Liverpool Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Liverpool interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page) (2027 entry)

When are Liverpool dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page) (2027 entry); University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2026 Entry (web.archive.org copy, 13 January 2026) (2026 entry)

How does Liverpool decide who to interview?

Source: University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page) (2027 entry); Admissions statistics as published on our Liverpool dental profile, from the university's figures (2024 entry)

What does Liverpool assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page) (2027 entry); University of Liverpool, Dental Surgery BDS course page, September 2027 entry (2027 entry; last updated 22 September 2026); University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, Civic engagement (Smile Squad) (no year stated); University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, Free dental treatment (no year stated); University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, Liverpool University Dental Hospital (no year stated; describes a summer 2024 refurbishment); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013); General Dental Council, Scope of Practice guidance (guidance effective from 1 November 2025); Dental Schools Council, Statement on dental student attendance (no year stated); Department of Health and Social Care, The NHS Constitution for England (updated 17 August 2023)

Motivation and commitment to dentistry, and why Liverpool

What Liverpool says: Liverpool says applicants must demonstrate motivation and commitment to a career in dentistry. University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page)

Liverpool asks for commitment as well as motivation, so expect to be pushed on whether your reason will hold through five years and a working life in general practice or a hospital. For the Liverpool part, use what the School publishes: patient contact in the first year, a three-year Collaborative Learning Core shared with dental therapy students, the Smile Squad in the community, and placements that include Aintree University Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

1. 1

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

   What to cover: Say what draws you to dentistry itself: treating a patient from start to finish with your own hands, long relationships in general practice, and the link between the mouth and general health. Avoid any answer that sounds as if dentistry is a fallback or an easier route.

2. 2

   Why Liverpool?

   What to cover: Choose two things Liverpool publishes, such as patients from the first year or the shared core with dental therapy students, and explain why they suit the way you learn. Saying it is a big dental school tells the interviewer nothing about you.

3. 3

   Liverpool students see patients from their first year. What do you expect to find hard about that?

   What to cover: Be specific: talking to a nervous patient, keeping your hands steady while someone watches, or not knowing an answer. Then say what you have already done that gives you a small head start, such as time in a dental surgery.

4. 4

   How have you tested your decision to become a dentist?

   What to cover: Talk about what you saw, read or did that could have put you off, and why it did not. The interviewer wants to see a decision you checked for yourself, not one you inherited.

5. 5

   What does a dentist's working week look like, and which part appeals to you least?

   What to cover: Show you know a general dentist's week includes examinations, fillings, extractions, paperwork, managing a team and running to time. Naming the least appealing part and how you would cope with it is more convincing than claiming to love all of it.

6. 6

   Most Liverpool graduates go into general dental practice. Where do you see yourself, and why?

   What to cover: Liverpool says most graduates choose general practice in the NHS and the private sector, while others choose hospital specialties, the community dental service, teaching or the armed forces. It is fine not to know yet, as long as you can say what you would want to find out.

7. 7

   Liverpool does not consider reapplications from candidates who are unsuccessful after interview. If this year does not work out, what will you do?

   What to cover: Give a realistic plan, such as applying elsewhere, a related degree, or a year that builds the experience you were missing. Show you would keep going towards dentistry without pretending the rejection would not sting.

8. 8

   What is the hardest thing about being a dentist that patients never see?

   What to cover: Think about running late with an anxious patient waiting, a treatment that does not go to plan, a complaint, or the physical strain of the job. Say how a dentist looks after themselves through it.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Knowledge of and insight into the profession

What Liverpool says: Liverpool says applicants should show knowledge of and insight into the profession. University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page)

Insight means knowing how dentistry is organised and paid for, who works in it and what is changing, and having a view of your own. Liverpool's own 2027 page tells applicants about one change that will affect them directly: the government's plan for a minimum period of NHS practice after qualifying. Read around it calmly and be ready to discuss both sides.

9. 9

   Liverpool's admissions page says the government plans to require newly qualified dentists to practise in the NHS for a minimum period. What do you think of that?

   What to cover: Explain why the government wants it, which is NHS access, and why some people have concerns, such as choice and whether it addresses why dentists leave NHS work. Finish with your own view and say that the detail is still to come from the Department of Health and Social Care.

10. 10

    How is NHS dentistry paid for in England?

    What to cover: Describe the contract in outline: practices agree to deliver a number of units of dental activity (UDAs) a year, and treatments fall into payment bands. Our UDA guide explains it; avoid quoting figures you cannot stand behind.

11. 11

    Why do some people find it hard to get an NHS dental appointment?

    What to cover: Talk about how many NHS appointments a practice is contracted to offer, how dentists divide their time between NHS and private work, and how this varies by area. Keep it balanced and avoid blaming one group.

12. 12

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

    What to cover: Hygienists focus on gum health and prevention, therapists also provide some fillings and treatment for children and adults, and dentists diagnose, plan and carry out the full range. The GDC's Scope of Practice guidance sets out each role.

13. 13

    What is the General Dental Council, and why does it matter to a dental student?

    What to cover: It regulates the seven registered dental professions and sets the standards they must meet. Students are held to those standards too, so behaviour at university can affect whether you can register. Our GDC standards guide covers the nine principles.

14. 14

    Tell me about a recent development in dentistry that interested you.

    What to cover: Choose one thing you have read about properly, such as a change to the NHS contract or the move away from amalgam, and explain what it means for patients. Our guide to NHS dental contract reform is a good starting point.

15. 15

    What is dental amalgam, and why is its use being reduced?

    What to cover: Explain that amalgam is a mercury-containing filling material and that the concern is mainly environmental. Our amalgam guide has the background; be careful not to overstate any risk to patients.

16. 16

    Liverpool University Dental Hospital takes referrals from across Cheshire and Merseyside. What is the difference between care in a dental hospital and in a high street practice?

    What to cover: General practice is where most routine care happens; a dental hospital takes referrals for specialist care such as oral surgery, orthodontics, special care and paediatric dentistry. Show you understand that most of your career is likely to be in primary care.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics

Work experience, observation and your personal statement

What Liverpool says: Liverpool puts emphasis on work experience and observation, says shadowing in a dental practice or hospital, preferably in more than one, is desirable, and says the personal statement will be reviewed during interviews. University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page)

Liverpool does not use the personal statement to shortlist, but its 2027 entry page says the statement will be reviewed during interviews. Treat every sentence in it as a question you might be asked, and prepare to talk about particular moments from your work experience: what you noticed, what it changed in your thinking and what you would do differently.

17. 17

    Liverpool says it will review your personal statement at interview. Pick one sentence from it and tell us more.

    What to cover: Choose the sentence you can say most about, give the detail you had no room for in 4,000 characters, and finish with what it taught you about dentistry. Avoid reciting what you already wrote.

18. 18

    Tell me about a patient you saw on work experience who has stayed with you.

    What to cover: Describe one patient briefly, without anything that could identify them, and what you noticed about how the dentist handled them. Then say what that changed in how you see the job.

19. 19

    What did you notice about how the dental team worked together during your work experience?

    What to cover: Talk about who did what: the nurse anticipating instruments, reception managing an upset patient, the hygienist seeing recall patients. Then explain why that teamwork matters for safety and for the patient.

20. 20

    Liverpool prefers work experience in more than one setting. What did you learn from comparing them, or what would you want to see next?

    What to cover: If you saw two settings, compare something specific, such as the pace of an NHS practice and a hospital clinic. If you only saw one, say what you would want to see next and why, without apologising for it.

21. 21

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

    What to cover: Pick something real, such as how much of the day is spent explaining and reassuring, or how physically demanding it is. Being surprised shows you were paying attention.

22. 22

    Your work experience was cut short or limited. How else have you found out what dentistry involves?

    What to cover: Talk about volunteering with people, reading, online courses, talking to dental professionals or your own experience as a patient. What matters is what you learnt from it.

23. 23

    Tell me about something you saw on work experience that you would do differently as a dentist.

    What to cover: Be careful and fair: choose a small, real moment, such as a rushed explanation, and say what you would do instead. Avoid criticising the team that hosted you.

24. 24

    What did you learn from a job or volunteering role outside healthcare that will help you as a dental student?

    What to cover: Think about dealing with the public, staying patient when someone is rude or frightened, being reliable week after week and working to time. Link each point to the dental chair.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

A caring attitude

What Liverpool says: Liverpool says it seeks evidence of a caring attitude. University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page)

A caring attitude in dentistry shows in how you treat a frightened adult, a child who will not open their mouth, or a family that cannot get to an appointment. Liverpool's School of Dentistry works with the LFC Foundation's Smile Squad on children's oral health inequalities, and its students treat patients from the community in supervised training clinics, so expect questions about who finds dental care hard to reach.

25. 25

    Liverpool works with the Smile Squad to address oral health inequalities in children. Why do some children have much worse oral health than others?

    What to cover: Talk about diet and sugary drinks, toothbrushing at home, cost and travel, and whether families can find an NHS dentist. Tooth decay is largely preventable, which is what makes the gap unfair.

26. 26

    A patient tells you they are terrified of the dentist. How do you help them?

    What to cover: Listen first and ask what frightens them, explain each step before you do it, agree a stop signal and go at their pace. Small promises kept, such as stopping when asked, build trust.

27. 27

    A seven-year-old will not let you look in their mouth. What do you do?

    What to cover: Slow down, talk to the child directly in simple words, use tell-show-do with a mirror or a finger, and involve the parent. Forcing it would make the next visit harder.

28. 28

    Some areas of England add fluoride to the water supply and most do not. What are the arguments on each side?

    What to cover: In favour: it reaches everyone, including children who do not see a dentist. Against: some people object to a measure applied without individual consent. Set out both sides fairly and avoid quoting figures you are not sure of.

29. 29

    An older patient with dementia comes in with a carer. How might their dental care be different?

    What to cover: Think about communication, consent, how they manage brushing at home, medicines that cause a dry mouth, and appointments that are short and calm. Involve the carer while still speaking to the patient.

30. 30

    Liverpool students treat members of the public in supervised training clinics, and appointments take longer than a normal visit. How would you make sure the patient feels cared for?

    What to cover: Explain at the start that you are a student, who is supervising you and why it may take longer. Keep them informed, check how they are and thank them, because they are helping you learn.

31. 31

    Why might someone who has not seen a dentist for years be reluctant to come back?

    What to cover: Think about fear, embarrassment about the state of their teeth, cost, past bad experiences and not knowing how to find a practice. Then say how a dental team can make coming back easier.

32. 32

    Tell me about a time you cared for someone when it was inconvenient for you.

    What to cover: Choose a real, small example, such as helping a younger sibling, a neighbour or a customer, and describe what you did and what it cost you.

Go deeper: Health inequalities and the Marmot review

NHS Constitution values, ethics and professionalism

What Liverpool says: Liverpool seeks awareness of the values embedded within the NHS Constitution. University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page)

The six NHS values are working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives, and everyone counts. In a dental scenario they turn into practical questions about consent, confidentiality, candour and safety. Liverpool's first year teaches ethics, professionalism and infection control, so reason through what matters, what you would do and why, and use the GDC's nine principles as your frame.

33. 33

    Which NHS value matters most to you, and how would it show in a dental surgery?

    What to cover: Pick one and make it concrete: everyone counts might mean making sure a patient who uses a wheelchair or needs an interpreter gets the same care. Our NHS core values guide covers all six.

34. 34

    A patient at a student training clinic agrees to a filling but then says, halfway through, that they want you to stop. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop, find out why, and explain what stopping now would mean for the tooth. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, so your supervisor needs to be involved straight away. Our consent guide explains valid consent.

35. 35

    A 15-year-old comes to a clinic alone with toothache, asks for treatment and does not want their parents told. What are the issues?

    What to cover: Think about whether they understand the treatment well enough to consent, what is in their interests, their right to confidentiality and whether anything suggests they are at risk. Our Gillick competence guide sets out the test.

36. 36

    You notice a classmate did not change their gloves between handling a phone and treating a patient. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so speak to them at once if you can do so without alarming the patient, and tell the supervising clinician. Explain why cross-infection control is a basic standard, and offer to talk it through with your classmate afterwards.

37. 37

    A fellow student posts a photo from clinic with a patient's X-ray visible. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality, ask them to remove it and raise it if they will not. The GDC principle is to maintain and protect patients' information; our confidentiality guide shows where the line sits.

38. 38

    You realise you gave a patient the wrong aftercare advice yesterday. Nobody else knows. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your supervisor today, contact the patient with the correct advice and an apology, and work out how it happened. The GDC expects openness when something goes wrong; hiding it is what would worry an interviewer.

39. 39

    A patient asks for an expensive cosmetic treatment that you think they do not need. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Find out what they are unhappy about, explain the options including doing nothing, and be clear about risks and costs. Putting patients' interests first means not selling treatment that does not help them.

40. 40

    A patient with a learning disability attends with a support worker who answers every question for them. What do you do?

    What to cover: Speak to the patient directly, use plain words and pictures, give them time and check what they understood. Start from the presumption that they can make the decision; our capacity guide explains how capacity is judged.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Teamwork and the dental team

What Liverpool says: Liverpool says the BDS is designed to develop real-world clinical, team working and leadership skills, and that its shared Collaborative Learning Core builds mutual respect and understanding of the varied roles of the dental team. University of Liverpool, Dental Surgery BDS course page, September 2027 entry

For three years at Liverpool you would learn alongside dental therapy students, and first-years observe and assist students in their senior years. The GDC registers seven dental professional roles, and a dentist relies on all of them. Expect questions about what each role does, how you behave as a junior member of a team, and what you do when the team is not working.

41. 41

    Liverpool's BDS students share a three-year core with dental therapy students. Why do you think the School teaches them together?

    What to cover: Because they will work together in practice, and understanding each other's training builds respect and better referrals. The GDC's Scope of Practice guidance describes therapists and hygienists as playing a key role in preventing oral disease, so a dentist needs to know what they can do.

42. 42

    Name the members of a dental team and what each one does.

    What to cover: The GDC lists dentists, dental nurses, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists. Pick two and explain how their work affects the patient in your chair.

43. 43

    What does a dental nurse contribute that a dentist could not manage without?

    What to cover: Think about infection control and decontamination, preparing materials, suction during treatment, reassuring the patient and keeping records. Our multidisciplinary team guide explains why every role matters.

44. 44

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

    What to cover: Own part of the problem, explain what went wrong, such as unclear roles, and say what you would do differently. Blaming everyone else wastes the question.

45. 45

    As a first-year, you assist a senior student who you think is about to make a mistake. What do you do?

    What to cover: Say what you have noticed politely and quickly, as a question if that helps, and involve the supervising clinician if the patient could be harmed. Raising concerns when patients are at risk is one of the GDC's nine principles.

46. 46

    A dental nurse tells you, a student, that you were rude to her in front of a patient. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Listen, apologise for the effect even if you did not mean it, and ask what you could do differently. Showing you can take feedback from any member of the team matters more than defending yourself.

47. 47

    When should a dentist refer a patient to someone else?

    What to cover: When the treatment is outside their competence or training, or a specialist would serve the patient better. The GDC's Scope of Practice guidance says a dental professional must refer when a task is beyond what they are trained and competent to do.

48. 48

    Liverpool has student leadership roles and a Staff Student Liaison Committee. Tell me about a time you led something.

    What to cover: Choose a real example, describe the decisions you made and how you brought people with you, include one thing that did not go to plan, and say how you listened to the people you were leading.

Go deeper: The GDC's nine principles

A range of skills: dexterity, resilience and a long clinical course

What Liverpool says: Liverpool says candidates are expected to show a range of skills. University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, A200 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 2027 Entry (admissions page)

Liverpool does not list the skills it means or publish any manual dexterity test, so be ready to evidence fine motor skill, communication and resilience from your own life. Its course has you develop clinical skills in simulation and pass an assessment of basic clinical competence before treating patients, and the Dental Schools Council says dental schools strongly encourage students to aim for 100% attendance. Expect questions about how you learn a practical skill and how you keep going.

49. 49

    Dentistry needs good manual dexterity. How do you know you have it, and how would you develop it?

    What to cover: Give real evidence, such as a musical instrument, art, sewing, model making or a practical science task, and what it taught you about precision and patience. Then say that dexterity improves with practice, which is what simulation teaching is for.

50. 50

    Liverpool students must pass an assessment of basic clinical competence before treating patients. Why do you think that rule exists?

    What to cover: Because patients should not be the first place a student tries a skill. Talk about practising in simulation, getting feedback and only moving on when you are safe, and relate it to a skill you have built up in stages.

51. 51

    Tell me about a time you learnt a practical skill that you found difficult at first.

    What to cover: Describe what was hard, how you practised, how you used feedback and how you knew you had improved. The interviewer wants to hear how you learn, more than that you are naturally gifted.

52. 52

    Liverpool's first-year timetable runs from September to the end of July. How will you manage a long year with clinics?

    What to cover: Be practical: planning, rest, keeping up something you enjoy and asking for help early. Avoid claiming you never get tired.

53. 53

    The Dental Schools Council says dental schools strongly encourage students to aim for 100% attendance. Why does attendance matter so much on a dental course?

    What to cover: Clinical sessions involve real patients who are relying on you to turn up, and missed practical time cannot always be made up. Link it to professionalism and to the GDC principle of maintaining your knowledge and skills.

54. 54

    Tell me about a setback and how you recovered from it.

    What to cover: Choose something that mattered, describe how you felt and what you actually did, and what you would do differently. A short, real account beats a polished story where everything works out.

55. 55

    How do you cope with stress, and how do you know when it is getting too much?

    What to cover: Name what you do and the warning signs you watch for. Mention that Liverpool's course includes teaching in personal development and wellbeing, and that asking for support is part of being a safe clinician.

56. 56

    Here is a simple graph of a practice's missed appointments over a year. What does it tell you, and what would you do about it?

    What to cover: Describe the trend first, then suggest reasons and one practical change, such as reminders. Our data interpretation guide shows how to talk through a chart under time pressure.

Go deeper: Practice dental school interview questions