Bristol Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Bristol interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026) (2027 admissions cycle (2026/27), 2027 entry); University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews (2026 entry cycle (interviews December 2025 to February 2026); not yet updated for 2027 entry); University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews (web.archive.org copy, 8 September 2025) (2025 entry cycle (interviews December 2024 to March 2025)); University of Bristol, BDS Gateway to Dentistry (A208) course page (2027 entry)

When are Bristol dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026) (2027 admissions cycle (2026/27), 2027 entry); University of Bristol, BDS Dentistry (A206) course page (2027 entry); University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews (2026 entry cycle (interviews December 2025 to February 2026); not yet updated for 2027 entry); University of Bristol, Interviews and tests (no year stated)

How does Bristol decide who to interview?

Source: University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026) (2027 admissions cycle (2026/27), 2027 entry); University of Bristol, Guaranteed offers (2027 entry)

What does Bristol assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026) (2027 admissions cycle (2026/27), 2027 entry); University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews (2026 entry cycle (interviews December 2025 to February 2026); not yet updated for 2027 entry); University of Bristol, BDS Dentistry (A206) course page (2027 entry); Bristol Dental School, About the school (no year stated; programmes aligned to each scope of practice from 2026); Bristol Dental School, Undergraduate study (no year stated); Bristol Dental School, Dental treatment (no year stated; notices dated October to November 2026); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Motivation and understanding of dentistry, and why Bristol

What Bristol says: When Bristol reads personal statements, to separate identical UCAT scores, it looks for evidence of motivation and an understanding of dentistry; it says the interview lets you show the skills and attributes appropriate to a career in dentistry. University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026)

Bristol does not weight your personal statement, so the interview is your main chance to show why you want to do dentistry, and last cycle that meant four assessors at once. Expect follow-up questions on anything you claim. For the Bristol part, use what the university publishes: a Dental School building opened in September 2023, elements of integrated team training with dental therapy, hygiene and nursing students, clinic observation in the first year, and treating patients from the second year once simulated skills training is done.

1. 1

   Why do you want to be a dentist, and how have you tested that decision?

   What to cover: Give your starting point in a sentence, then spend most of the answer on how you checked it: what you saw, what surprised you and what could have put you off but did not. Four assessors will notice an answer that is about a feeling with nothing behind it.

2. 2

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

   What to cover: Talk about what dentistry gives you that medicine would not, such as treating patients with your own hands from early in training, long relationships in general practice and seeing the result of your work at once. Say something fair about medicine too, because running down another profession is a poor sign in a future colleague.

3. 3

   Why Bristol?

   What to cover: Pick two or three things Bristol publishes about its course and explain why they suit the way you learn. League table positions tell the panel nothing about you, so leave them out.

4. 4

   Bristol says its dentistry, dental therapy, dental hygiene and dental nursing programmes include integrated team training. Why might that matter to you as a future dentist?

   What to cover: Explain that you will spend your career leading a team of these professionals, so learning what each of them does, and how they see a patient, is easier as a student than as a new dentist. A concrete example from work experience of a nurse or hygienist making the difference will help.

5. 5

   Bristol builds its course around four themes: practitioner, scholar and scientist, professional and agent of change, and person and citizen. Which do you expect to find hardest?

   What to cover: Choose one and say why it would stretch you, then what you would do about it. Picking the one you are already good at misses the point; the panel wants to see that you know yourself.

6. 6

   Bristol describes its course as intensive, with very little room to fit timetables around personal circumstances. How have you prepared yourself for that?

   What to cover: Be practical: talk about how you already manage a full week, what you would have to give up and who you will lean on. Mention that Bristol describes a personal tutor and senior tutor network, which shows you have read about how students are supported.

7. 7

   What do you think a general dental practitioner's working day looks like?

   What to cover: Describe it from what you saw or read: a list of patients booked back to back, check-ups and treatment, emergencies fitted in, notes and referrals, and a nurse beside you all day. Then say which part appeals to you and which part you think you would find tiring.

8. 8

   Bristol says more of its graduates go on to formal postgraduate training, proportionately, than from any other UK dental school. Where would you like a dental degree to take you after foundation training?

   What to cover: Show you know the route: after the BDS comes a year of foundation training, then general practice, community services, hospital posts, specialties such as orthodontics, or teaching and research. Say what appeals to you now, and admit it may change once you have treated patients.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Work experience and reflection

What Bristol says: Bristol says suitable work experience and reflection on it help you understand what a career in healthcare involves, and that applicants may be asked to reflect on their work experience during the interview. University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026)

Bristol suggests at least two weeks of work experience but says it is not a requirement, and it recognises that not everyone can get clinical experience. It encourages customer service work, volunteering in care settings such as nursing homes, hospices or homeless shelters, youth groups, and finding out about the dentist's role through research and supporting your family and community. Prepare three or four specific moments and what each one taught you, whichever kind of experience you have.

9. 9

   Talk us through one moment from your work experience that changed how you think about dentistry.

   What to cover: Choose one moment and describe it in enough detail that the panel can picture it, then say what you believe now that you did not before. Avoid listing every day of every placement.

10. 10

    Bristol says work experience is not required. If you could not get a dental placement, what did you do instead, and what did it teach you about being a dentist?

    What to cover: Take the experience you have, such as a care home, a shop or a youth group, and draw out one quality a dentist needs from it, with a real example. Then say what you did to learn about dentistry itself, such as reading, talking to a dentist or watching how your family's appointments run.

11. 11

    What did you notice about how the dentist and the dental nurse worked together?

    What to cover: Describe something specific: how instruments were passed without a word, how the nurse watched the patient while the dentist worked, or how they shared the talking. Then say why that matters for safety and for the patient's experience.

12. 12

    How did the practice you saw look after nervous patients?

    What to cover: Dental anxiety is common, so talk about what you saw: explaining each step, agreeing a stop signal, booking longer appointments, or letting the patient sit up. Say which approach seemed to work and why.

13. 13

    What did you see of infection control, and why does it matter so much in dentistry?

    What to cover: Mention what you noticed, such as gloves and masks changed between patients, surfaces wiped down and instruments taken away for decontamination and sterilisation. Dental treatment uses sharp instruments and produces spray, so cross-infection is a real risk that every member of the team guards against.

14. 14

    Describe a conversation between a clinician and a patient that went well, and one that went less well.

    What to cover: Be fair to the people you observed and keep any patient anonymous. Explain what made the difference, such as checking understanding or rushing an explanation, and what you would copy or avoid.

15. 15

    What surprised you most about dentistry when you saw it close up?

    What to cover: Pick something real, such as how much of the day is prevention and advice, the paperwork, or how tired the team was by the end of the day. A surprise shows you were paying attention; claiming nothing surprised you does not.

16. 16

    If you could repeat your work experience, what would you do differently?

    What to cover: Name one change, such as asking more questions, keeping a reflective diary from day one or spending time with a hygienist. Then say what you would hope to learn, which shows you can reflect on your own learning.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

The pasta model: self-insight and working with your hands

What Bristol says: For the 2026 entry cycle Bristol asked candidates to prepare a three-dimensional model made of dried pasta of an environmental habitat that represents their personality, to show the assessors and answer their questions about it. University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews

This is last cycle's brief: for 2025 entry the model was an animal that represents your personality, and Bristol has not published the 2027 version, so build to whatever your invitation says. Bristol does not call it a dexterity test and does not say how it is marked, but it does say the panel will ask you about it, so expect questions about what it says about you, how you made it and what went wrong. Build it early, test how it looks on camera, and if you are interviewing away from home, Bristol asks you to make sure it is not damaged on the way.

17. 17

    Talk us through your model. Why did you choose this habitat?

    What to cover: Explain the link between the habitat and two or three things that are true about you, with an example of each from your life. The pasta matters less than what you can say about yourself, so make the reasons specific.

18. 18

    If your model represents your personality, what part of you does it leave out?

    What to cover: Name something real, such as a weakness or a side of you that people do not see, and say why you left it out or could not show it. This is a self-insight question, so a thoughtful answer counts for more than a clever one.

19. 19

    Which part of the model was hardest to make, and how did you solve it?

    What to cover: Describe the problem in practical terms, such as a part that kept collapsing or glue that would not hold, and the steps you tried. Showing that you change your approach when something does not work is what the panel can take from this.

20. 20

    How did you plan the model before you started building?

    What to cover: Talk about sketching, choosing pasta shapes, testing joins or building in stages. Planning before you act is a habit dentists use on every treatment, so say so briefly.

21. 21

    What would you change if you built it again?

    What to cover: Give one or two specific improvements and why you would make them. A candidate who thinks their work is perfect is a worry in a profession where your practical work will be checked every week.

22. 22

    Your model breaks on the morning of the interview. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stay calm, repair what you can, and be ready to explain what it looked like and what it meant, perhaps with a photo taken earlier. Then say what the experience showed you about working under pressure.

23. 23

    What does making something small and fiddly with your hands have in common with dentistry?

    What to cover: Talk about patience, steady hands, planning, working in a small space and accepting that you have to redo things. Then add that dentistry asks for this with a patient awake in the chair, which is a different kind of pressure.

24. 24

    Apart from this model, how have you developed fine hand skills, and how do you know they have improved?

    What to cover: Name one or two activities you have kept up for a long time, such as an instrument, drawing, sewing or model making, and give evidence of progress you can see. A sustained hobby is more convincing than a single taster session.

25. 25

    What would a close friend say your model gets wrong about you?

    What to cover: Answer with a smile but take it seriously: name a trait your friend would add or argue with, and what that tells you about how others see you. The panel is looking for someone who has thought about the gap between how they see themselves and how others do.

Go deeper: Extracurricular activities and what they show

The presentation: a controversial topic in dentistry

What Bristol says: For the 2026 entry cycle Bristol asked candidates to prepare a five-minute presentation on a current controversial topic in dentistry, using up to three slides or items; it says the interview gives you the opportunity to display insight into a range of related topics. University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews

For 2026 entry you chose the topic; for 2025 entry Bristol set it, asking you to argue for or against water fluoridation, so read your 2027 invitation carefully. Pick a topic where you can explain both sides fairly, reach a conclusion of your own and take questions on it, then rehearse until you finish comfortably inside five minutes. Bristol asked for no more than three slides or items, and a paper copy in case the technology fails.

26. 26

    Which controversial topic in dentistry would you choose to present, and why that one?

    What to cover: Choose something you understand well enough to defend under questioning, and explain why it matters to patients. Saying why you did not pick an obvious alternative shows you weighed it up.

27. 27

    Present the case for and against community water fluoridation in five minutes.

    What to cover: Explain that fluoride helps protect teeth against decay and that a water scheme reaches people who never see a dentist, then set out the objections about choice, consent and doubts some people raise about safety. Some parts of England have fluoridated water and most do not, so finish with your own view and what would change it.

28. 28

    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 measures NHS work, with each band of treatment worth a set number of units. Explain the main criticism, that payment does not always match the work a patient needs, and read our UDA guide before the day.

29. 29

    Why do some people struggle to find an NHS dentist, and what would you do about it?

    What to cover: Talk about how the contract affects which patients practices can take on, workforce pressures and gaps in some areas, then offer one or two realistic ideas. Our NHS dental contract reform guide covers the latest changes.

30. 30

    Should dental amalgam be phased out?

    What to cover: Set out why amalgam has been used for so long, the environmental concern about mercury, and the cost and durability questions around alternatives. Our amalgam guide has the background, and a balanced view with a clear conclusion is what a presentation needs.

31. 31

    Is the trend for cosmetic treatments on social media a problem for dentistry?

    What to cover: Weigh patient choice and the confidence a good smile can give against the risks of removing healthy tooth structure, pressure from adverts and treatment by people who are not registered. Bristol's own Dental School says treatments such as tooth whitening and other aesthetic work may not be provided there, because patients are taken on to meet students' training needs, which you could use as an example.

32. 32

    Should patients be warned against having dental treatment abroad?

    What to cover: Give both sides: cost and access drive people abroad, but follow-up care, complications and complaints are harder to manage from home. Our dental tourism guide sets out the arguments.

33. 33

    An assessor disagrees with the conclusion of your presentation. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Listen to the point, say what is fair in it and either explain why you still hold your view or admit it changes your mind. Defending a view politely, and moving when the evidence says so, is what the panel is watching for.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics

Teamwork, non-academic achievement and the dental team

What Bristol says: When Bristol reads personal statements, to separate identical UCAT scores, it looks for evidence of teamwork or non-academic achievement. University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026)

Teamwork is built into Bristol's course, whose page says you will learn to work within dental and wider healthcare teams. Its Dental School says it is one of the largest trainers of dental care professionals in the UK, and from 2026 it runs separate degrees for dentists, dental therapists and dental hygienists, plus a certificate in dental nursing, with integrated team training. Know who is in the dental team and what each member does. Bristol also says students learn to give and receive feedback from staff, peers and patients, so have an example of feedback that changed what you did.

34. 34

    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.

35. 35

    Bristol says it is one of the largest trainers of dental care professionals in the UK. What could you learn from training alongside hygiene and therapy students?

    What to cover: Talk about understanding each role's scope of practice, learning prevention from people who specialise in it, and getting used to sharing patients' care before you qualify. Then say what you think you could offer them in return.

36. 36

    If a dental therapist 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: hygienists and therapists can see some patients without a referral and plan care within their own scope, while the dentist carries out treatment beyond it, such as crowns and root canal treatment on adult teeth, and usually leads the plan for patients with complex needs. Leading means making sure each task goes to the right person and that the plan holds together.

37. 37

    Tell us about a non-academic achievement you are proud of. What did it take?

    What to cover: Choose something that took effort over time, such as a music grade, a sports role, a job or a project you started. Be specific about the setbacks and what kept you going, because that tells the panel more than the result.

38. 38

    Describe a time a team you were part of was not working. What did you do?

    What to cover: Set out the problem briefly, then spend most of the answer on what you did and why, including talking to people one to one. Be fair about your own part, including what you would do differently.

39. 39

    A dental nurse quietly tells you that you have not checked the patient's medical history today. What do you do?

    What to cover: Thank her, stop and check it before you go any further, because a change in medicines or health can affect treatment. A team where the nurse feels able to say this is a safer team, and the way you respond decides whether she will speak up next time.

40. 40

    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.

41. 41

    Bristol students learn to give and receive feedback from staff, peers and patients. Tell us about some feedback that was hard to hear.

    What to cover: Describe the feedback, how it felt and what you did with it, and finish with what changed as a result. Being able to take feedback without becoming defensive is something you will use every week of the course.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry

Contribution to society and oral health

What Bristol says: When Bristol reads personal statements, to separate identical UCAT scores, it looks for evidence of contribution to society. University of Bristol, Undergraduate Admissions Statement, A206 Dentistry (PDF, version 1.0, 15 May 2026)

Bristol asks what you have given to your community, and its course page names "professional and agent of change" and "person and citizen" among its four themes, with supervised care for a diverse range of patients in and around Bristol. Its Dental School is a training clinic: it does not hold an NHS contract, takes a limited number of patients whose treatment needs fit student training, and works with local general practices on what it calls shared care. Know why oral health differs between communities, what prevention can do, and how access to NHS dentistry works, and give balanced views.

42. 42

    Tell us about something you have done for your community. What difference did it make?

    What to cover: Choose one activity, describe what you did in practical terms and be modest about the effect. Then say what it taught you about the people you were helping, because that is the link to dentistry.

43. 43

    Bristol describes one of its course themes as "professional and agent of change". What could a dentist change beyond the patient in the chair?

    What to cover: Think about prevention in schools and care homes, speaking up about access, improving how a practice works and taking part in research. Give one example you could imagine doing yourself.

44. 44

    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 of these a dentist can influence. Our health inequalities guide gives the framework.

45. 45

    How would you improve children's oral health in a large city?

    What to cover: Think about prevention that reaches children where they are: supervised toothbrushing in nurseries and schools, fluoride varnish, advice on sugary drinks and making it easy for families to register with a dentist. Tooth decay in young children is largely preventable, which makes it a good place to start.

46. 46

    Should the sugar tax be extended to other products?

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

47. 47

    Many adults only see a dentist when they are in pain. How could the dental team change that?

    What to cover: Talk about what keeps people away, such as fear, cost, past experiences and difficulty getting an appointment, and match each to something the team can do. Making the first visit a good one is often where it starts.

48. 48

    Bristol Dental School does not hold an NHS contract and takes patients whose treatment needs fit student training. What are the benefits and the risks for those patients?

    What to cover: Benefits include care under close supervision and access for some people who need it; risks include long appointments, limited availability and treatment shaped around what students need to learn. Bristol says on its treatment page that appointments may be long and that some treatments may not be provided, so show you understand that patients must know this before they agree.

49. 49

    A patient tells you they cannot afford the treatment you have recommended. What do you do?

    What to cover: Make sure they understand why you recommended it and what happens if they wait, then go through the options, including NHS treatment where it applies and simpler alternatives. Respect their decision, record the conversation and make sure they know how to come back.

50. 50

    Bristol Dental School takes part in the Green Impact for Dentistry scheme to cut waste, energy and water use. How could a dental practice be more sustainable without making care less safe?

    What to cover: Think about how patients and staff travel, single-use items, energy and water, and whether every patient needs to be recalled at the same interval. Then weigh each idea against infection control, which always comes first; our greener NHS guide has the wider NHS picture.

Go deeper: Health inequalities explained

Honesty, integrity and professional conduct

What Bristol says: Bristol says honesty, integrity and professional conduct are fundamental values for all dental professionals, that candidates are expected to uphold them throughout the interview process, and that any behaviour falling short may be taken into account when judging suitability for dentistry. University of Bristol, Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry interviews

Bristol means this literally. For 2026 entry it banned phones, other devices, AI programs such as ChatGPT, books and prepared notes during the interview, treated their use as academic misconduct, and asked candidates not to discuss their questions with anyone afterwards. Its course page adds that dentistry demands the highest standards of professional and personal conduct, and its statement says failing to disclose a relevant disability would be unprofessional. Learn the GDC's nine principles from our GDC standards guide, and in any scenario say what matters, what you would want to find out, what you would do and why.

51. 51

    Bristol says using ChatGPT or prepared notes during its interview would be academic misconduct. Why does a dental school take that so seriously?

    What to cover: Link it to trust: patients and colleagues rely on what a dentist says being their own judgement and the truth. A candidate who cheats in an interview raises the question of what they would do with a patient's records or an audit.

52. 52

    A friend who interviewed at Bristol last week offers to tell you what they were asked. What do you do?

    What to cover: Decline, and explain why: Bristol asks candidates not to discuss their questions, and using them would give you an unfair advantage over other applicants. Say how you would put it to your friend so that you stay on good terms.

53. 53

    Which of the GDC's nine principles do you think matters most to a first-year dental student, and why?

    What to cover: Choose one, explain why it applies before you have treated anyone, and give an example of what keeping it would look like. Principle 9, making sure your personal behaviour maintains patients' confidence in you and the dental profession, is a good choice for someone not yet in clinic.

54. 54

    A patient with capacity refuses an X-ray you think they need. What do you do?

    What to cover: Make sure they understand why you recommend it and what refusing could mean, find out why they are worried and offer alternatives, then respect the decision and record it. Our consent guide covers what makes consent valid.

55. 55

    A 14-year-old comes in with an older sibling and wants a painful tooth taken out today. What do you need to think about?

    What to cover: Think about whether the young person understands the treatment well enough to consent for themselves, whether a parent should be involved, the urgency of the pain and any sign that they are at risk. Our Gillick competence guide explains the test clinicians use.

56. 56

    An adult with a learning disability attends with a support worker for a filling. How do you approach consent?

    What to cover: Start by assuming they may be able to decide, explain in simple words with pictures if that helps, and give them time. Capacity is judged for each decision, and if they cannot decide, you act in their best interests with the people who know them; our capacity guide sets out the steps.

57. 57

    You notice you made a small error in a patient's notes yesterday, and nobody else has spotted it. What do you do?

    What to cover: Correct it openly in the way the clinic requires, without deleting the original, and tell your supervisor. Clinical records must be accurate, and owning small errors early is the habit that stops large ones.

58. 58

    Bristol's statement says failing to disclose a disability that could affect your ability to carry out a dentist's duties would be unprofessional. Why might a dental school take that view?

    What to cover: Explain that Bristol needs to agree a plan to help a disabled student reach competence before the course starts, and it cannot do that if it does not know. Patient safety and the student's own support both depend on openness, and Bristol says not all disabilities limit training.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios