station domains) (2027 entry dates for medicine and Gateway2Medicine only; BDS station domains with no year stated); University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Coming to Interview (medicine and dentistry) (no year stated; BDS station domains listed since at least September 2025); University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Interview (lists the BDS interview dates) (2026 entry (BDS interviews 3 to 8 December 2025))

When are Aberdeen dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Interview (lists the BDS interview dates) (2026 entry (BDS interviews 3 to 8 December 2025)); University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Application Process (medicine page with the BDS station domains) (2027 entry dates for medicine and Gateway2Medicine only; BDS station domains with no year stated); University of Aberdeen, BDS FAQs (no year stated for interviews; international places stated for 2026 and 2027 entry); University of Aberdeen, BDS Application Process (timeline) (no year stated); University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview (no year stated; revised after February 2026); University of Aberdeen, BDS Extenuating Circumstances (no year stated)

How does Aberdeen decide who to interview?

Source: University of Aberdeen, BDS Academic Requirements (no year stated); University of Aberdeen, BDS University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) (no year stated); University of Aberdeen, BDS FAQs (no year stated for interviews; international places stated for 2026 and 2027 entry); University of Aberdeen, BDS Admissions Data (2026 entry (earlier tabs for 2023 to 2025 entry))

What does Aberdeen assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview (no year stated; revised after February 2026); University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Application Process (medicine page with the BDS station domains) (2027 entry dates for medicine and Gateway2Medicine only; BDS station domains with no year stated); University of Aberdeen, BDS Non-Academic Requirements (no year stated)

Enthusiasm, interest and motivation to study dentistry

What Aberdeen says: Aberdeen scores enthusiasm, interest and motivation to study dentistry, and says selectors may ask you to discuss your preparation for dentistry, including your research into the course and postgraduate training and your understanding of what a dental career involves. University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview

Every Aberdeen applicant already has a degree, so the motivation question has an extra layer: why dentistry, and why now. Aberdeen's advice for referees says a later decision is acceptable when it is made for the right reasons and backed by proper research, and its Non-Academic Requirements page warns that you may be asked to justify your choice of school. One of the seven BDS stations is on knowledge of the course, so use what Aberdeen publishes about it: a four-year graduate entry BDS that starts in Year 2, case-based learning, patients from the first year and outreach placements in Elgin and Stornoway.

1. 1

   Why do you want to be a dentist?

   What to cover: Give your reason in a sentence, then spend most of the answer on how you tested it: what you saw, who you spoke to and what could have put you off but did not. Aberdeen wants to see that your view of the job comes from real research.

2. 2

   You already have a science degree. Why dentistry now, and not a career that builds directly on what you have studied?

   What to cover: Be clear about what your degree gave you and what it did not, such as working with people or using your hands, and describe the point at which dentistry became the plan. A change of direction is fine at Aberdeen as long as you can show the reasons are sound.

3. 3

   Why dentistry and not graduate entry medicine?

   What to cover: Talk about what dentistry offers that medicine would not, such as carrying out treatment yourself from early in training and seeing the result straight away, and long relationships with patients in general practice. Say something fair about medicine too, because running down another profession is a poor sign in a future colleague.

4. 4

   Why Aberdeen?

   What to cover: Use two or three things Aberdeen publishes and explain why they suit you, such as a course built for graduates, patient contact in the first year, a small Institute and the outreach clinics in Elgin and Stornoway. Aberdeen says you may be asked to justify your choice, so make it about how you learn.

5. 5

   Aberdeen places graduates straight into Year 2 of a five-year degree, with a formative assessment on pre-learning materials in the first weeks. What do you expect to find hardest?

   What to cover: Be realistic about the gaps, such as dental anatomy, oral biology and starting clinical skills and local anaesthetic teaching in your first year. Then explain how you would work through the pre-learning, ask for help early and use the feedback Aberdeen says it gives after that assessment.

6. 6

   Aberdeen says it wants applicants to enter dentistry with their eyes open about what the career demands. What do you see as the hardest parts of a dentist's working life?

   What to cover: Pick two real ones, such as physical strain on your back and eyes, a full list with no slack, anxious patients or the business side of practice, and say how you would cope. An answer that finds nothing difficult tells the selector you have not looked closely.

7. 7

   Where could you be ten years after graduating from Aberdeen?

   What to cover: Show you know the route Aberdeen describes: most graduates do a year of vocational or foundation training in NHS general practice before they can hold a Health Board contract, then work in general practice, the community dental service, the armed forces, hospitals or teaching and research. Say which appeals to you now and why, while admitting it may change.

8. 8

   A dental degree is a long and expensive second degree. How have you planned for it, and how will you look after yourself through it?

   What to cover: Be practical: how you will fund it, the support you already rely on, and the warning signs you watch for when you are under strain. Aberdeen says it looks for people who lead full lives, so mention what keeps you balanced.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Work experience

What Aberdeen says: Work experience is the first quality on Aberdeen's interview list, and Aberdeen asks applicants to discuss their preparation for dentistry, including experience of caring or other environments. University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview

Aberdeen asks every interviewee to bring a completed Work Experience Form, which records each placement's organisation, your role, the dates and your total hours, and one of the seven BDS stations is on your personal statement, so know both well. Its pages say it wants to know what you learnt about a dental career, not a list of placements, and that it understands relevant experience can be hard to find: if it was, say so and explain how you researched the career in other ways. Aberdeen also asks you to list all your paid employment, so a job outside healthcare can carry an answer as well as a placement.

9. 9

   Aberdeen asks you to bring a completed Work Experience Form. Talk me through the placement that taught you the most.

   What to cover: Choose one placement and one moment from it, described clearly enough that the selector can picture it, then say what you believe about dentistry now that you did not before. Keep what you say about patients anonymous.

10. 10

    What did you learn about a dentist's working day that surprised you?

    What to cover: Pick something specific, such as how much time goes on explaining and recording, or how a nurse kept the session running, and say what it changed in your picture of the job. The selector is listening for observation, not a summary of the timetable.

11. 11

    Describe a conversation between a dentist and a patient that went well. What made it work?

    What to cover: Say what the dentist did, such as checking what the patient already knew, using plain words or pausing to let them ask questions. Then say which of those habits you already have and which you need to build.

12. 12

    Tell me about something you saw that could have gone better.

    What to cover: Choose something small and real, describe it fairly and without blaming anyone, and say what you would do differently. Showing you can learn from a mistake without judging the person is the point.

13. 13

    Aberdeen asks applicants to list all their paid employment. What has a job outside healthcare taught you that a dentist needs?

    What to cover: Pick one job and one skill, such as handling a complaint, working under time pressure or being trusted with money, and give a single example. Then link it to a patient or a dental team you could imagine working with.

14. 14

    If you could not get as much dental shadowing as you wanted, how else did you find out what the career involves?

    What to cover: Aberdeen says it understands placements can be hard to obtain. Describe what you did instead, such as talking to dentists and dental students, reading, online courses or caring roles, and what each one taught you.

15. 15

    Aberdeen says it looks for candidates who lead full and busy lives. How have you balanced your degree with work and other commitments?

    What to cover: Give a concrete picture of a busy week and how you planned it, then say what you dropped or changed when it was too much. Time management is a skill Aberdeen names for dentistry, so show you have practised it.

16. 16

    What experience have you had of caring for people who are elderly, disabled or vulnerable, and what did it teach you?

    What to cover: Aberdeen suggests caring work and charity work as ways to understand patients' concerns. Describe one person or situation, what you noticed about their needs, and how it would change the way you treat a patient in a dental chair.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

Understanding of dentistry issues

What Aberdeen says: Aberdeen scores understanding of dentistry issues, and asks applicants to research what a dental career involves and the postgraduate training that follows the degree. University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview

Aberdeen trains dentists alongside NHS Grampian and sends senior students to outreach clinics in Elgin and in Stornoway in the Western Isles, so think about dentistry in Scotland as well as across the UK. NHS dentistry is organised differently in each UK nation, and our guide to how the four NHS systems differ is a good place to start. On contested topics, Aberdeen scores whether you can set out both sides and then reach a view, so practise doing both.

17. 17

    What happens between graduating from Aberdeen and working as an NHS dentist in Scotland?

    What to cover: Aberdeen's course page sets out the route: most new graduates do a year of vocational or foundation training in NHS general practice, which leads to a Vocational Training Number, the prerequisite for a Health Board contract in general practice or the Salaried Dental Service. Show you understand why a supervised year makes sense before working alone.

18. 18

    How is NHS dentistry in Scotland organised differently from England?

    What to cover: Explain that each nation runs its own NHS dental system: in England NHS dentists are paid through units of dental activity, while Scotland pays dentists mainly through a national scale of fees for items of treatment. Keep to what you are sure of, and say why the payment system affects which patients practices can take on.

19. 19

    What is a UDA, and why has the NHS dental contract in England been criticised?

    What to cover: A unit of dental activity is how the 2006 contract in England measures NHS work, with each band of treatment worth a set number of units. Explain the main criticism, that payment does not always reflect the work a patient needs, and read our UDA guide before the day.

20. 20

    Aberdeen sends senior students to outreach clinics in Elgin and Stornoway. What might make it harder for people in remote and rural areas to get dental care?

    What to cover: Think about distance and travel, ferry and weather disruption, fewer local practices, difficulty recruiting and keeping dentists, and older populations with more complex needs. Then suggest one or two realistic responses, and say what a student could learn from working there.

21. 21

    Why is tooth decay more common in some communities than others?

    What to cover: Link it to the wider causes of poor health, such as diet, income, access to care, health literacy and fluoride exposure, and say which a dentist can influence. Our health inequalities guide gives the framework.

22. 22

    How would you improve children's oral health in a region like the north east of Scotland?

    What to cover: Think about prevention that reaches children where they are, such as supervised toothbrushing in nurseries and schools, fluoride varnish and advice on sugary drinks, which is the approach of Scotland's national Childsmile programme. Then add what a rural region needs on top, such as getting families registered and making appointments easier to reach.

23. 23

    Should fluoride be added to drinking water across the UK?

    What to cover: Set out the evidence that fluoride helps prevent decay and the case that a community scheme reaches people who never see a dentist, then the objections about choice and consent. Some parts of England have fluoridated water and Scotland relies on other prevention, so come to a view and explain why.

24. 24

    Should the sugar tax be extended to other products?

    What to cover: Explain what the soft drinks levy was designed to do, then weigh extending it against the cost to families and the argument about personal choice. Our sugar tax guide has the background.

25. 25

    Aberdeen says it must make sure its graduates meet the standards the General Dental Council sets. Which of the GDC's nine principles do you think would be hardest to keep as a student?

    What to cover: Choose one principle, explain why it would be hard in practice, and say what you would do to keep it anyway. Our guide to the nine GDC principles sets them out.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics

Problem-solving and analytical skills: scenarios and ethics

What Aberdeen says: Aberdeen scores problem-solving and analytical skills, and says candidates may be asked to consider a new situation, follow a reasoned argument, form an opinion and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a problem. University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview

Three of Aberdeen's seven BDS stations are on problem solving, professionalism and ethics and article comprehension, and the article arrives by email 48 hours before your interview. Aberdeen says some questions have no correct answer and that it scores how you reason, so in any scenario say what matters, what you would want to find out, what you would do and why. It also scores how well you use what you already know on unfamiliar ground, which suits a graduate: bring the habits of your degree, such as asking what the evidence shows. Because Aberdeen trains in Scotland, know that consent and capacity rest partly on Scottish law, which differs in places from England's.

26. 26

    A patient with capacity refuses an extraction that you think they need. What do you do?

    What to cover: Make sure they understand what refusing could mean, explore their reasons, offer other options and record the conversation, then respect the decision. Our consent guide covers what makes consent valid.

27. 27

    At a clinic in Aberdeen, a 14-year-old comes in alone with toothache and asks you not to tell her parents. What are the issues?

    What to cover: In Scotland, the Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991 lets someone under 16 consent to treatment if the clinician judges they understand its nature and possible consequences; in England the test comes from the Gillick case, explained in our Gillick competence guide. Then weigh her confidentiality against any sign that she is at risk.

28. 28

    An older patient with dementia arrives with a carer for treatment and seems unsure why they are there. How do you approach consent?

    What to cover: Capacity is judged for each decision at the time it is made, so start by assuming they may be able to decide, explain simply and give them time. In Scotland, treatment for an adult who cannot consent falls under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000; our capacity guide sets out the principles.

29. 29

    During your work experience you notice a dentist does not change gloves between two patients. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, because cross-infection can harm the next patient, so you cannot ignore it. As a visitor, raise it quietly with the dentist or the practice manager afterwards, and if nothing changes, the GDC's principle on raising concerns applies to everyone in the dental team.

30. 30

    A patient asks for veneers on healthy teeth after seeing them on social media. How do you handle it?

    What to cover: Find out what they want and why, explain what veneers involve, which often means removing some healthy tooth surface and maintaining them for life, and offer less invasive options. Putting patients' interests first is the GDC's first principle, and it can mean advising against what someone has asked for.

31. 31

    A fellow student posts a photo from clinic with a patient's X-ray visible on screen. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever they intended, ask them to take it down at once and report it if they refuse. Aberdeen's Fitness to Practise page says a dental student's behaviour must justify public trust in their personal life as well as on clinic.

32. 32

    You have one emergency slot left today and three patients phone in pain. How do you decide who to see?

    What to cover: Ask the questions that separate urgent from uncomfortable, such as swelling spreading to the face or eye, difficulty swallowing or breathing, trauma and uncontrolled bleeding, and send anything life-threatening to hospital. Then explain what you would offer the others, and see our prioritisation guide for the method.

33. 33

    A practice in a rural area finds that patients who live furthest away miss the most appointments. What might explain it, and what would you check before changing anything?

    What to cover: Offer more than one explanation, such as travel, cost, work or caring duties and appointment times, then say what data you would want first, such as how far apart the groups really are and whether reminders were sent. Aberdeen scores how you reason through an unfamiliar problem, so show your working.

34. 34

    Aberdeen emails BDS interviewees an article 48 hours before the interview for its Article Comprehension station. How would you use those two days?

    What to cover: Read it once for the argument and again for the evidence, then note the main claim, how strong the evidence is, what it would mean for patients or a dental team, and one question you would want answered. Aberdeen says no reading is required during the interview, so arrive understanding the article, not reciting it.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Communication and interpersonal skills

What Aberdeen says: Communication skills is one of Aberdeen's seven BDS station topics, and every station also independently scores communication and interpersonal skills. University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Application Process (medicine page with the BDS station domains)

Because communication is scored at every station, every answer you give at Aberdeen is also a communication test, including the ones that look like knowledge questions. Aberdeen asks candidates to keep answers succinct so they can be scored fully across as many areas as possible, and it does not say whether any station uses an actor, so practise both talking to a person in a scenario and answering a selector directly. In a dental chair you will often meet fear, embarrassment and pain, so listen first, use plain words and check you have been understood.

35. 35

    A patient tells you they have not seen a dentist for ten years because they are frightened. Talk to them.

    What to cover: Thank them for coming, ask what frightens them most and listen before you reassure anyone. Then explain what will happen in small steps, agree a signal they can use to stop you, and let them set the pace.

36. 36

    Explain to a seven-year-old and their parent why the child needs a filling.

    What to cover: Speak to the child first in simple words with one picture they can hold on to, then give the parent the fuller explanation and the reason for it. Finish with what they can do at home so it does not happen again, without making the parent feel blamed.

37. 37

    A patient asks why their gums bleed when they brush. Explain it to them.

    What to cover: Bleeding gums are often a sign of gum inflammation caused by plaque along the gum line. Explain that in plain words, show what better cleaning looks like, and tell them it should settle as cleaning improves and that they should come back if it does not.

38. 38

    Aberdeen students learn local anaesthetic techniques from their first year. Explain to a nervous patient why they need an injection before a filling.

    What to cover: Acknowledge the worry first, then explain simply that the injection numbs the tooth so the treatment does not hurt, and what they might feel. Agree how they can tell you if they want to stop, and check they are happy to go ahead.

39. 39

    A patient is angry because the next NHS appointment is weeks away. What do you say?

    What to cover: Let them finish, acknowledge the frustration and apologise for the wait without blaming colleagues. Then be practical: find out whether this is urgent, and explain what they can do in the meantime if things get worse.

40. 40

    A patient who speaks little English has brought her 14-year-old son to interpret. What do you do?

    What to cover: Thank them both but arrange a professional interpreter, because a child should not pass on clinical information about a parent and she may not say everything in front of him. Use plain words and check understanding by asking her to explain the plan back.

41. 41

    Aberdeen asks for succinct answers. In one minute, explain what your degree is about to someone with no science background.

    What to cover: Pick the one idea that matters most, use an everyday comparison and drop the jargon. Dentists explain diagnoses in a few sentences every day, so this is a fair test of a skill you will need.

42. 42

    A patient says their last dentist never explained anything and they no longer trust dentists. How do you start?

    What to cover: Acknowledge what happened without criticising the other dentist, then ask what they would like to know and explain each step before you do it. Trust comes back through small promises kept, such as stopping when they raise a hand.

43. 43

    What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, and how would a patient tell which one you were showing?

    What to cover: Empathy is understanding how things look from the patient's side; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. A patient feels empathy when you ask about their worries and change what you do because of the answer, as our empathy and sympathy guide explains.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Manual dexterity skills

What Aberdeen says: Manual dexterity is one of the seven topics Aberdeen lists for its BDS MMI stations. University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Application Process (medicine page with the BDS station domains)

Aberdeen gives manual dexterity a station of its own but does not say what happens there, whether a hands-on task, a discussion or both, so prepare for either. As a graduate you have a source most school leavers do not: practical lab work from your degree, which you can describe in precise detail. Aberdeen's course starts practical training in the clinical skills lab in the first year, with patients from the second term, so selectors will be interested in how quickly you can build a new practical skill.

44. 44

    How have you developed your manual dexterity, and how do you know it has improved?

    What to cover: Name one or two activities you have kept up for a long time, describe the fine, careful part of each, and give evidence of progress you can see. A sustained hobby or a lab technique you mastered is more convincing than a single taster session.

45. 45

    Aberdeen scores practical skills on the UCAS application. Which practical skills from your degree will carry over into dentistry?

    What to cover: Choose one technique, such as pipetting small volumes, microscopy or dissection, and explain the precision and steadiness it needed. Then say where dentistry will be harder, such as working on a living patient who moves.

46. 46

    Why does a dentist need good manual dexterity, beyond being good with their hands?

    What to cover: Talk about working accurately in a small, wet space, using a mirror, controlling pressure through instruments, keeping steady when a patient moves and protecting your own posture over a long career.

47. 47

    Dentists often work using a mirror, where the image is reversed. How would you start practising that?

    What to cover: Suggest something simple you could try, such as drawing or tracing using only a reflection, and say what you would expect to find hard. Then mention that dental schools teach this on simulators before students treat patients.

48. 48

    Aberdeen starts practical training in its clinical skills lab before students see patients. Why do dental schools teach on simulators first?

    What to cover: Because procedures such as drilling cannot be undone, students need to build skill and confidence where mistakes harm nobody. Add that simulation lets tutors check your work closely and lets you repeat a procedure until it is safe.

49. 49

    Suppose a station asked you to do a fiddly task with your hands while talking to the selector. How would you approach it?

    What to cover: Listen to the instructions carefully, plan before you start and say what you are doing if talking is allowed. If it goes wrong, stay calm and correct it, because the way you recover tells the selector more than a perfect result.

50. 50

    Can manual dexterity be taught, or are some people born with it?

    What to cover: Give a balanced view: people start from different places, but fine motor skill improves a great deal with deliberate practice and feedback, which is why dental schools spend so long on it. Use your own improvement as evidence.

51. 51

    Halfway through your first year at Aberdeen, your practical work is slower than other students'. What do you do?

    What to cover: Ask your tutor exactly where the time is going, practise the specific step that slows you down and track whether it improves. Tutors want safe, careful work first, and speed usually follows with practice.

Go deeper: The dentistry degree (BDS) explained

Insight into working with others and the dental team

What Aberdeen says: Aberdeen scores candidates' insight into working with others, and says selectors may ask them to reflect on their own and others' skills and abilities and to consider their potential contribution to the care of others. University of Aberdeen, Institute of Dentistry, BDS Interview

Aberdeen says its students work alongside NHS Grampian's consultant teams, its dental nursing team and NHS laboratory staff, with local dentists supervising its restorative clinics, and that final-year teaching includes team working and management. Know who is in the dental team and what each person does, and have one example of leading and one of being led. A graduate year group is a team too, so be ready to say what you would bring to it.

52. 52

    Who is in the dental team, and what does each member do?

    What to cover: Name the registered dental professionals, such as dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists, and say in a sentence what each does. All of them are registered with the GDC and follow the same Standards for the Dental Team.

53. 53

    Aberdeen's students train alongside NHS dental nurses, laboratory staff and local dentists. What could a dental student learn from a dental nurse?

    What to cover: Think about what nurses know that students do not yet: how a surgery runs, infection control in practice, how to read a nervous patient and how to work four-handed with the dentist. Then say how you would show a nurse that you value that knowledge.

54. 54

    A dental nurse tells you she thinks the wrong tooth is marked for extraction. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop, thank her and check the records and the patient together before anything else happens. Removing the wrong tooth cannot be undone, and a team where the nurse feels able to speak up is a safer team.

55. 55

    Aberdeen asks applicants to show they can take different roles within a team. Tell me about a time you led a group and a time you were led.

    What to cover: Give one short example of each and be specific about one decision you made as leader and one way you supported someone else's plan. The contrast shows you can do both, which is what Aberdeen asks for.

56. 56

    Reflect on a skill a teammate had that you lack. What did you learn from them?

    What to cover: Name the skill and the moment you noticed it, then say what you have tried to copy since. Aberdeen asks candidates to reflect on their own and others' abilities, so be specific about the gap in yours.

57. 57

    If dental therapists can carry out some fillings, what does the dentist lead?

    What to cover: Explain that each professional works within the scope of practice the GDC sets, and that the dentist usually leads the overall treatment plan and carries out the care that falls outside other team members' scope. Leading means making sure each task goes to the right person and the plan holds together.

58. 58

    When is it right for a junior member of a team to challenge a senior one?

    What to cover: When a patient could come to harm, always; otherwise, by asking a question and giving a reason, then accepting a good answer. Our whistleblowing guide covers the formal routes.

59. 59

    What would you bring to a small year group of graduates from different degrees?

    What to cover: Pick one or two things from your own background, such as a subject others may find hard or experience of supporting younger students, and say how you would share them. Then say what you hope to learn from people whose degrees differ from yours.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry