Dundee Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Dundee interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS (September 2027 entry); University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS (web.archive.org copy, 6 September 2025) (September 2025 and September 2026 entry listed; archived 6 September 2025)

When are Dundee dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS (September 2027 entry)

How does Dundee decide who to interview?

Source: University of Dundee, Dentistry BDS entry requirements (September 2027 entry); University of Dundee, Dentistry admissions statistics (2019/20 to 2023/24 entry; updated 20 June 2025); Admissions statistics as published on our Dundee dental profile, from the university's figures (2023 entry (the university's 2023/24 entry figures))

What does Dundee assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS (September 2027 entry); University of Dundee, Dentistry BDS course overview (September 2027 entry); University of Dundee, Dentistry BDS teaching and assessment (September 2027 entry; notes the course structure is under review for 2026/27 entry); University of Dundee, Dentistry BDS careers (September 2027 entry); University of Dundee, Childsmile case study (published 28 May 2025; outcome figures from 2007 to 2020); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

A caring attitude, and why dentistry at Dundee

What Dundee says: Dundee says that as a future dentist you need a caring attitude, good scientific knowledge and understanding, technical skills and the ability to communicate well. University of Dundee, Dentistry BDS course overview

Dundee does not list motivation as a separate quality on its interview page, but a question about why you want to be a dentist is one of the simplest ways for an assessor to see your caring attitude and how you think, so prepare an answer anyway. For the Dundee part, use what the university publishes about its course: meeting your first patients by the end of the first semester, simple clinical procedures in semester two, treating patients in its own dental hospital, working with Thiel cadavers, and an annual Discovery Week. Dundee notes that it is reviewing the structure of the course, so check its teaching page before you quote a module. Your work experience is where most of your evidence will come from.

1. 1

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

   What to cover: Say in a sentence where the interest started, then spend most of your answer on how you checked it: what you saw in a practice, what surprised you and what could have put you off but did not. The assessor is listening for a choice you have examined for yourself.

2. 2

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

   What to cover: Explain what dentistry gives you that medicine would not, such as carrying out treatment with your own hands early in training, long relationships with patients in general practice, and seeing the result of your work straight away. Say something fair about medicine as well, because running down another profession is a poor sign in a future colleague.

3. 3

   Why Dundee?

   What to cover: Pick two or three things Dundee publishes about its course and explain why they suit the way you learn, such as early patient contact or the Thiel cadavers. League tables tell the assessor nothing about you, so leave them out.

4. 4

   Dundee says its students are ready to meet their first patients by the end of the first semester. How do you feel about talking to patients a few months after leaving school?

   What to cover: Admit it would feel daunting, then be practical about what would help: supervision, preparation, knowing the limits of what you have been trained to do and asking for help early. Finish with why you want that early contact anyway.

5. 5

   What does a caring attitude look like in a dental surgery, when the patient cannot speak because your hands are in their mouth?

   What to cover: Talk about the small things that show care: explaining each step before you do it, agreeing a signal to stop, watching for signs of discomfort, and checking how they are afterwards. Use something you saw on work experience if you can.

6. 6

   Dundee runs an annual Discovery Week in which students explore a topic of their own choice. What would you choose, and why?

   What to cover: Choose something you could explain with enthusiasm for two minutes, such as dental anxiety, oral health in care homes or how dental materials are tested. The point is to show curiosity that goes beyond the syllabus, so say what question you would want answered.

7. 7

   Dundee graduates usually complete vocational or foundation training before working in general practice, the community dental service or hospital. Which of those interests you now?

   What to cover: Show that you know the route after the BDS, then say which setting appeals to you and why, based on something you have seen or read. It is fine to say your view may change once you have tried them.

8. 8

   What do you think would be the hardest part of a dentist's working day?

   What to cover: Pick something real, such as running late with a full list, a patient who is frightened or angry, or the physical strain of close work, and say how you would cope with it. An answer that finds nothing difficult suggests you have not looked closely.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Thinking critically and flexibly on your feet

What Dundee says: Dundee says the interview is designed to assess your ability to think critically and flexibly on your feet, and your thinking skills. University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS

Dundee says its stations ask you to consider questions, situations and dilemmas, and that you need no prior knowledge to address them, so what is being scored is how you reason. Say what you notice, what else you would want to know, what the options are and which one you would choose, and be willing to change your view if a new fact is put to you. Practise by talking through unfamiliar problems out loud with someone who will interrupt you.

9. 9

   At the start of an emergency session you can see one patient first: a child with a swollen face, an adult who has lost a crown, or an older patient with a sore denture. Who do you see first, and why?

   What to cover: Decide by risk, not by order of arrival. Facial swelling in a child can mean a spreading infection, so that patient comes first, and then explain how you would make sure the other two are not forgotten.

10. 10

    A study finds that people who drink more fizzy drinks have more tooth decay. Does that prove fizzy drinks cause decay?

    What to cover: Explain the difference between a link and a cause, and name other things that could explain the pattern, such as diet in general, brushing habits or access to a dentist. Then say what kind of study would come closer to an answer, and why it is still sensible advice to cut down on sugary drinks.

11. 11

    An advert says a new toothbrush removes "twice as much plaque". How would you decide whether to believe it?

    What to cover: Ask what it was compared with, who carried out the study, how many people took part and over what period. Showing that you question a claim calmly, without dismissing it, is the skill this kind of station rewards.

12. 12

    A small town's only dental practice cannot recruit a dentist. How could the community's patients still be cared for?

    What to cover: Think broadly: other members of the dental team working within their scope, visiting clinics, links with a larger practice nearby, transport help for patients and incentives to recruit. Then say which idea you would try first and what you would need to find out before you did.

13. 13

    You are halfway through planning an oral health talk for a primary school when you learn that many of the children speak little English. What do you change?

    What to cover: Show you can adapt the plan: pictures and demonstrations, simple words, a practical toothbrushing activity and material the children can take home to their families. Ask the school what would help, because they know the children.

14. 14

    Estimate how many toothbrushes are used in Scotland in a year, and talk me through your method.

    What to cover: The number matters far less than the method. Start from a population figure you are fairly sure of, decide how often people replace a toothbrush, state each assumption out loud and say which one would change your answer most if it were wrong.

15. 15

    Would you prefer to be a dentist who is very precise but slow, or one who is quick but less precise?

    What to cover: There is no single right answer, so reason it through. Precision protects patients and treatment that fails has to be redone, while a dentist who is very slow sees fewer people and can tire patients out. Most people find that speed comes with practice, which is worth saying.

16. 16

    Should everyone have a dental check-up every six months?

    What to cover: Think about whether everyone has the same risk of disease. A person with healthy teeth and gums may need checks less often, while someone at high risk may need them more often. Say what a dentist would consider in setting the interval, and what that means for NHS time.

Go deeper: Dental school practice interview questions

Personal values and integrity

What Dundee says: Dundee says the interview is designed to assess your personal values and integrity. University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS

Dundee's request that you keep station topics to yourself shows that integrity starts before you sit down. In the course itself, the Clinical Dentistry 3 module advances students' professionalism and understanding of patient safety, consent and risk, and Clinical Dentistry 8 covers the legal aspects of patient capacity to consent for care. Know the General Dental Council's nine principles well enough to use them in an answer; our guide to the nine GDC principles sets them out. Remember that Scotland has its own law on consent and capacity.

17. 17

    Dundee asks interviewees not to discuss the topics or tasks at its stations with other applicants, friends or online. A friend who is interviewing next week asks you what your stations were about. What do you say?

    What to cover: Be clear that you will not share the station content, explain why the request is fair to everyone, and offer to help your friend in other ways. This is a small test of the same integrity a dentist needs when no one is checking.

18. 18

    Which of the GDC's nine principles do you think matters most, and why?

    What to cover: Choose one, explain what it means in practice in a dental surgery, and give an example of what would go wrong without it. Then show you understand that the principles work together, because putting patients' interests first depends on most of the others.

19. 19

    A patient who has capacity refuses to have a badly decayed tooth removed, even though you think it needs to come out. What do you do?

    What to cover: Make sure they understand the risks of leaving it, ask what worries them, offer any other options and record the conversation, then respect their decision. Our consent guide explains what makes consent valid.

20. 20

    A 14-year-old comes to a practice in Scotland 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 a young person under 16 consent to treatment if the clinician judges that they understand it and its likely consequences. Talk about how you would judge that, her right to confidentiality and any sign she might be at risk; our Gillick competence guide covers the equivalent test in England.

21. 21

    An older patient arrives with their son, who says his father has dementia and that he will sign the consent form. How do you approach it?

    What to cover: Start by presuming the patient can make this decision, explain things simply and give him time. In Scotland the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 applies if an adult cannot make a particular decision, and a relative can only consent for him with the legal authority to do so. Our capacity guide explains how capacity is judged.

22. 22

    You realise, after the patient has left, that you wrote the wrong tooth in their notes. What do you do?

    What to cover: Correct the record properly so the change is clear and dated, tell your supervisor, and think about whether the patient needs to know. Owning a mistake quickly is what the profession expects, even when it feels embarrassing.

23. 23

    You notice that a classmate's clinical log records a procedure you know they did not complete. What do you do?

    What to cover: Speak to them first and encourage them to correct it themselves, but be clear that you cannot ignore it, because records affect patient safety and trust. If they refuse, raise it with a tutor.

24. 24

    A grateful patient offers you an expensive watch after their treatment. Do you accept it?

    What to cover: Thank them warmly, then explain that you cannot accept a gift of that value, and follow your practice's or school's policy. Talk about why: a large gift can change how a patient expects to be treated, or how others see your judgement.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Communication and the role-play

What Dundee says: Dundee says the interview assesses your ability to communicate, and that you will take part in a role-playing scenario. University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS

Dundee says you will take part in a role-playing scenario, but it does not say which station it falls in, who plays the other part or what the scenario is, so practise both clinical and everyday conversations. Treat the person in front of you as real: listen before you explain, use plain words and check you have been understood. Dundee says that by the end of the first semester its students are ready to meet patients and communicate professionally with them, and its course introduces anxious patients and those with special needs in the Clinical Dentistry 3 module, and teaches communication skills for supporting child patients in Clinical Dentistry 5.

25. 25

    A patient tells you they have not been to a dentist for twelve 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. Then explain what will happen in small steps, agree a signal they can use to stop you, and let them set the pace.

26. 26

    Explain to a parent why their three-year-old should have fluoride varnish put on their teeth.

    What to cover: Find out what the parent already knows and whether they have any worries, then explain in plain words that varnish helps protect teeth against decay and that it is quick and painless. If they decline, respect an informed decision and record it.

27. 27

    A patient is upset because their appointment has been cancelled for the second time. Respond to them.

    What to cover: Let them finish, acknowledge how frustrating it is and apologise without blaming colleagues. Then find out whether anything is urgent and agree a clear next step before they leave.

28. 28

    You have promised to go to a friend's birthday meal, but you have just been asked to cover an important shift at work the same evening. Tell your friend.

    What to cover: Dundee says no prior knowledge is needed, so an everyday role-play is fair game. Tell them early and directly, explain the reason without making excuses, acknowledge their disappointment and offer something specific to make it up to them.

29. 29

    Explain to someone over the phone, with no pictures, how to brush their teeth properly.

    What to cover: Break it into a few clear steps, use everyday comparisons, and check after each step that they have followed you. Asking them to describe it back to you is the quickest way to find out what has not landed.

30. 30

    A patient who is deaf relies on lip-reading, and you are wearing a mask. How do you communicate with them?

    What to cover: Ask them what works best, and think about writing things down, using a clear mask where it is safe, or briefly lowering your mask at a safe distance before treatment. Infection control still matters, so explain how you would balance the two.

31. 31

    Dundee says its interviewers will be helpful and encouraging if a candidate becomes flustered. What do you do when someone you are talking to becomes flustered?

    What to cover: Talk about slowing down, giving them time, saying something reassuring and coming back to the point gently. Link it to a patient in the chair, where noticing distress early can change how the whole appointment goes.

32. 32

    What makes someone a good listener?

    What to cover: Go beyond keeping quiet: good listeners notice what is not said, ask questions that open the conversation up and show they have understood by summarising. Give an example of a time you listened well, or a time you did not and what you learnt.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Working in a team

What Dundee says: Dundee says the interview is designed to assess your ability to work in a team. University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS

A dentist works with a team every day, and Dundee teaches it formally across its modules: team working and the treatment of medical emergencies in Clinical Dentistry 4, working with the wider dental team in Clinical Dentistry 6, and team-building and receiving feedback in Clinical Dentistry 8. Know who is in the dental team and what each person does, and have one example of leading a group and one of being a good team member. Our guide to the multidisciplinary team shows how the same ideas work in medicine.

33. 33

    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, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists, and say in a sentence what each does. All of them register with the GDC and work to the same Standards for the Dental Team.

34. 34

    A dental nurse tells you she thinks you have picked up the wrong patient's X-ray. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop, thank her and check the records with her before going any further. A team where the nurse feels able to speak up is a safer team, and how you respond decides whether she will speak up next time.

35. 35

    Tell me about a time you were part of a team that was not working well. What did you do?

    What to cover: Describe the problem briefly, then focus on what you did to help, such as talking to people, sharing out tasks again or getting advice. Be fair about your own part in it, including anything you would do differently.

36. 36

    A later module of Dundee's course, Clinical Dentistry 8, covers team-building and receiving feedback. Tell me about a piece of feedback you found hard to hear.

    What to cover: Choose real feedback that stung, describe how you reacted at first and what you did with it afterwards. The assessor wants to see that you can take criticism without becoming defensive, because dental students are given feedback on their work constantly.

37. 37

    When is it right for a dental student to challenge a qualified dentist?

    What to cover: Whenever a patient could come to harm, and otherwise by asking a respectful question and giving a reason. Our whistleblowing guide covers the formal routes if a concern is not addressed.

38. 38

    You are leading a group project and one member is not doing their share. What do you do?

    What to cover: Speak to them privately first, because there may be a reason you do not know about. Agree something specific together, and only take it further if nothing changes.

39. 39

    A patient collapses in the dental chair. What does good teamwork look like in the next few minutes?

    What to cover: You do not need clinical knowledge to answer: talk about someone taking the lead, calling for help, each person knowing their role, clear short instructions and nobody acting beyond their training. Dundee teaches the treatment of medical emergencies alongside team working, which shows how closely the two are linked.

40. 40

    How would you make sure a dental nurse felt valued in a practice you ran?

    What to cover: Talk about small, regular things: using their name, explaining your plan before a procedure, thanking them, asking for their view and supporting their training. Then say why patients benefit when the nurse feels part of the team.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry

Technical skills and manual dexterity

What Dundee says: Dundee names technical skills among what a future dentist needs, alongside a caring attitude, scientific knowledge and understanding, and the ability to communicate well. University of Dundee, Dentistry BDS course overview

Dundee's interview page does not mention a manual dexterity test, and the university publishes none, so do not prepare for one specifically. You may still be asked how you know you have the technical skills Dundee says a dentist needs. Dundee's opening module builds technical, clinical and communication skills in simulated environments, and the second module sets prescribed tasks using rotary instruments in a simulated environment, so be ready to explain why that training matters and what you have done with your hands that shows patience and control.

41. 41

    How have you developed your manual dexterity, and how can you show 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 hobby you have stuck with is more convincing than a single taster session.

42. 42

    Why does a dentist need good technical skills when so much of the job is about talking to people?

    What to cover: Explain that both matter: treatment has to be accurate in a small, wet space, often using a mirror, and much of it cannot be undone. Then show you see how the two connect, because a patient who trusts you keeps still and comes back.

43. 43

    Early in Dundee's course, students carry out prescribed tasks with rotary instruments in a simulated environment. Why do dental schools train on simulations first?

    What to cover: Drilling removes tooth that cannot grow back, so students need to build skill and confidence where mistakes harm nobody. Simulation also lets tutors check work closely and lets you repeat a procedure until it is safe.

44. 44

    Dundee students can work with Thiel cadavers, which keep life-like flexibility. Why might that help a future dentist?

    What to cover: Think about learning head and neck anatomy on tissue that moves more like a living patient's, which could help with things like understanding where nerves run before giving local anaesthetic. Mention respect for the people who donate their bodies, too.

45. 45

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

    What to cover: Suggest something simple, such as tracing or writing while looking only at a reflection, and say what you would expect to find hard. Then mention that dental schools teach this step by step before students treat patients.

46. 46

    Can manual dexterity be learnt, 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.

47. 47

    In the clinical skills lab you are slower than most of your year. What do you do?

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

48. 48

    Tell me about a practical task that went wrong. What did you do next?

    What to cover: Choose a real example from a hobby, a lab or a job, describe the moment it went wrong and what you changed the next time. Dental students redo practical work often, so showing you can keep going matters more than the task itself.

Go deeper: The dentistry degree (BDS) explained

Dilemmas in a dental context: oral health and NHS dentistry

What Dundee says: Dundee says its questions, situations and dilemmas are sometimes framed in a clinical or dental context, and that you are not expected to have any prior knowledge to address them. University of Dundee, Interview for Dentistry BDS

You do not need dental knowledge for these stations, but knowing the basics will help you reason well. Dundee's second module introduces public health, inequalities and the burden of disease, and the university's Health Informatics Centre has supported Childsmile, Scotland's national programme to reduce children's oral health inequalities, for over 20 years. NHS dentistry in Scotland is organised differently from England, so read our guide to the four UK health systems before you talk about contracts, and give balanced views.

49. 49

    Childsmile, which Dundee's Health Informatics Centre has supported for over 20 years, works through supervised toothbrushing in nurseries and schools and fluoride varnish for children at higher risk. Why do you think a programme to reduce tooth decay works through nurseries and schools?

    What to cover: Talk about reaching every child, including those whose families rarely see a dentist, building habits early and reducing inequality. Then mention a limitation or a question you would want answered, such as how families are involved at home.

50. 50

    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 and health literacy, and say which of these a dentist can influence. Our health inequalities guide gives you the framework.

51. 51

    Should fluoride be added to drinking water?

    What to cover: Set out the evidence that fluoride helps prevent decay and the argument that a community scheme reaches people who never see a dentist, then the objections about choice and consent. Find out which parts of the UK have fluoridated water before the day, and reach a view you can defend.

52. 52

    Should sugary drinks be taxed more heavily?

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

53. 53

    Some people struggle to find an NHS dentist taking new patients. Why might that be, and what could help?

    What to cover: Think about workforce, funding, how dentists are paid and rural areas where practices are far apart. England uses the UDA contract, which our UDA guide explains, while Scotland pays NHS dentists under its own arrangements, so describe the systems accurately before you suggest anything.

54. 54

    Why do dental surgeries take infection control so seriously?

    What to cover: Talk about the risks in dentistry: sharp instruments, contact with saliva and blood, and sprays from high-speed instruments. Then mention the habits that protect patients and staff, such as cleaning and sterilising instruments, protective equipment and vaccination of the team against hepatitis B.

55. 55

    A patient asks why they should bother with check-ups when nothing hurts. What do you tell them?

    What to cover: Explain in plain words that decay and gum disease often cause no pain until they are advanced, and that check-ups also look for changes in the soft tissues of the mouth. Keep it friendly, because a patient who feels lectured is less likely to come back.

56. 56

    Should dentists stop using amalgam fillings?

    What to cover: Explain why amalgam is being phased down internationally, mainly because of mercury in the environment, and weigh that against its durability and the trade-offs of the alternatives. Our dental amalgam guide sets out where the UK stands.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics