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Dental experience is any time you spend seeing dentistry done: shadowing in a general dental practice, a hospital or a community clinic, or a caring role that shows you can work with people. Most applicants aim for around two weeks in total, and dental schools judge what you learnt from it rather than how many days you completed.
I am Dr Sonal Gandhi, a registered dentist and the dentistry admissions lead at TheUKCATPeople. This guide covers how to get dental work experience in the UK, what dental schools want from it, and how to write it up for your personal statement and interviews.
The Importance Of Dental Work Experience
A key component of your application to dental school is the portfolio of work experience that you can create. Not only does this benefit your understanding of the dental career, but it also significantly enhances the likelihood of your application’s success.
Dentistry is a complex career with the option to consider different directions and pathways after receiving the degree. There is no better way to understand its unique benefits and drawbacks than by seeing dentists at work first-hand. Being a dentist is certainly not for everyone, and by undertaking a significant amount of varied dentistry work experience you can better ascertain if it’s something that you want to commit yourself to.
Additionally, dental schools want to take in students who understand these drawbacks and are not looking at the career through rose-tinted glasses. These students are more likely to be committed and work hard, and less likely to drop out. Work experience shows that you have put time and effort into considering what a career in dentistry entails and whether or not it really is right for you.
Given this, you should try to undertake as much varied work experience as possible before applying to dental school. There is plenty of dental work experience for 16-year-olds & 17-year-olds and even younger pupils. There is always something available, from Year 12 dental work experience to Year 10 dental work experience or even earlier.
If you are not sure where to start, our work experience finder tool lets you search dental practices and hospitals by postcode so you can begin contacting them early, which matters because the best Year 10 and Year 12 placements get booked months in advance.
Finding dental experience for 14 and 15 year olds is harder, because most dental practices and hospitals set a minimum age of 16. If you want to start before then, volunteering in a care home, charity or community setting is open to you sooner and gives you just as much to reflect on.
How Much Dental Work Experience Do I Need?
Many candidates wonder about how much work experience they “need” when applying to dental school. Unfortunately, this question does not have a straightforward answer. Dental schools, as a general rule, are more interested in what you gain from your work experience than how much you have been able to undertake.
They recognise that not everyone has the same capacity to spend weeks undergoing dental work experience, and they are understanding of this. Someone who can show that they have learnt a lot from a single week of free dental work experience shadowing a hospital dental specialist will be in a better position than someone who has spent four weeks sitting in shadowing dentists but hasn’t been able to reflect on it.
If face-to-face placements are hard to secure, do not panic. Dental schools assess what you learned from your experience, not how many days you logged, and they understand that access varies hugely between applicants. A short placement that you can reflect on thoughtfully is worth far more than weeks of passive observation you cannot discuss.
Virtual work experience, dental podcasts, books and volunteering in a caring role all count as relevant experience and can strengthen your application when in-person shadowing is limited. The key is showing genuine insight into the realities of dentistry, however you gained it.
With all of that being said, we recommend that - to have sufficient experiences to reflect on - you try to spend at least:
- One week in a dentist practice (NHS is preferred)
- One week in a hospital / shadowing a specialist / private dental practice
What counts is broader than shadowing a dentist, and the alternatives are often easier to arrange:
Type of experience | What it involves | Usual minimum age | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|
General dental practice | Check-ups, fillings, extractions, hygienist appointments | 16 | 3 to 5 days |
Hospital or community dental service | Oral surgery, orthodontics, paediatric and special care dentistry | 16, some trusts 18 | 3 to 5 days |
Dental laboratory | Watching a technician make crowns, dentures and appliances, and the manual skill involved | 16 | 1 to 2 days |
Volunteering in a caring setting | Care home, hospice, disability charity or befriending scheme | 14 to 16 | A few hours a week, ongoing |
Paid work with the public | Retail, hospitality or a care assistant role | 16 | Ongoing |
Virtual schemes and wider reading | Online work experience, dentistry books and podcasts | Any | A few hours |
Key takeaway: a caring role you kept up for a year gives you more to say than a single week you cannot describe.
How can I get dental work experience at a practice near me?
Many prospective dental students try to undertake work experience with their local dental practice, which can be very successful. However, some dental practices near you may not offer work experience placements to candidates who are treated there for reasons of confidentiality - there is a significantly higher chance of seeing patients whom you may recognise. If rejected from your dental practice, we recommend alternatives for how to get dental work experience which is mentioned below.
Firstly, even if dental practices near you cannot provide you with dentistry work experience, they may be able to offer you other resources to help. You should get in touch with them - either by going in-person, calling, or emailing - and let them know that whilst you understand they may not be able to offer you direct work experience, you would appreciate any help that they can give.
Remember that you will likely have more dental practices around you than you realise - particularly when in a populated area, for instance looking for dental work experience in London.
To map every practice within reach quickly, use our free UK work experience finder, which lets you enter your postcode and instantly see dental practices, hospitals and care settings near you, filtered by NHS or private and by distance. It is the fastest way to build a contact list for dental work experience near you, whether you are searching in London, Birmingham or a smaller town.
Secondly, you can try directly contacting other nearby practices. Have a CV and cover letter ready when you do so. Your CV should highlight your academic grades, extra-curricular activities and soft skills, and any other work experience that you have.
Start by emailing, and if you do not hear back, call or hand your CV and cover letter to the reception team in person. Do not push harder than that. Practices are busy and a refusal is usually about capacity rather than about you.
If nothing comes back within your own town, widen the search. An hour of travel is worth it for a placement you can write about.
Third, if you know any dentists or dental specialists - whether they are in your family, family friends, or parents of friends - ask if you might be able to shadow them for a little while. Any work experience at all is better than none and allows you to reflect on what you learn. You should also ask your school, which may have existing connections to help you to get some work experience.
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What should I wear to dental work experience?
When it comes to what to wear for dental work experience, it's important to dress appropriately and professionally. This means avoiding casual or revealing clothing, as well as loud or distracting accessories.
When undertaking your general dental practice work experience, you should aim to dress smartly. For men, this can mean formal trousers and a shirt on top. Women can also wear formal trousers and a shirt, but a formal shirt & skirt or dress are just as good.
Your shoes should also be relatively formal - trainers or sneakers are not acceptable. Most dentists and hospital dentists tend to wear scrubs so may even provide you with clothing if they have spares available.
It's also important to consider hygiene and safety when choosing your outfit. Long hair should be tied back, and jewellery should be minimal to avoid interfering with dental equipment. Most dental practices will require you to be bare below the elbow for reasons of hygiene, so you should aim to wear short sleeves or sleeves that can easily be rolled up.
If you are unsure, ask the practice when you confirm your dates. They would far rather tell you in advance than have you turn up in the wrong thing.
What will I do during my dentist work experience?
During your general dental practice work experience, what you will see and do may vary from practice to practice. This can include:
- Observing a dentist do procedures: This can involve emergency procedures or elective procedures such as fillings, root canal treatments, crown fittings and even extractions.
- Observing check-up appointments: These appointments are crucial and will show you the importance of tests to reach the diagnosis. You will be able to observe communication the best here when the dentist explains the diagnosis and treatment options to patients.
- Reception: The receptionists play a key role in ensuring patients are dealt with over the phone and organise a dentist’s day list well.
- Admin: You may notice that the dentist has their fair share of admin work aside from clinical work. This can involve referrals to other specialities to even ringing or sending photos to the dental technician. This will highlight the importance of good organisation and teamwork.
Specialist Care
If you are lucky enough to gain work experience in a practice where there are specialists then observing them can be very beneficial. You will be able to observe dental specialists providing patients with the very best care whether this is in endodontics or even orthodontics. Comparing and contrasting specialists to general dentists is one thing to take note of.
How can I make the most of my dental work experience?
Remember that the most important part of your dentistry work experience isn’t simply showing up - it’s the reflecting and the thinking that you do afterwards. You should consider what you saw and what your thoughts are by writing down some notes in a journal or logbook each day.
We recommend you take a book with you to your work experience so you can jot down what you are learning at the time in case you forget afterwards.
In particular, consider the following questions:
- Expectations vs reality: Did anything surprise me that I saw today?
- Skillset: What are the skills needed to become a dentist?
- Teamwork: How did the multidisciplinary team at the dental practice work well together?
- Time management: How do dentists manage limited appointment times, especially during emergencies?
- Multifaceted: What other roles do dentists play, for example in educating patients to help prevent disease?
Compile your notes so they are easy to read back months later, before you write your dentistry personal statement or prepare for dental school interviews. There are 230 practice questions in our dental interview questions guide, and the section below on how to reflect shows what to do with the notes once you have them.
When you come to write up these reflections, our Ultimate Dentistry Personal Statement Guide shows you how to turn what you observed into convincing evidence of insight and motivation.
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How do I reflect on dental work experience?
Reflection is the part dental schools actually assess, and it is where most applications are won or lost. Do it on the day, while you can still remember the patient and what was said.
Write one incident down each evening. Describe it in enough detail that somebody who was not there could picture it, then write what it made you think. A logbook of ten short entries is worth more than a week of memory.
Five things are worth watching for specifically in dentistry, because they are what interviewers ask about:
- The dental team. A practice runs on dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, receptionists and technicians as much as on dentists. Watch who does what, and where the boundaries between those roles sit.
- NHS and private side by side. Most practices do both. Notice how treatment options are explained differently, then read about the NHS UDA system so you understand the funding pressure behind what you watched.
- Anxious patients. Dental anxiety is common and it changes an appointment completely. Watch the words and the pace a dentist uses to get a frightened patient through a procedure. This is the most useful thing to have a story about.
- Prevention against treatment. Fluoride advice, diet, smoking cessation and oral cancer checks. Dentistry is a prevention specialty that spends most of its day treating, and that tension is worth a sentence. Our NHS dentistry hot topics guide covers where it currently bites.
- Consent and communication. How options, risks and costs get explained before a patient agrees to anything. The nine GDC standards set out what a dentist is actually required to do.
What separates a good reflection from a list. Not "I learnt the importance of communication". Instead: the anxious patient who agreed to treatment only after the dentist put the mirror down, sat back, and explained what would happen in order, and what that told you about consent being a conversation rather than a signature.
For your personal statement: use the experience to show what you understand about the job, including the parts that are hard, rather than to list where you went. Our ultimate dentistry personal statement guide shows how to turn one observation into evidence of insight.
For your interview: build a bank of four or five incidents you can speak about for a minute each, covering communication, teamwork, anxiety and something that surprised you. Almost any "tell me about your work experience" question can be answered from that bank. Rehearse against our dental school interview questions.
Key takeaway: one incident described precisely, with what it taught you, beats a list of every practice you visited.
Dentistry Hospital Work Experience Guide
Hospital dentistry work experience provides you with a unique chance to better comprehend the different dental specialities. You will be able to observe a massive number of healthcare workers in one place - all with different roles and responsibilities. Working in a hospital setting allows students to gain exposure to a wide range of dental cases and procedures, including emergency care and surgeries. They may also have the opportunity to work with patients who have complex medical histories or special needs, which can provide valuable insight into the interdisciplinary nature of healthcare. In addition to clinical experience, working in a hospital setting can also provide students with exposure to the administrative and logistical aspects of running a dental practice.
You can learn a great deal, and make some impressive observations in your dental personal statement & dentistry interviews if you make the most of this opportunity. Gaining dental work experience in a hospital setting can be difficult but if achieved will make you stand out from the other candidates.
How can I get dentistry hospital work experience near me?
There are three key ways that you can put yourself in a position to be able to undertake work experience in a hospital.
First, you should get in touch with any dentists or dental care professionals whom you may know personally - particularly those who have treated you or your family members in the past. Often, dentists with whom you have pre-existing relationships are particularly keen to help you to gain work experience and follow in their footsteps, achieving a goal of pursuing a career in dentistry. You can ask them in person if they might be able to offer you any experience or send them an email to the same effect.
Second, consider any other connections which you may have. This could be family members, family friends or parents of friends. Any of these people may be able to offer you some time shadowing them in a hospital. You should also talk to your school’s careers department or equivalent, as they may have established connections or routes which you can use to get some dentistry work experience in a hospital.
Third, contact hospital departments or your local NHS trust education department directly. Their website will list a contact address for the education department or the dental department itself. Dental teaching hospitals have undergraduate students on site and are often more used to hosting observers.
You will have more local hospitals and departments than you expect, so a refusal from one is not the end of it. You also do not need a lot of experience in one place. Several short placements across different settings usually give you more to write about than one long one.
What should I wear to hospital work experience?
What you should wear in a dentistry hospital setting tends to be similar to that of a dental practice. Additionally, your clothes must allow a range of movement. For men, this generally means formal trousers and a shirt on top. Women can also wear formal trousers and a shirt, but a formal shirt & calf-length skirt or dress are just as good. Your shoes should also be relatively formal - trainers or sneakers are not acceptable.
Hospitals will also require you to be bare below the elbow for reasons of hygiene, so you should aim to wear short sleeves or sleeves that can easily be rolled up.
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How can I make the most of my hospital work experience?
You will gain more from a hospital placement by being an active participant rather than a passive observer. General dentists refer their difficult cases to hospital specialists, so this is where you see the complex end of dentistry. Ask questions and say what you noticed. Most specialists are glad to be asked.
What questions should I ask on dental work experience?
The more you ask, the more you have to draw on in your personal statement and interview.
Here are a few to consider:
- Ask them questions about the procedure
- Any challenges they are facing
- How to overcome such challenges
- What a career in dentistry is like
- About different dental specialities
Remember that the most important part of your dentistry work experience isn’t simply showing up - it is the reflecting and thinking that you do afterwards. You should consider what you saw and what your thoughts are by writing down some notes in a journal or logbook each day. In particular, consider the following questions:
- Expectations vs reality: Did anything surprise me that I saw today?
- Skillset: What skills did I observe hospital dentists using?
- Contrast: How did the roles of different multidisciplinary team members differ? How did specialist/hospital dentistry differ from general practice dentistry?
- Teamwork: What are the various tasks that dentists perform, and how do they all fit together?
- Scientific curiosity: Did I see any particularly interesting cases or conditions?
Compile these notes alongside your practice ones. How to turn them into personal statement and interview material is covered in how do I reflect on dental work experience above.
Taken together, work experience is your chance to see dentistry as it really is, look at the different paths open to you, and decide whether it is the career you want.
If you have any concerns or questions about dentistry then please contact one of our helpful dental team here.
👉🏼 Read more: Dentistry Reading List
Frequently asked questions
How much dental work experience do I need for dentistry?
There is no fixed requirement, but most successful applicants aim for around two weeks: roughly one week in a general dental practice (NHS preferred) and one week in a hospital or with a specialist. Dental schools value depth of reflection over the number of days, so a shorter placement you can discuss thoughtfully beats weeks of passive observation.
How do I get dental work experience near me?
Use our free work experience finder to list dental practices and hospitals near your postcode, then contact them by email with a short CV and cover letter. Follow up in person if you do not hear back, ask any dentists you know personally, and approach your local NHS trust education department for hospital placements.
Can I do dentistry work experience in Year 10 or Year 12?
Yes. Many dental practices accept students aged 16 and over, so Year 12 placements are common, and some accept Year 10 and Year 11 students for short observation. Apply early, as the best placements are booked months ahead. Starting in Year 10 gives you more time to gain varied experience before you apply.
How do I get dental work experience at 16 in the UK?
Most practices set a minimum age of 16, so once you reach it you can apply directly. Email local NHS and private practices with a tidy CV and cover letter, ask family dentists if you can shadow them, and use our work experience finder to build a list of nearby practices. Apply to several, as not all will have capacity.
Is it possible to get free dentistry work experience?
Yes. Most genuine dental work experience and shadowing in NHS and private practices is unpaid and free to arrange: you contact practices directly rather than paying an agency. Be cautious of paid placements that promise guaranteed access, as universities value self-organised, reflective experience just as highly as anything you pay for.
How do I find dental work experience in London or a big city?
Cities have far more practices than you might realise, so search widely. Use our work experience finder to map every dental practice and hospital near your postcode, then email a batch of them with your CV. In London, also approach dental hospitals and teaching trusts directly, as they run structured observation and outreach schemes.
What is the difference between dental practice and hospital work experience?
General practice work experience shows you routine dentistry: check-ups, fillings, extractions and patient communication. Hospital experience exposes you to specialities such as oral surgery, orthodontics and restorative dentistry, plus the wider multidisciplinary team. Ideally do both, as comparing the two settings gives you richer material for your personal statement and interviews.
What should I wear to dental work experience?
Dress smartly and professionally: formal trousers with a shirt or blouse, and clean, formal shoes rather than trainers. Tie long hair back and keep jewellery minimal for hygiene. In hospitals you must be bare below the elbow, so wear short sleeves or sleeves you can roll up. Many practices provide scrubs, so check in advance.
What will I do during dentist work experience?
You will mostly observe rather than treat patients. Expect to watch procedures such as fillings, root canals, crowns and extractions, sit in on check-ups to see diagnosis and communication, and see reception and admin work. In practices with specialists you may observe orthodontics or oral surgery. Always ask questions and take notes for later reflection.
How can I make the most of my dental work experience?
Be an active participant, not a passive observer. Ask the dental team about procedures, challenges and career paths, and take a notebook to record what you see. The most valuable part happens afterwards: reflect on what surprised you, the skills dentists use, how the team works together and what the experience taught you about the career.
What if I cannot find any dental work experience?
If hands-on placements are scarce, build relevant experience another way. Virtual dental work experience, podcasts, dentistry books, and volunteering in any caring or patient-facing role all count. Dental schools assess insight into the career, not the format of your experience, so reflect thoughtfully on whatever you can access and show genuine understanding of dentistry.
Does work experience count without a dentist in the family?
Absolutely. Most applicants have no family connections in dentistry and arrange placements by emailing local practices directly. Use our work experience finder to identify nearby practices, send a polite enquiry with your CV, and follow up. Self-organised experience often impresses admissions tutors precisely because it shows initiative and commitment.
What questions should I ask on dental work experience?
Ask the dentist about the procedure you are watching, the challenges they face and how they overcome them, what a career in dentistry is really like, and the different dental specialities. Thoughtful questions show genuine interest and give you specific, memorable material to draw on in your personal statement and interviews.
What are good supercurriculars for dentistry?
Beyond shadowing, strong dentistry supercurriculars include reading around dental science and ethics, listening to dentistry and healthcare podcasts, following NHS dentistry hot topics, completing an EPQ on a dental theme, and volunteering in caring roles. These deepen your understanding and give you wider material to discuss alongside your hands-on work experience.
How do I write up dental work experience for my personal statement?
Focus on reflection, not a diary of what you saw. For each experience, explain what you observed, what it taught you about dentistry and why it confirmed your motivation. Link specific moments to qualities dental schools want, such as communication and teamwork. Our dentistry personal statement guide shows you exactly how to structure this.
How do I get dental experience?
There are three routes, and most applicants use all of them. Shadow a dentist by emailing several practices near you with a short CV, addressed to the practice manager rather than a named dentist. Apply to your local NHS trust for hospital or community dental experience, which is usually organised centrally. Build a longer caring commitment alongside it, such as a care home, hospice or charity role, which is open to you younger and shows sustained interest. Dental schools accept all three, and they assess what you learnt rather than which setting you were in.
Can I do dental work experience abroad?
You can, but no UK dental school requires it and overseas placements are not viewed more favourably than UK ones. They are expensive, and they raise real concerns when students are given hands on roles beyond their training. If you are already travelling, keep it strictly observational and focus your reflection on how dental care is funded and accessed in that country compared with the NHS. If you have no UK experience at all, arranging a few days in a practice at home is a better use of your time and money.
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