Dentistry Clearing 2025 - Ultimate Guide

Results Day and Clearing: What to Know and What to Do On The Day [UPDATED]

On results day, you will usually receive an email from UCAS or the university confirming whether you have secured a place. This typically comes in the morning. What happens next will depend on your situation.

A) If your place is confirmed
Congratulations! No further action is needed unless you are considering alternatives or deferring. It can still be useful to understand the clearing process in case anything changes.

B) If you have missed your offer:

• If you had an insurance choice, and you met the offer, this may now become your firm place.

• If you narrowly missed your grades, you can request a priority remark through your school if they agree this is appropriate in your circumstance

• Let the university know you have submitted a remark and wish to be considered if spaces open up. Some students are still accepted at this stage, but it is worth continuing with the steps below just in case. 

C) If you do not have any offers/missed your offer with lower grades
Clearing becomes your route forward. Here are some practical steps to take:

1) BEFORE: Make a list of universities the day/week before results day:
Go through universities in advance and make a list of those you are interested in. Start with:

• Newer universities

• Universities that have entered clearing in previous years (remember there aren't many/if any traditionally for dentistry)

Key Tip: Check their websites carefully (before results day). Some will already state they are not entering clearing this year. If so, you can cross them off your list. Some will have forms that you can fill in to register for interest - it is definitely worth doing this! Have the relevant phone numbers and UCAS codes ready to go.

2) ON THE DAY: Start early
Universities can receive hundreds of calls on results day, so aim to get going first thing in the morning, check UCAS Hub for any medicine courses that pop up that may have places, and keep refreshing to see if more come up during the morning.  

3) On the day, call universities directly & quickly

You can call:

• The clearing hotline

• The general admissions office

• The dentistry admissions team

Ask if they are accepting applicants through clearing and whether you meet their entry requirements.

4. Have your details ready

• You will usually be asked for:

• Your UCAS ID

• A level and GCSE results

• Your UCAT score

• Your Personal Statement (sometimes)

5. Other Tips

1. Be ready for an interview
   If you have not previously interviewed at a university, they may arrange one within the next week. These are usually quite short notice, so keep your availability flexible.

2. Keep checking UCAS Extra
   New courses can appear throughout the day and less commonly through the following week. Refresh the page regularly.

If you do not secure a place through clearing
It is not the end of the road. There are still other options available. You may want to consider:

• Taking a gap year and reapplying (book your UCAT exam, you will need to retake it). 

• Sitting your A-Levels exam (and applying to medical schools that accept resits)

• Exploring alternative entry routes

We have written a detailed article to help you understand your options and build a strong plan:

👉 No Offers for Medicine? What to Do Next (the principles also applies to dentistry)

If you would like tailored help with your next steps, our team offers free consultations and expert support. You are not alone in this there is always a way forward. We support many gap year students through their reapplications via our Ultimate Packages.