Newcastle Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Newcastle interview for dentistry?

Source: Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Newcastle University, Dental Surgery Interview Resources (Belong) (no year stated); Newcastle University, Preparing for your interview at the School of Dental Sciences (PDF, linked from the interview resources page) (2021 entry); Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences, Public Engagement (no year stated)

When are Newcastle dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2026 Entry (PDF, web.archive.org copy, 28 March 2026) (2026 entry); Newcastle University, Dental Surgery Interview Resources (Belong) (no year stated)

How does Newcastle decide who to interview?

Source: Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Newcastle University, Dental Surgery BDS (A206) course page (2027 entry); Admissions statistics as published on our Newcastle dental profile, from the university's figures (2024 entry)

What does Newcastle assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF) (2027 entry); Newcastle University, Preparing for your interview at the School of Dental Sciences (PDF, linked from the interview resources page) (2021 entry); Newcastle University, Dental Surgery BDS (A206) course page (2027 entry); Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences, Undergraduate (no year stated); Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences, Public Engagement (no year stated); Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences, National Oral Health Surveys (no year stated; describes the 2023 Adult Oral Health Survey as current); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Preparation and motivation for dental school

What Newcastle says: Newcastle grades preparation and motivation for dental school as the first of its six interview domains. Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF)

The word preparation matters here: Newcastle wants to see that you have found out what dentistry and a dental degree involve, from at least ten days of relevant work experience or other career exploration. Because selectors have your personal statement, expect them to pick up something you wrote and ask you to go further. For the Newcastle part, use what the university publishes about its course: shadowing senior students on clinic in Stage 1, clinical skills training on phantom heads in Stage 2, your own patients from Stage 3, and teaching shared with the Dental Therapy course.

1. 1

   Why do you want to be a dentist?

   What to cover: Give your starting point in a sentence, then spend most of the answer on what you have done to test it and what you found. The selectors will judge the preparation behind your answer as much as the reason itself.

2. 2

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

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

3. 3

   Why Newcastle?

   What to cover: Choose two or three things Newcastle publishes about its course and say why they suit you, such as shadowing senior students from Stage 1 or the student outreach work in local schools. A ranking or the nightlife tells the selectors nothing about whether you have prepared.

4. 4

   Newcastle teaches its BDS and Dental Therapy students together. Why did you apply to be a dentist and not a dental therapist?

   What to cover: Show you know what a dental therapist does, including prevention, fillings and gum care within a scope set by the GDC, and that it is a career in its own right. Then explain what draws you to the dentist's wider role in diagnosis, treatment planning and more complex care.

5. 5

   Tell me about something in your personal statement that you would like to say more about.

   What to cover: Pick the experience that taught you most and give the detail you had no room for: what happened, what you noticed and what you think now. Selectors have your statement in front of them, so add to it and do not recite it.

6. 6

   By the end of Stage 4, Newcastle students spend about half their time on patient care. What do you expect clinical life as a student to be like?

   What to cover: Be realistic: full clinics, supervision, patients who cancel or are nervous, and treatment checked by tutors at every step. Say what you are looking forward to and one thing you expect to find hard.

7. 7

   What did your work experience show you about the day-to-day work of a dentist?

   What to cover: Describe something specific that surprised you, such as how much time went on prevention advice, records or reassuring anxious patients. Our dentistry work experience guide shows how to turn what you saw into reflection.

8. 8

   What could a dental career look like ten years after you graduate?

   What to cover: Newcastle says every graduate goes through a period of foundation training, and that dentists then work in general practice, the Community Dental Service, hospital specialties and university teaching. Say which appeals to you now and why, and admit that it may change.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Effective learning skills

What Newcastle says: Newcastle grades effective learning skills as one of its six interview domains. Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF)

A dental degree asks you to learn in several ways at once: science in lectures, hand skills in the Clinical Skills Unit, and judgement on clinic. Newcastle says you will not treat your own patients until you have strong foundations in the science, have shown your competence and have completed key clinical skills training. Bring examples of how you learn, how you use feedback and how you have improved a practical skill over time. Newcastle describes no dexterity test, but a hand skill you have built up slowly is a good example of how you learn.

9. 9

   How do you learn best, and how do you know?

   What to cover: Describe the methods you use, such as testing yourself or teaching a friend, and give evidence that they work for you. Then say what you would change for a degree where much of the learning is practical.

10. 10

    Tell me about a time you had to learn a practical skill. How did you get better at it?

    What to cover: Choose something you have kept up, such as an instrument, a craft or a sport, and describe how you practised, what feedback you got and how you could tell you had improved. A long-term hobby is more convincing than a single taster day.

11. 11

    Dentists need good manual dexterity. How have you developed yours, and how could you show it?

    What to cover: Talk about one or two activities with fine, careful hand work and point to visible progress, such as earlier and recent pieces of work. Newcastle says its Clinical Skills Unit teaches the fine motor control the career needs, so show you are ready to be taught.

12. 12

    Newcastle students practise clinical procedures on phantom heads before they treat patients in Stage 3. Why do dental schools teach this way?

    What to cover: Because drilling and other procedures cannot be undone, students need to build skill where a mistake harms nobody, and tutors need to see you are competent first. Add that simulation lets you repeat a procedure until it is safe.

13. 13

    How do you take feedback on work you have put a lot of effort into?

    What to cover: Give a real example, say how it felt and what you did with the feedback afterwards. In dental school your practical work is checked at every stage, so being able to hear criticism without taking it personally is a skill you will use every week.

14. 14

    Stage 2 at Newcastle focuses on the science behind evidence-based dentistry. What does evidence-based mean to you?

    What to cover: Explain that treatment should be based on the best research available, combined with the clinician's experience and what the patient wants. Give a simple example, such as advice on fluoride toothpaste, where research shapes what a dentist recommends.

15. 15

    How would you keep up with the science while spending more and more time on clinic?

    What to cover: Talk about planning your week, short regular review and linking what you read to the patients you see, which makes it easier to remember. Mention that Newcastle gives each student an academic adviser for academic and personal issues.

16. 16

    What would you do if you failed a practical assessment in your second year?

    What to cover: Stay practical: find out exactly what went wrong from the tutor, practise that step and ask for another check before the resit. Showing that you would use the setback to improve is the point of the question.

Go deeper: The dentistry degree (BDS) explained

Team working

What Newcastle says: Newcastle grades team working as one of its six interview domains, and its shortlisting looks for evidence of teamwork and leadership. Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF)

Dentistry is team work from the first appointment, and Newcastle builds that in: BDS and Dental Therapy students are taught together, and the School sits in a Faculty of Medical Sciences that also includes Medicine, Pharmacy, Psychology and Biomedical Sciences, which Newcastle says encourages work across professions. Know who is in the dental team and what each person does. Have one example of leading a group and one of being a useful team member when someone else was in charge.

17. 17

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

    What to cover: Name the registered professionals, such as dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists, and say in a sentence what each does. All of them are registered with the GDC and follow the same Standards for the Dental Team.

18. 18

    Newcastle teaches BDS and Dental Therapy students together. What do you think each group gains from that?

    What to cover: Talk about learning each other's roles early, getting used to referring patients between you, and respect that lasts into practice. Then give one thing you would hope to learn from a dental therapy student.

19. 19

    Tell me about a time you worked in a team that was not working well. What did you do?

    What to cover: Describe the problem plainly, what you did about it and what changed, including your own part in it. The selectors want to see that you can be useful in a team without needing to be in charge.

20. 20

    A dental nurse tells you she thinks the wrong tooth is marked for extraction. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop, thank her and check the records and the patient together before anything else happens. Removing the wrong tooth cannot be undone, and a team where the nurse feels able to speak up is a safer team.

21. 21

    Tell me about a time you led a group. What would the group say about you?

    What to cover: Be specific about one decision you made as leader and why. Then be fair about what the group would say, including one thing you would do differently.

22. 22

    If dental therapists can do fillings, what is left for the dentist to lead?

    What to cover: Explain that each professional works within a scope of practice set by the GDC, and the dentist is responsible for diagnosis, treatment planning and more complex treatment. Leading means making sure each task goes to the right person and the plan holds together.

23. 23

    When would a dentist need to work with a doctor or a pharmacist?

    What to cover: Give an example, such as a patient on a blood-thinning medicine before an extraction, or a mouth ulcer that has not healed and needs referral. Then say why sharing information between professions protects the patient.

24. 24

    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 get better care when the nurse feels part of the team.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry

Personal qualities and resilience

What Newcastle says: Newcastle grades personal qualities and resilience as one of its six interview domains, and says it must be sure, as far as possible, that a student is fit to undertake a demanding programme and profession. Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF)

Newcastle's handbook told candidates to reflect on what their experiences have taught them, including the ones that did not go as they hoped, and the policy says the university must be confident a student can cope with a demanding course and profession. Prepare two or three real moments of difficulty, what you did and what you would do now. Newcastle's policy also asks applicants to think about the intensity of the course and how far they will be from their support networks.

25. 25

    Tell me about an experience that did not go the way you hoped. What did you learn?

    What to cover: Choose something that mattered to you, describe your part in it plainly and say what you have done differently since. A story that ends with a lesson you have used is stronger than one where things simply worked out.

26. 26

    The BDS at Newcastle takes five years, followed by foundation training. How will you keep going when it gets hard?

    What to cover: Describe something long you have kept going with before, such as an instrument, a sport or a part-time job, and the signs you watch for when you are struggling. Mention the support Newcastle describes: an academic adviser throughout the degree and peer mentors in the first year.

27. 27

    Newcastle asks applicants to think about how far they will be from their support network. If you came to Newcastle, who would you lean on?

    What to cover: Be specific about who you would rely on, how you would stay in touch and what you would do in the first term to build a group around you, such as joining DentSoc or a sports club. Knowing your own needs is part of the personal qualities domain.

28. 28

    What personal quality do you have that would make you a good dentist, and how do you know?

    What to cover: Name one quality and back it with an example where someone else benefited from it. Then admit where it could become a weakness, because that shows you have thought about yourself.

29. 29

    What is a weakness that could matter for a dental student, and what are you doing about it?

    What to cover: Name a real one, such as perfectionism that slows you down or finding it hard to ask for help, and describe what you already do to manage it. A weakness that is secretly a strength is easy to spot.

30. 30

    How do you look after yourself when you are under pressure?

    What to cover: Give the things you do in practice, such as sport, sleep or time with friends, and one moment when you noticed you needed to use them. Then say how you would ask for help at university if your usual methods were not enough.

31. 31

    A patient complains about you to the practice after a treatment that went well clinically. How would you feel, and what would you do?

    What to cover: Admit it would sting, then focus on listening to what the patient felt went wrong and learning from it. The GDC expects every practice to have a clear and effective complaints procedure, and handling one calmly is part of professional life.

32. 32

    What have you done outside healthcare that taught you something a dentist needs?

    What to cover: Pick one activity, such as a part-time job, a sport or volunteering, and give a single example of a skill it taught you. Newcastle's shortlisting looks for personal achievements and paid or voluntary work, so it values more than placements.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

Interpersonal and communication skills

What Newcastle says: Newcastle grades interpersonal and communication skills as one of its six interview domains. Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF)

A 20-minute conversation on video is itself a test of communication: listen to the whole question, answer it directly and keep your answers to a length the selectors can follow. Newcastle teaches interpersonal skills and communication in Stage 1, which tells you how much weight it gives them. Expect to be asked how you would talk to patients, especially frightened patients, children and people who find it hard to understand dental advice.

33. 33

    A patient tells you they have not seen a dentist for years because they are frightened. How would you 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.

34. 34

    How would you explain to a seven-year-old and their parent why the child needs a filling?

    What to cover: Speak to the child first in simple words, then give the parent the fuller explanation and what they can do at home to prevent more decay. Do it without making the parent feel blamed, or they may not come back.

35. 35

    Newcastle's Brush Up student volunteers take oral health advice to school groups. How would you get a class of eight-year-olds to brush their teeth properly?

    What to cover: Think about what works with children: something they can see or do, a simple rule such as brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and a reason that means something to them. Then say how you would check the message had landed.

36. 36

    A patient asks why their gums bleed when they brush. Explain it to them.

    What to cover: Bleeding gums are often a sign of inflammation caused by plaque along the gum line. Explain that in plain words, show what better cleaning looks like, and tell them it should settle as their cleaning improves and to come back if it does not.

37. 37

    A patient who speaks little English has brought her 14-year-old son to interpret. What do you do?

    What to cover: Thank them both, but arrange a professional interpreter, because a child should not be asked to pass on clinical information about a parent and the patient may not say everything in front of him. Use plain words and ask her to explain the plan back to you.

38. 38

    A patient is angry because they were told the next NHS appointment is weeks away. What do you say?

    What to cover: Let them finish, acknowledge the frustration and apologise for the wait without blaming colleagues. Then find out whether the problem is urgent and explain what they can do in the meantime, such as calling NHS 111 for urgent dental problems.

39. 39

    One of your interviewers may not be a dentist. How would you explain what a root canal treatment is to someone with no dental knowledge?

    What to cover: Use an everyday comparison, keep to the main steps, and check the listener has followed before you add detail. This is the same skill you would use with a patient, which is why it is worth practising aloud.

40. 40

    Tell me about a time you had to explain something difficult to someone. How did you know they had understood?

    What to cover: Choose a real example, such as helping a younger student or a customer, and describe what you changed when your first explanation did not work. Asking them to explain it back is a good habit to mention.

Go deeper: Tips for online interviews

Empathy, sensitivity, integrity and professionalism

What Newcastle says: Newcastle grades empathy, sensitivity, integrity and professionalism as one of its six interview domains, and says it takes the GDC's Safe Practitioner Framework and other GDC guidance into account in considering applicants. Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences Admissions Policy 2027 Entry (PDF)

Newcastle's policy shows how seriously it takes probity: false or misleading information, or an application overly similar to others, can be referred to UCAS, and failing to disclose a caution or conviction is treated as a serious probity issue. Learn the nine principles in the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team well enough to use them. In a scenario, say what matters, what you would want to find out, what you would do and why, and see our dentistry ethical scenarios for more practice.

41. 41

    Newcastle treats failing to disclose a caution or conviction as a serious probity issue. Why does a dental school care so much about it?

    What to cover: Explain that patients trust dentists with their health and their information, and that hiding something tells the school more about you than the original mistake does. Link it to the GDC principle about keeping patients' confidence in you and the profession.

42. 42

    A friend tells you they used an AI tool to write most of their personal statement. What do you think?

    What to cover: Newcastle says an application overly similar to others can be referred to UCAS, and one containing false, plagiarised or misleading information can be cancelled. Explain why a personal statement should be your own account, and how you would raise it with your friend kindly but clearly.

43. 43

    A patient with capacity refuses an extraction that you think they need. What do you do?

    What to cover: Make sure they understand what refusing could mean, explore their reasons, offer other options and record the conversation, then respect the decision. Our consent guide covers what makes consent valid.

44. 44

    A 15-year-old comes to the practice 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 for herself, her right to confidentiality and whether anything suggests she is at risk. Our Gillick competence guide explains the test clinicians use.

45. 45

    A patient with dementia comes for a check-up with their carer and seems unsure why they are there. How do you approach consent?

    What to cover: Capacity is judged for each decision at the time it is made, so start by assuming they may be able to decide, explain simply and give them time. If they cannot decide, act in their best interests with the carer's help; our capacity guide sets out the steps.

46. 46

    On work experience you notice a dentist does not change gloves between two patients. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so you cannot ignore it. As a visitor, raise it quietly with the dentist or the practice manager, and if nothing changes, the GDC's principle on raising concerns applies to everyone in the dental team; our whistleblowing guide covers the formal routes.

47. 47

    Newcastle screens its dental students for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV early in the course and immunises them against hepatitis B. Why?

    What to cover: Dental treatment uses sharp instruments in a patient's mouth, so an injury could pass an infection between clinician and patient. Show you understand that patient safety and the student's own health sit behind the rule, and that infection control is taught formally once students start treating patients.

48. 48

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

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever they intended, ask them to take it down at once and report it if they refuse. Our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

Go deeper: The nine GDC principles

Topical issues in dentistry

What Newcastle says: Newcastle's 2021 entry interview handbook says candidates may be asked their opinion on an issue currently topical in dentistry, needing no technical depth but an awareness of what dentistry involves and the ability to form and explain a view. Newcastle University, Preparing for your interview at the School of Dental Sciences (PDF, linked from the interview resources page)

The handbook is clear that you do not need technical knowledge, but you do need a view you can explain. Newcastle's School of Dental Sciences gives you local angles: it contributes to the national surveys of adults' and children's oral health, says its research in dental nutrition has helped shape global health policy on sugar consumption, and its course teaches preventive dentistry and public health in Stage 3. Its Undergraduate page also warns applicants that the government plans to require newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period, expected to apply to students starting in 2027/28, which is your cohort. Know how NHS dentistry is paid for and why access is difficult in many areas, and give balanced views.

49. 49

    Newcastle's dental school says its research has helped shape global policy on sugar consumption. Should the government do more to cut the sugar people eat?

    What to cover: Explain why sugar matters for tooth decay, then weigh measures such as the soft drinks levy, clearer labelling and limits on advertising against cost to families and personal choice. Our sugar tax guide has the background.

50. 50

    What is a UDA, and why has the NHS dental contract in England been criticised?

    What to cover: A unit of dental activity is how the 2006 contract measures NHS work, with each band of treatment worth a set number of units. Explain the main criticism, that payment does not always match the work a patient needs, and read our UDA guide before the day.

51. 51

    Newcastle tells applicants that the government plans to make newly qualified dentists work in the NHS for a minimum period, starting with students who begin in 2027/28. What do you think of that?

    What to cover: Give both sides: the public pays for much of dental training and many areas struggle to find NHS dentists, but a tie-in could put some people off and does not fix the reasons dentists leave NHS work. Newcastle says the Department of Health and Social Care will publish more detail in due course, so do not invent the length or the terms; say how you would feel about it yourself.

52. 52

    Why do some people find it hard to see an NHS dentist, and what could improve access?

    What to cover: Talk about how the contract affects which patients practices can take on, workforce pressures and gaps in some areas, then give one or two realistic improvements. Our NHS dental contract reform guide covers the latest changes.

53. 53

    Why is tooth decay more common in some communities than in others?

    What to cover: Link it to the wider causes of poor health, such as diet, income, access to care and fluoride exposure, and say which of those a dentist can influence. Our health inequalities guide gives you the framework.

54. 54

    Should fluoride be added to drinking water across the UK?

    What to cover: Set out the evidence that fluoride helps prevent decay and the argument that a water scheme reaches people who never see a dentist, then the objections about choice and consent. Some areas of England already have fluoridated water and most do not, so come to a view and explain it.

55. 55

    Newcastle helps run national surveys of the nation's oral health. Why would the NHS need that kind of data?

    What to cover: Explain that you cannot plan services, target prevention or judge whether a policy worked without knowing how people's oral health is changing. Give one example, such as deciding where to put children's prevention programmes.

56. 56

    Should dentists use dental amalgam?

    What to cover: Explain that amalgam is a durable filling material containing mercury, and that an international agreement on mercury, the Minamata Convention, commits countries to phasing down its use. Weigh durability and cost against environmental concerns and patient preference; our amalgam guide has more.

57. 57

    More people are travelling abroad for cheaper dental treatment. What are the risks?

    What to cover: Think about the difficulty of follow-up care if something goes wrong, different regulation, and pressure to have a lot of treatment in a short trip. Then be fair about why people go, which often comes back to cost and access at home; see our dental tourism guide.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics