Manchester Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Manchester interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews (no year stated); University of Manchester, Preparing for your Dentistry interview: The interview (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry interview day structure (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry interview frequently asked questions (no year stated)

Are Manchester dentistry interviews online or in person?

Source: University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry admissions frequently asked questions (no year stated); University of Manchester, Application process: BDS Dentistry (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry interview day structure (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry interview frequently asked questions (no year stated)

When are Manchester dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry interview day structure (no year stated); University of Manchester, BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy interviews (a different course) (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry admissions frequently asked questions (no year stated)

How does Manchester decide who to interview?

Source: University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry (first-year entry) course page (2027 entry); University of Manchester, UCAT (BDS Dentistry) (no year stated); University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews (no year stated); Admissions statistics as published on our Manchester dental school profile, from the university's figures (2026 entry)

What does Manchester assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews (no year stated); University of Manchester, BDS non-academic information (no year stated); University of Manchester, Application process: BDS Dentistry (no year stated); University of Manchester, Preparing for your Dentistry interview: The interview (no year stated); University of Manchester, Dentistry interview day structure (no year stated); Dental Schools Council, Guidance on the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry (2023); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Why do you want to be a dentist?

What Manchester says: Manchester calls this an obvious but vital question, says it is the one candidates most often answer with a coached and practised reply, and says it will look for specific evidence of the experiences behind your decision. University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews

Manchester puts it bluntly: your reasons may be obvious to you, but the admissions team has never met you. Its FAQs also expect you to know the career options in dentistry and how they compare with other healthcare professions, so be ready to explain why you chose dentistry over medicine, and over hygiene and therapy, which Manchester also teaches. For the Manchester part, use what the course page says: clinical work from the first semester, outreach clinics in the community, and dentists and hygienist therapists in training treating patients together. The same page says the course is being reviewed and teaching may change, so check the current version before you quote a feature.

1. 1

   Why do you want to be a dentist?

   What to cover: Start with the experience that set you thinking, then spend most of the answer on what you did to test the idea. Manchester says it wants specific evidence, so name the moment, the person and what you noticed, and keep the reasons in your own words.

2. 2

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

   What to cover: Talk about what draws you to dentistry itself: long-term relationships with patients, the mix of diagnosis and hands-on treatment, and the chance to prevent disease as well as treat it. Avoid running medicine down, because the interviewer wants to hear what draws you to dentistry.

3. 3

   Manchester trains dental hygienists and therapists alongside its dentists. Why not train as one of them instead?

   What to cover: Show you know what each role covers: the GDC's scope of practice sets out the work hygienists and therapists can do, and the diagnosis, treatment planning and more complex treatment that falls to the dentist. Then explain which parts of the dentist's role you want and why.

4. 4

   Why Manchester?

   What to cover: Choose two things that are particular to Manchester's BDS, such as clinical exercises from the first semester, outreach community clinics, or treating shared patients with dental hygiene and therapy students. Explain why each suits the way you learn; a ranking says nothing about you.

5. 5

   Manchester's course page says its graduates almost invariably apply for a year of foundation training in NHS general dental practice. What do you know about the career after that?

   What to cover: Mention general practice, NHS and private work, the community dental service and hospital dentistry, and that specialties such as orthodontics or oral surgery need further training. Our career in dentistry guide sets out the routes; one path you are curious about makes the answer yours.

6. 6

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

   What to cover: Pick something you saw or heard about from a dentist, such as running late with anxious patients waiting, or explaining that a treatment is not possible. Then say how you would hope to handle it, which shows you have thought past the appeal of the job.

7. 7

   The admissions team knows nothing about you. Which experience most shaped your decision to apply, and what did it change?

   What to cover: Manchester's own wording invites a personal story, so tell one well: what happened, what you thought at the time and what you now believe as a result. One experience told properly is worth more than a list.

8. 8

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

   What to cover: Give a realistic plan. Manchester considers a second application from someone it has interviewed, but expects continued work experience and a materially different application, and will not consider a third consecutive one. Our reapplying guide covers what to do with the year.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Previous experience and work experience

What Manchester says: Manchester says your work experience will be of great interest, need not be in a mainstream dental setting, and that the interview is your chance to describe your emotional responses to it and what you gained, not only the facts. University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews

Manchester expects some in-person work experience, would like some of it focused on dentistry, and accepts settings such as care work. Where placements were limited, it suggests talking to dentists, the wider dental team and dental students, and using online courses. It wants to know how you got involved, how much time you gave and what you gained, and it may ask for confirmation, so describe what you did accurately. It also warns against reeling off every placement the moment you sit down.

9. 9

   Tell me about your work experience: how did you get involved, how much time did you spend, and what did you gain?

   What to cover: These are the three things Manchester's own page asks you to cover. Keep the logistics to a sentence or two and give most of the answer to one thing you learnt about the job and how it changed your view.

10. 10

    Tell me about a moment on work experience that made you feel something you did not expect.

    What to cover: Manchester asks about emotional responses, so name the feeling: unease at a patient's fear, surprise at how tired the dentist was by four o'clock. Then explain what you did with that feeling and what it taught you.

11. 11

    Your work experience was in a care home, not a dental practice. What did it teach you that is relevant to dentistry?

    What to cover: Talk about communicating with people who are frail, confused or frightened, about routines such as mouth care for residents who cannot manage it, and about being relied on. Manchester says it accepts care settings, so link what you saw to the dental patients you will treat.

12. 12

    What did you notice about how the dentist and dental nurse worked together?

    What to cover: Describe something concrete, such as how the nurse anticipated each instrument or calmed a patient while the dentist explained the treatment. Then say what it showed you about teamwork in a small clinical space.

13. 13

    Your placements were limited. What else did you do to find out what a career in dentistry involves?

    What to cover: Manchester names talking to dentists, the dental team and dental students, and online resources. Say who you spoke to, what you asked, and the one answer that surprised you.

14. 14

    You took an online course about dentistry. What from it would you actually use?

    What to cover: Choose one idea and show you can explain it simply, such as how sugar frequency drives decay. Our list of free dentistry MOOCs has options if you have not done one yet.

15. 15

    What did you see on work experience that you would do differently as a dentist?

    What to cover: Be fair to the people you shadowed and keep it small, such as checking a nervous patient had understood before starting. The skill is noticing practice that could be better without sounding superior.

16. 16

    Manchester says it may ask for confirmation of your work experience. Why might a dental school check?

    What to cover: Because dentistry is a trusted profession, and the Dental Schools Council says applicants must be truthful with the dental school about their personal history, as registered dentists will be throughout their careers. Showing you understand why the check exists says more than being offended by it.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

Ability to communicate

What Manchester says: Manchester says communication is essential to almost every part of dentistry, and expects candidates to express their ideas clearly and coherently and to follow a reasoned argument. It adds that spontaneous, well-thought-out answers impress more than obviously rehearsed or coached ones. University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews

Manchester involves simulated patients in its interviews, so be ready to talk to an actor as you would to a real patient. Dental patients are often anxious, and many are children, so the questions below practise calming, explaining simply and checking understanding. Manchester also mentions following a reasoned argument, which means listening to the interviewer's challenge and answering it directly.

17. 17

    On one of Manchester's outreach clinics, a patient tells you she has not seen a dentist for eight years because she is terrified, and she is now in pain. Talk to her.

    What to cover: Thank her for coming, ask what frightens her most and listen before you explain anything. Agree a stop signal, explain what will happen in small steps, and make clear she can stop at any point.

18. 18

    Explain to an eight-year-old why brushing before bed matters.

    What to cover: Use short words and one picture they can hold on to, such as the germs having a feast all night if food is left behind. Then involve the parent, because they will be doing the supervising.

19. 19

    A parent is upset because their child's dental appointment has been cancelled for the second time. Respond.

    What to cover: Let them finish, apologise once and mean it, and find out whether the child is in pain. Then tell them exactly what you will do next and when, because practical help is where the empathy shows.

20. 20

    A patient asks why their NHS dentist only wants to see them once a year when their friend goes every six months. How do you explain it?

    What to cover: Explain that recall intervals are set for each patient according to their risk of disease, so two people can be on different schedules for good reasons. Check what they understood and whether they have any worries that make them want to be seen sooner.

21. 21

    A patient speaks very little English and needs to understand what will happen during an extraction. How do you make sure they do?

    What to cover: Ask for a professional interpreter instead of relying on a relative, and never a child. Use plain words and pictures, and check understanding by asking them to explain it back, because consent depends on it.

22. 22

    Tell me about a time you had to change how you explained something because the first way did not work.

    What to cover: Describe what you noticed that told you it had not landed, what you changed and how you checked the second attempt. Adapting to the listener is the skill being scored.

23. 23

    Here is a statement: "Sugary drinks should be taxed much more heavily." Argue for it, then against it.

    What to cover: Manchester wants a reasoned argument, so give each side its strongest case: tooth decay and obesity on one side, fairness to people on low incomes and personal choice on the other. Our sugar tax guide has the background; finish with your view and what would change it.

24. 24

    How would you know a patient lying back in the dental chair is uncomfortable if they cannot speak?

    What to cover: Watch their hands, eyes, breathing and posture, agree a signal such as raising a hand before you start, and pause to check in. Patients cannot talk with instruments in their mouth, so the communication has to be planned.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Ethical and other issues

What Manchester says: Manchester says interviewers may raise ethical issues to assess how coherently you summarise what is at stake, that there is often no right answer, and that interviewers are not looking for a particular viewpoint. University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews

Manchester tells applicants not to try to work the names of the ethical principles into every answer, so set out the issues in plain words: who is affected, what matters to them, what you would want to find out and what you would do. Manchester also expects an informed layperson's view of dental topics in the news, and says it is interested in how coherently you express the ethical dilemmas facing dental practitioners, so NHS dentistry and public health belong here too. Manchester's own course uses water fluoridation as an example of a question its students learn to appraise from the evidence, which makes it a good one to think through.

25. 25

    Manchester's course teaches students to appraise questions such as whether water fluoridation is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. Should fluoride be added to drinking water across the UK?

    What to cover: Weigh the benefit to people who rarely see a dentist against consent, since everyone drinking the water receives it, and the risk of mild dental fluorosis. Say what evidence you would want to see before deciding, which is exactly what Manchester's appraisals train you to do.

26. 26

    A 14-year-old comes to the clinic alone with toothache and asks you not to tell her parents. What are the issues?

    What to cover: Think about whether she understands the treatment well enough to consent, her right to confidentiality, and whether anything suggests she is at risk. Our Gillick competence guide sets out the test clinicians use.

27. 27

    An adult with a learning disability needs a tooth removed and seems frightened. His carer says, "Just go ahead, he won't understand." What do you do?

    What to cover: Start from the presumption that he can make the decision, and give him every chance to understand with time, plain words and pictures. If he cannot, any decision must be in his best interests; our capacity guide explains how capacity is assessed.

28. 28

    A 19-year-old asks for veneers on healthy teeth after seeing them on social media. Should a dentist provide them?

    What to cover: Talk about the patient's right to choose, the harm of removing healthy tooth tissue for good, and making sure consent is fully informed about the risks and the long-term upkeep. Our dental tourism guide shows what can go wrong when it is rushed.

29. 29

    Many people in England say they cannot find an NHS dentist taking on new patients. Whose responsibility is that, and what would you change?

    What to cover: Describe the system neutrally: NHS dentistry is commissioned locally and paid through a national contract, and practices choose how much NHS work to take on. Then give a reasoned view on one change; our NHS dentistry hot topics give the background.

30. 30

    What is a unit of dental activity, and what is one argument for and one against paying dentists this way?

    What to cover: Explain that NHS courses of treatment in England fall into bands, each worth a number of units, and practices are contracted to deliver a set number. Our UDA guide covers the arguments, and our contract reform guide covers what is changing.

31. 31

    During work experience you see a member of staff skip a cross-infection step between patients. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so you cannot ignore it. As a visitor, raise it calmly with the dentist supervising you or the practice manager instead of confronting the person in front of a patient, and remember that the GDC expects every member of the dental team to raise concerns.

32. 32

    A dentist accidentally damages the tooth next to the one she is filling. What should happen next?

    What to cover: Tell the patient straight away what has happened, apologise, explain what can be done about it and record it. The GDC calls this the duty of candour; our GDC standards guide covers it.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Team working and leadership

What Manchester says: Manchester says dentists work in multidisciplinary teams, that you must show experience of teamwork and understand the advantages of a team approach, and that dentists are also team leaders, so it asks what you have done to show leadership. University of Manchester, BDS non-academic information

Manchester's course page describes outreach clinics staffed by dentists, dental nurses, hygienists, therapists and receptionists, and BDS students working with dental hygiene and therapy students from different years to meet the needs of shared patients. Some of the teaching is team-based learning, working in small teams. Expect to explain who does what in a dental team, and to give a real example of leading as well as of being led.

33. 33

    Who is in the dental team, and what does each person do?

    What to cover: Cover dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians and the practice manager or receptionist, with one sentence on what each contributes. Then say why a dentist depends on them, because the team is what makes a clinic safe and efficient.

34. 34

    At Manchester, dental students and dental hygiene and therapy students treat shared patients as a team. What could go wrong, and how would you make it work?

    What to cover: Think about unclear responsibility, information not being passed on and patients getting mixed messages. Then explain how agreeing the plan together, writing clear notes and respecting each other's expertise prevents those problems.

35. 35

    Manchester says dentists are team leaders. What does leading a dental team look like day to day?

    What to cover: Talk about setting a calm tone, making sure everyone knows the plan for each patient, listening when the nurse raises a concern and taking responsibility when things go wrong.

36. 36

    Tell me about a time you led a group. What did you do when someone was not pulling their weight?

    What to cover: Choose a real example, describe how you found out why they were struggling before you judged them, and what you changed. Finish with what you would do differently next time.

37. 37

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

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

38. 38

    A dental nurse quietly points out, in front of the patient, that you are about to use the wrong instrument. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Thank them, correct it calmly and carry on, then talk about it afterwards if needed. A team where juniors feel safe to speak up is a safer team, and your reaction is what decides whether they do it again.

39. 39

    Some of Manchester's teaching is team-based learning in small teams. What do you bring to a group, and what do you find hard?

    What to cover: Give one strength with an example and one real difficulty, such as staying quiet when you disagree, with what you do about it. Self-awareness about groups is what the question is testing.

40. 40

    When might a dentist need to work with a patient's GP or another health professional?

    What to cover: Think about patients whose medical conditions or medicines affect dental treatment, signs in the mouth that need a medical opinion, and concerns about a child's welfare. A dentist is often the first to spot that something needs a doctor's opinion.

Go deeper: The multidisciplinary team explained

Hobbies, interests and handling pressure

What Manchester says: Manchester asks what your hobbies are, why you pursue them and how much time you give them, says it cares less about exactly what you do than that you have some spare time and do something with it, and links shared life experiences to communicating and empathising with patients. University of Manchester, BDS non-academic information

Manchester says it knows some applicants have more opportunities than others, and that what matters is having some spare time and doing something with it, not exactly what you do. Its interviews page also warns that some elements will necessarily be challenging or stressful, because a dentist has to handle the stresses of the job. This is also the natural place to show you can do careful work with your hands, since Manchester publishes no dexterity test and its course starts you on basic skills in its skills facilities before you treat patients.

41. 41

    Tell me about an interest outside school. Why do you do it, and how much time do you give it?

    What to cover: Those are Manchester's own questions, so answer both. Explain what you get from the activity and give a real sense of the commitment, then link one thing it has taught you to working with patients.

42. 42

    Manual skills and dexterity is part of the clinical competence theme in Manchester's course. How do you know you will cope with fine, precise work in a small space?

    What to cover: Give evidence from something you actually do, such as an instrument, sewing, model-making or practical science, and describe the patience and practice it took. It is fine to say you expect to start slowly in the skills labs; what matters is that you improve with practice.

43. 43

    Have you achieved any outside recognition for one of your interests? What did it take?

    What to cover: Manchester mentions awards and certificates, but the story is the effort behind them: the practice, the setbacks and what you did when progress stalled. If you have no award, talk about a goal you set and met.

44. 44

    Manchester says parts of its interview are meant to be challenging. How do you handle pressure?

    What to cover: Describe what you actually do in the moment, such as slowing your breathing and taking the next small step, and what you do afterwards to recover. A time it went wrong and what you changed makes the answer believable.

45. 45

    Manchester expects full attendance at every part of its course. How will you keep a balance over five years?

    What to cover: Be specific about the activities you will keep, how you protect sleep and exercise, and who you would talk to if you started to struggle. A long clinical course rewards habits you already have.

46. 46

    Tell me about a time something went wrong and you had to keep going.

    What to cover: Choose a setback that mattered to you, describe your first reaction and then what you did about it. Saying you were frustrated before you got on with it sounds more real than claiming you stayed calm throughout.

47. 47

    How might your interests help you connect with patients?

    What to cover: Manchester links shared life experiences to empathy, so give an example of a conversation your interests made easier, perhaps with someone older or from a different background. Talking easily about everyday life helps nervous patients relax.

48. 48

    In your first term in the skills facilities, your practical work keeps failing assessment. What do you do?

    What to cover: Ask your tutor what exactly is going wrong, book extra practice time and watch how others work, and keep a record of what you change. Persistence with feedback is how manual skills develop.

Go deeper: Extracurricular activities that count

Values, professionalism and the GDC standards

What Manchester says: Manchester says the interview decides whether you meet its non-academic criteria in terms of the values and behaviours it expects, that you will be expected to be tolerant, accepting and understanding of others, and it advises applicants to read the Dental Schools Council's guidance on core values and attributes. University of Manchester, BDS Dentistry interviews

The Dental Schools Council guidance that Manchester points to maps each attribute it wants onto the nine principles in the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, from putting patients' interests first to keeping patients' confidence in the profession. It asks applicants to think of concrete examples, not to memorise the outcomes. Manchester also says you will not be asked about your gender identity, sexuality, marital or parental status, race, religion or social background, though you may draw on your own experiences if you wish.

49. 49

    What do you know about the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, and which principle matters most to you?

    What to cover: Name a few of the nine principles accurately, such as obtaining valid consent or raising concerns if patients are at risk. Then pick one and explain why with an example from your own experience, which is what the Dental Schools Council asks applicants to do.

50. 50

    What does putting patients' interests first mean when a treatment would earn the practice more money than a cheaper option that works just as well?

    What to cover: Say that the patient should be told about the options that suit them, with the costs and benefits of each, and helped to choose. The Dental Schools Council guidance names exactly this tension between a practitioner's finances, patient need and time.

51. 51

    Why should a dental student behave professionally outside the dental school?

    What to cover: Because patients need to trust dentists, and the GDC expects personal behaviour to maintain that trust at work and in private life. Give an example, such as what you post online.

52. 52

    A friend on the course posts a photo from clinic with a patient's X-ray visible on a screen in the background. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever they meant. Ask them to take it down at once and raise it with a tutor if they refuse; our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

53. 53

    Manchester requires an enhanced DBS check before you start. Why does a dental school need to know about cautions and convictions?

    What to cover: Manchester introduces students to the clinic in the first term, so patients have to be able to trust them from the start. The Dental Schools Council says dentists must declare cautions and convictions to their regulator, so learning to be open about your history starts at application.

54. 54

    Manchester says it expects you to be tolerant, accepting and understanding of others. What does that look like in a dental clinic?

    What to cover: Talk about making care work for people who find it hardest to reach, such as patients with a disability or limited English, or those with a bad past experience of dentists. Our equality, diversity and inclusion guide covers the Equality Act.

55. 55

    Because students meet the clinic in the first term, Manchester asks for evidence of non-infectivity for HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis before entry. Why do you think that is?

    What to cover: Dentistry involves close contact and procedures where a clinician's blood could reach a patient, so protecting patients is the reason. Show you understand that infection control is a professional duty that starts on day one.

56. 56

    Dentists have to keep learning for their whole career. How will you make sure you do?

    What to cover: Mention that registered dentists must complete continuing professional development, and that Manchester's course trains students to appraise the evidence for themselves. Then give an example of how you already keep up with something you care about.

Go deeper: The nine GDC principles