Glasgow Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Glasgow interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Open Day presentation, June 2026 (PDF) (June 2026; says 2027 interviews likely virtual MMI; key dates slide shows the 2026 entry cycle); University of Glasgow Dental School, undergraduate frequently asked questions (2027 entry (work shadowing answer); other answers undated); University of Glasgow Dental School, Multiple Mini Interviews page (web.archive.org copy, 2 December 2022; the live page is restricted to University users) (no entry year; gives a 31 December 2019 support deadline (2020 entry cycle)); University of Glasgow Dental School, sample MMI stations (no year stated)

When are Glasgow dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Glasgow, Dentistry BDS degree page (2027 degree programmes) (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Admissions Information, updated September 2026 (Word) (September 2026 update; no entry year stated); University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF) (September 2027 entry (one page footer still reads September 2026 entry)); University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Open Day presentation, June 2026 (PDF) (June 2026; says 2027 interviews likely virtual MMI; key dates slide shows the 2026 entry cycle)

How does Glasgow decide who to interview?

Source: University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Admissions Information, updated September 2026 (Word) (September 2026 update; no entry year stated); University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Open Day presentation, June 2026 (PDF) (June 2026; says 2027 interviews likely virtual MMI; key dates slide shows the 2026 entry cycle); University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF) (September 2027 entry (one page footer still reads September 2026 entry)); Admissions statistics as published on our Glasgow dental school profile, from the university's figures (2025 entry)

What does Glasgow assess at interview?

Source: University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF) (September 2027 entry (one page footer still reads September 2026 entry)); University of Glasgow, Dentistry BDS degree page (2027 degree programmes) (2027 entry); University of Glasgow Dental School, undergraduate frequently asked questions (2027 entry (work shadowing answer); other answers undated)

Self-motivation, self-criticism and why Glasgow

What Glasgow says: Glasgow wants applicants who are self-critical and self-motivating, one of the eight characteristics its interview is designed to test. University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF)

Glasgow pairs self-motivating with self-critical, so expect a follow-up that asks how you tested your choice and what you found hard. For the Glasgow part, use what the school publishes: treating caries in a simulated clinic in second year, a first extraction and paediatric outreach in third year, and a final year split between the Dental School and two outreach centres.

1. 1

   Why dentistry, and why not medicine?

   What to cover: Say what draws you to dentistry itself, such as caring for the same patients over many years, precise work with your hands, and prevention whose results you can see. Show that you gave medicine a fair look, because saying you simply did not want it tells the panel nothing.

2. 2

   Why Glasgow?

   What to cover: Pick two things Glasgow publishes, such as the final-year outreach in one residential and one non-residential centre, or paediatric outreach in third year, and link each to the way you learn. A ranking tells the interviewer nothing about you.

3. 3

   Glasgow's open day describes dentistry as a healthcare profession and "not beauty therapy". What do you think it means?

   What to cover: Talk about what dentists diagnose and treat: decay, gum disease, infection, pain, and changes in the mouth that can signal cancer or other illness. Cosmetic work exists, but you are training as a clinician who looks after a patient's health first.

4. 4

   Work shadowing in a dental setting is hard to get. How have you tested your decision instead?

   What to cover: Glasgow says no work shadowing is required for 2027 entry and points to alternatives, including its own Becoming a Dentist course on FutureLearn. Describe what you did, what surprised you and what made you more certain. Two experiences you can talk about in detail beat a list.

5. 5

   What do you expect to find hardest about a five-year BDS?

   What to cover: Name something real, such as moving from simulated work to treating patients in second year, the volume of anatomy, or the first time a patient is frightened of you. Then say what you already do that gives you a small start on it.

6. 6

   Tell me about a time you were critical of your own work. What did you change?

   What to cover: Choose a specific piece of work, say how you knew it was not good enough, what you changed and whether it worked. The panel wants someone who checks their own standard without waiting to be told.

7. 7

   What could you do with a Glasgow BDS after you graduate?

   What to cover: Glasgow's open day lists vocational training and career options including high street practice, the Public Dental Service, hospital dentistry, the armed forces, research, academia, teaching and 13 dental specialties. Say which path interests you now and why, and accept that you may change your mind.

8. 8

   If you do not get a place this year, what will you do?

   What to cover: Give a plan you would actually carry out and say why. Glasgow's September 2026 admissions document says it considers reapplicants who were unsuccessful at the UCAT or interview stage, so know where you stand before you answer.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Diligence and ethics

What Glasgow says: Glasgow asks applicants to be diligent and ethical, the first characteristic in its 2027 person specification. University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF)

In dentistry, diligence is mostly the small checks that keep patients safe: infection control, accurate notes, valid consent before every procedure and knowing what you are not yet trained to do. Glasgow's own sample stations include an integrity dilemma between classmates and a confidentiality problem with a 15-year-old patient in a dental practice, so practise reasoning out loud through both kinds. The GDC's Standards for the Dental Team are the framework to think with, and our dentistry ethical scenarios guide gives you a structure.

9. 9

   Glasgow's student clinics treat members of the public, who accept that students will carry out their care under supervision. What must a student do before starting any treatment on one of those patients?

   What to cover: Agreeing to the clinic is not consent to each treatment. Explain what you plan, why, the risks and the alternatives, check they understood, record it and make sure your supervisor has agreed the plan. Our consent guide covers what makes consent valid.

10. 10

    You notice a classmate skip a step in the infection control routine on clinic. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so make sure the instrument or surface is dealt with before the patient is put at risk. Speak to your classmate, and tell the supervisor if it is not put right. Explain why it matters in dentistry: sharp instruments, blood and saliva, and aerosols from the drill.

11. 11

    Glasgow requires every dental student to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV before starting, and to be immunised against hepatitis B. Why?

    What to cover: Dentistry involves exposure-prone procedures, where a patient could be exposed to a clinician's blood if a glove tears or an instrument slips. Testing protects patients and lets the school plan support. Glasgow also says most health conditions, even substantial ones, should not stop you being accepted.

12. 12

    Glasgow says that failing to declare a criminal conviction or caution is incompatible with professional behaviour. Why would a dental school treat hiding it as so serious?

    What to cover: Because patients trust dentists with their care, and the GDC expects registrants to declare convictions and cautions. A minor offence that is declared can often be managed, but concealing it shows the panel how you behave when the truth is inconvenient.

13. 13

    A patient asks for whitening stronger than you think is safe and says they will go elsewhere if you refuse. What do you do?

    What to cover: Put the patient's interests first, explain the risks plainly, offer what is safe and record the conversation. Find out who is allowed to carry out tooth whitening in the UK, and accept that the patient may leave. Doing harmful treatment to keep a customer is the wrong answer.

14. 14

    A 14-year-old arrives for a filling with a grandparent who is not their legal guardian. Who can consent?

    What to cover: In Scotland, the Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991 lets a young person under 16 consent if the dentist judges that they understand the treatment and its possible consequences. Elsewhere in the UK the equivalent test is Gillick competence, which our Gillick guide explains. Talk about how you would assess understanding.

15. 15

    You make a mistake on a simulated clinical exercise and nobody notices. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your tutor. The point of simulation is to make mistakes where nobody gets hurt and learn from them, and owning up now builds the habit you will need with real patients, where the GDC expects you to be open when something goes wrong.

16. 16

    An adult with a learning disability comes for a check-up with a paid carer, who says they will sign the consent form. Is that right?

    What to cover: Start by presuming the patient can decide, and explain things in a way they can follow. In Scotland, the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 applies if an adult cannot make a particular decision, and a carer cannot consent for them without the legal power to do so. Our capacity guide covers how capacity is judged.

Go deeper: The nine GDC principles

A caring nature, empathy and respect for other views

What Glasgow says: Glasgow looks for applicants who demonstrate a caring nature and are empathetic and respectful of the views of others. University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF)

Glasgow's sample station video shows an assessor scoring a candidate's empathy, and one of its sample stations uses an actor, so be ready for a station where an actor plays someone upset, frightened or difficult. In dentistry empathy often starts with fear, because many patients are anxious about treatment and the way you notice it shapes the rest of the appointment. Respect for other views matters too: patients will make choices about their own mouths that you would not make.

17. 17

    A patient at a Glasgow student clinic says they have not seen a dentist for ten years because they are frightened. How do you start the appointment?

    What to cover: Acknowledge the fear without judging them, ask what happened before, explain each step before you do it and agree a stop signal. Treat simply coming back as a success, and let them set the pace.

18. 18

    A parent does not want their child to have fluoride varnish because they have read that fluoride is harmful. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Listen first and find out where the worry came from. Explain clearly what varnish is and what the evidence shows, then respect the parent's decision once it is an informed one, and record it. In Scotland, fluoride varnish for young children is part of the national Childsmile programme, which is worth reading about.

19. 19

    A patient wants a tooth taken out that you think could be saved. What do you do?

    What to cover: Find out why: cost, fear, time off work or a bad past experience. Explain the options and what losing the tooth would mean, then respect the choice of a patient who has capacity, without pressure in either direction.

20. 20

    Tell me about a time you supported someone who was struggling.

    What to cover: Describe what you noticed, what you did and what you said, and how you knew whether it helped. Small, specific actions are more convincing than a big claim about being caring.

21. 21

    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 situation and act on it, for example by booking a shorter appointment for someone who struggles to keep their mouth open.

22. 22

    A patient becomes tearful during a routine check-up and says it has nothing to do with their teeth. What do you do?

    What to cover: Pause the examination, give them a moment and some privacy, and ask gently whether they would like to talk. Dentists see many patients regularly, so they can be the first to notice distress, neglect or signs of harm, and should know how to signpost help or raise a safeguarding concern.

23. 23

    Someone in your group disagrees strongly with you about whether sugary drinks should be taxed more. How do you handle it?

    What to cover: Ask for their reasons before you argue, give your own view with evidence, and accept that reasonable people can disagree. Glasgow names respect for the views of others, so the panel will watch how you treat the person as well as your argument. Our sugar tax guide has the background.

24. 24

    Glasgow's third year includes outreach placements in paediatric dentistry. How would you calm a child who is crying before treatment?

    What to cover: Get down to their level, talk to the child as well as the parent, and show them each instrument before you use it. Praise small steps, involve the parent, and know when to stop and try another day.

Go deeper: Empathy and sympathy at interview

Communication

What Glasgow says: In Glasgow's published sample station, the assessor is asked to score the candidate's empathy and communication skills, and good communication is on its list of characteristics. University of Glasgow Dental School, sample MMI stations

One of Glasgow's sample stations has an actor playing the other person, so practise talking to a person, not reciting a prepared answer. If the 2027 interviews are online as Glasgow expects, rehearse on video so that pace, eye contact and pauses feel natural through a webcam; our virtual MMI tips cover the online version. Much of a dentist's communication happens while the patient cannot reply, so checking understanding before and after matters even more.

25. 25

    Explain to a nervous eight-year-old what a fissure sealant is and why they are having one.

    What to cover: Use short words and one picture they can hold on to, such as a raincoat for the grooves in their back teeth. Tell them what it will feel like and ask what they are worried about. Adapting to the listener is the skill being scored.

26. 26

    A patient is angry that their student clinic appointment has been cancelled for the second time. Talk to them.

    What to cover: Let them finish, apologise once and mean it, then tell them what you know and what happens next. Glasgow says student clinics run only in term time and treatment there can take longer, which you can explain without sounding as if you are making excuses.

27. 27

    A patient refuses an X-ray because they are worried about radiation. What do you say?

    What to cover: Find out what they have heard, then explain why the image is needed, that the dose is kept as low as possible, and what could be missed without it. Let them decide, and record the conversation.

28. 28

    How would you explain the link between sugar and tooth decay to a teenager who drinks energy drinks every day?

    What to cover: Explain that how often sugar reaches the teeth matters as much as how much, because each drink starts a fresh acid attack. Skip the lecture, ask what they would be willing to change, and agree one small swap.

29. 29

    A patient speaks very little English. How do you make sure they understand their treatment?

    What to cover: Ask for a professional interpreter instead of relying on a family member, and never a child. Use plain words and pictures, and check understanding by asking them to explain the plan back to you.

30. 30

    Talk a patient through how to clean between their teeth, without being able to show them.

    What to cover: Break it into small steps, check after each one, and change your words if they look confused. The station is testing whether you notice the listener as you go.

31. 31

    Tell me about a time someone misunderstood you. What did you do?

    What to cover: Describe how you realised, what you changed about the way you explained it, and what you now do differently. Saying the same thing more loudly is the answer to avoid.

32. 32

    If your video freezes in the middle of an online station, what do you do when you reconnect?

    What to cover: Say calmly where you had got to and finish your main point. Apologise once and move on, because the assessor is watching how you recover.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Teamwork and the capacity to lead

What Glasgow says: Glasgow asks applicants to work in a team and have the capacity to act as a leader. University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF)

Dentistry is team work from the first day: a dentist works with a dental nurse at the chair, and with hygienists, therapists and technicians beyond it. Glasgow pairs teamwork with the capacity to lead, so prepare an example of each. Expect a question on fitting into a new team too, because Glasgow's final year places you in two outreach centres in Public Dental Service locations.

33. 33

    What does a dental nurse do, and why does the dentist depend on them?

    What to cover: Talk about chairside support, infection control, preparing instruments, keeping records and reassuring patients. Dental nurses are registered with the GDC, and a good one often notices things the dentist misses.

34. 34

    What is the difference between a dental hygienist and a dental therapist?

    What to cover: Hygienists focus on gum health and prevention, such as scaling and oral hygiene advice. Therapists can do that and some treatment as well, such as fillings and taking out baby teeth. Both are GDC registrants, and patients can see them directly in many cases.

35. 35

    In your final year, Glasgow places you in one residential and one non-residential outreach centre. How would you settle into a team you have never met?

    What to cover: Learn names and routines quickly, ask how the team likes things done and be useful early in small ways. Ask for help as soon as you need it, because a new team cannot read your mind.

36. 36

    Tell me about a time you led a group. What would you do differently now?

    What to cover: Describe what you did to get people working together, one thing that went wrong and what you learnt from it. A leader who can name a mistake is more believable than one who claims none.

37. 37

    You are the most junior person in the surgery and think the plan for a patient is wrong. What do you do?

    What to cover: Ask a question first and give your reason, then accept the answer if it is a good one. If the patient could come to harm, keep raising it until someone senior has listened.

38. 38

    A dental technician tells you the impression you sent is not good enough to make the crown. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Thank them, ask what is wrong with it and retake it. Technicians are part of the patient's care, and listening to them makes the crown fit better.

39. 39

    Tell me about a team that did not work well. What was your part in it?

    What to cover: Own a share of the problem and work out what went wrong, such as unclear roles or someone not being heard. Then say what you would do differently. Blaming everyone else wastes the question.

40. 40

    What should a team leader do when one member keeps letting the group down?

    What to cover: Talk to them privately, find out why, agree a plan and offer support. If nothing changes and it affects patients or the group's work, raise it with whoever is responsible.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry and the dental team

Independent thinking and problem solving

What Glasgow says: Glasgow wants applicants who are capable of independent thinking and can plan and think on the spot, enjoy problem solving and analysing information. University of Glasgow, Dentistry BDS degree page (2027 degree programmes)

These stations score how you reason through something you have not seen before, so say what you notice, what you would want to know and what you would do. Glasgow's 2027 page adds analysing information to this characteristic, so be ready for a table, a chart or a short passage. For NHS questions, remember that NHS dentistry in Scotland runs differently from England, and an answer built only on the English UDA contract can miss the point; our guide to the four UK health systems sets out the differences.

41. 41

    Why do children in poorer areas tend to have more tooth decay, and what could dentists do about it?

    What to cover: Think about diet and the cost of food, access to a dentist, time and money for parents, and knowledge about brushing. Then talk about prevention that reaches children where they are, such as nursery and school programmes. Our health inequalities guide has the wider context.

42. 42

    Should fluoride be added to public water supplies across the UK?

    What to cover: Set out the evidence that it reduces decay, especially in children from deprived areas, then the objections about consent, choice and dental fluorosis. Know that schemes cover only parts of England and none of Scotland, then reach a view you can defend.

43. 43

    Some people cannot find an NHS dentist taking new patients. Why might that be, and what could be done?

    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 through its own fee scale. Describe the systems neutrally before you suggest anything.

44. 44

    You are shown a chart of decay rates in five-year-olds across areas with different levels of deprivation. What would you want to know before drawing conclusions?

    What to cover: Ask how the data were collected, how many children, which year and what else differs between the areas. Point out that a link does not prove a cause. Our data interpretation guide shows how to talk through a chart.

45. 45

    You are running late on clinic. One patient is in pain, one is here for a routine check and one has to leave for work in 15 minutes. How do you plan the next hour?

    What to cover: See the patient in pain first, tell the others what is happening and offer the routine patient a new time if needed. Say what you would ask the team to do. Our prioritisation guide gives a method.

46. 46

    Glasgow's third year includes the dentist's role in giving smoking and alcohol advice. Why should a dentist talk about either?

    What to cover: Both affect the mouth directly, including the risk of mouth cancer, and smoking worsens gum disease and slows healing. Dentists also see many people when they are well, which makes brief advice possible. Our vapes and smoking guide has the policy background.

47. 47

    Should NHS dental check-ups be free for everyone?

    What to cover: Find out what is free in Scotland today, because it differs from England. Then weigh the case for removing cost as a barrier against what the money could otherwise fund, and say where you land.

48. 48

    Is it fair that some patients can pay privately to be seen sooner?

    What to cover: Consider choice and capacity on one side and fairness on the other, including whether private work helps or harms NHS access. Give both sides properly before your view, because the reasoning is what is scored.

Go deeper: NHS dentistry hot topics

Manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness

What Glasgow says: Glasgow asks applicants to show strong evidence of manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness, and says its interview process is designed to test its listed characteristics. University of Glasgow Dental School, BDS Person Specification, September 2027 entry (PDF)

Glasgow does not publish a manual dexterity test, and its FAQ says it needs no portfolio and that no examples should be brought to interview. Its older MMI page did list practical activities among its station types, so you may be asked to do something with your hands as well as talk about it. Either way, be ready to describe your evidence in detail: what you made, how you improved, and how it links to treating caries in a simulated clinic in second year.

49. 49

    Glasgow asks for strong evidence of manual dexterity but does not want a portfolio. Tell us about yours.

    What to cover: Choose one or two activities you have done for a long time and describe the fine control they need, how you practised and how you improved. Then link them to dentistry: small movements, in a small space, often seen in a mirror.

50. 50

    Why does a dentist need spatial awareness as well as steady hands?

    What to cover: Talk about working in a small space with indirect vision through a mirror, where movements are reversed, and picturing the shape of a tooth in three dimensions from a flat X-ray.

51. 51

    Glasgow lists creativity alongside dexterity. Where does creativity come into dentistry?

    What to cover: Think about shaping a filling or crown to match a patient's other teeth, changing your approach for someone who cannot open wide, or finding a way to help an anxious child accept treatment.

52. 52

    If you were asked to build something from instructions while explaining what you were doing, how would you approach it?

    What to cover: Read everything first, plan the order, talk through your steps as you work and check as you go. If it goes wrong, stay calm and say what you would change, because how you recover is part of the task.

53. 53

    Tell me about a time you practised a physical skill until you got it right.

    What to cover: Describe the practice itself: what was hard, how you broke it down, and what feedback you used. Glasgow's course moves from simulation to patients in second year, so show that you can learn a skill step by step.

54. 54

    In your first term you find a practical task harder than most of your classmates. What do you do?

    What to cover: Ask your tutor what you are doing wrong, use any extra practice time and break the task into stages. Being self-critical means noticing the gap early and doing something about it, without either hiding it or giving up.

55. 55

    How might a dentist protect their hands, back and eyes over a long career?

    What to cover: Mention posture and seating, magnification, protective eyewear, breaks between patients and looking after your own health. A dental career can last decades, so it is sensible to think about this from the start.

56. 56

    How would you keep your hands steady when you feel nervous?

    What to cover: Talk about preparation, a routine you trust, slow breathing and resting your hand on something stable while you work. Give an example from a performance, an exam or a sport where you managed nerves.

Go deeper: Dentistry practice interview questions