Plymouth Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Plymouth interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements (selection process and interview FAQs) ("the current admissions cycle", year not named; read 18 October 2026); University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery course page (fees listed for 2026/27 and 2027/28; interview wording for "the current admissions cycle"); University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements, web.archive.org copy of 15 March 2026 (March 2026 copy; delivery wording refers to the 2024 admissions cycle); University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process (2024 admissions cycle (the only year the page names)); University of Plymouth, Interviews (all interviewing courses; links medicine and dentistry interviews to the shared selection page) (no year stated)

When are Plymouth dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements (selection process and interview FAQs) ("the current admissions cycle", year not named; read 18 October 2026); University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements, web.archive.org copy of 15 March 2026 (March 2026 copy; delivery wording refers to the 2024 admissions cycle)

How does Plymouth decide who to interview?

Source: University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements (selection process and interview FAQs) ("the current admissions cycle", year not named; read 18 October 2026); Admissions statistics as published on our Plymouth dental school profile, from the university's figures (the same 425 interviewed and 121 offers appear under "Application statistics for 2024" on Plymouth's BDS entry requirements page as archived on 15 March 2026) (2024 entry)

What does Plymouth assess at its dentistry interview?

Source: University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process (2024 admissions cycle (the only year the page names)); University of Plymouth, BDS Dental Surgery course page (fees listed for 2026/27 and 2027/28; interview wording for "the current admissions cycle"); University of Plymouth, Bachelor of Dental Surgery curriculum overview (no year stated); University of Plymouth, Bachelor of Dental Surgery: Where will I be based? (no year stated); University of Plymouth, Peninsula Dental School Dental Outreach Team (no year stated); University of Plymouth, Peninsula Dental School (no year stated); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Motivation and commitment, and why Plymouth

What Plymouth says: Plymouth lists motivation and commitment among the eight qualities its interview looks for, in a list it applies to future dentists as well as doctors. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Plymouth asks about commitment as well as motivation, so expect to be tested on whether you know what five years of clinical training and a working life in dentistry involve. For the Plymouth part, use what the school publishes: the Simulated Dental Learning Environment from your first week, patients from the second term of year one, and an inter-professional engagement module in each of the first four years. Plymouth also trains dental therapists and hygienists, so be ready to explain why you want to be a dentist in particular.

1. 1

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

   What to cover: Say what draws you to dentistry itself, such as caring for the same patients over years, combining diagnosis with treatment you carry out yourself, and prevention you can see working. Do not describe medicine as the harder option you stepped back from, because the interviewer will hear a second choice.

2. 2

   Plymouth also trains dental therapists and hygienists. Why do you want to be a dentist?

   What to cover: Show you know that therapists and hygienists carry out a wide range of preventive and routine treatment within their GDC scope of practice. Then explain which parts of a dentist's role, such as diagnosis, treatment planning and more complex procedures, you want to take on, and speak of the other roles with respect.

3. 3

   Why Plymouth?

   What to cover: Choose two things particular to Plymouth, such as the simulation clinic from the first week or the community engagement module, and explain why they suit the way you learn. Rankings and reputation tell the interviewer nothing about you.

4. 4

   You will be in the Simulated Dental Learning Environment from your first week and seeing patients from the second term. What do you expect to find hard?

   What to cover: Be specific: feeling clumsy with the instruments, working on a real patient for the first time, or not knowing what to say when someone is nervous. Then say what you have already done that gives you a small start on it.

5. 5

   What does a dentist's working week involve, and which part would you find least appealing?

   What to cover: Show you know that most dentists work in general practice, with NHS and private patients, paperwork, managing a team and, early on, a foundation training year. Naming a part you would find hard, and how you would handle it, makes the rest of the answer believable.

6. 6

   How have you tested whether you would enjoy precise work with your hands for a whole career?

   What to cover: Give real examples, such as playing an instrument, model-making, sewing, art or a practical job, and say what each taught you about patience and fine control. Plymouth does not publish a dexterity test, so treat this as a question about whether you have tested the practical side of the job.

7. 7

   Plymouth does not use your personal statement or work experience to shortlist. Tell us the one experience you would most want us to know about.

   What to cover: Pick the experience that best shows you are suited to dentistry and tell it as a short story with a point. Finish with what it changed in the way you think about the job.

8. 8

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

   What to cover: Give a realistic plan you would carry out, such as reapplying with more experience or a related degree you would want to study. Explain why, and sound as if you had thought about it before today.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Communication skills

What Plymouth says: Communication skills are the first quality on Plymouth's published interview list. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Plymouth's course page says year one uses forum theatre and role play, and that patient contact from the second term is where you develop your communication skills under close supervision. Its outreach projects take students to children's centres, homeless people and older people. Expect to be asked to speak plainly to someone who is frightened, young or wary of dentists. Interviews for the current cycle are in person, so practise out loud with someone sitting opposite you.

9. 9

   A patient tells you they have not seen a dentist for ten years because they are terrified. Talk to them.

   What to cover: Thank them for coming, ask what frightens them most, and agree a stop signal so they feel in control. Explain each step before you do it and do not rush, because trust built in the first visit decides whether they come back.

10. 10

    Explain to a six-year-old and their parent why brushing before bed matters.

    What to cover: Use short words and one picture the child can hold on to, such as the sugar bugs having a party overnight, and give the parent the practical advice: twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and spit out without rinsing. Speaking to both of them at their own level is the skill being scored.

11. 11

    A patient is angry because they cannot find an NHS dentist taking on new adult patients. What do you say?

    What to cover: Let them finish and acknowledge that it is a real problem. Explain what you can do, such as pointing them to NHS 111 for urgent care and to the NHS website's list of practices, and avoid blaming colleagues or promising what you cannot deliver.

12. 12

    Plymouth students take oral health messages to homeless people in the city. How would you start that conversation with someone who has had bad experiences of services?

    What to cover: Start by listening, not lecturing, and ask what is bothering them about their mouth. Keep the advice small and realistic for their situation, and tell them where they can get care without judgement, because the first conversation is about earning a second one.

13. 13

    How would you explain the difference between NHS and private options to a patient who needs a crown?

    What to cover: Set out what each option involves, what it costs and how they differ in materials or appearance, in plain words and without pressure. The patient decides, and the GDC expects them to have clear information about costs before treatment starts.

14. 14

    A patient speaks very little English and needs a tooth taken out. How do you make sure they understand?

    What to cover: Ask for a professional interpreter, use plain words and pictures, and check understanding by asking them to explain it back. A child should not interpret for a parent, and consent is only valid if the patient understands what they are agreeing to.

15. 15

    What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, and why does it matter in the dental chair?

    What to cover: Empathy is understanding how things look from the patient's side; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Our empathy and sympathy guide explains why a clinician needs the first, and how it shows in small things such as pacing and explaining.

16. 16

    Your clinic is running late and the next patient is annoyed. What do you do?

    What to cover: Apologise once and mean it, tell them how long the wait is likely to be and give them the choice of waiting or rebooking. Practical help is where the empathy shows.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Decision making and ethics

What Plymouth says: Plymouth names decision making among the qualities assessed, and says the interview explores attitudes, outlook and ways of thinking, not medical or scientific knowledge. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Plymouth's last published description says the interview is not a test of medical or scientific knowledge, so these stations score how you reason. Say what matters, what you would want to find out, what you would do and why. Dental ethics often turns on consent, because much treatment is planned and optional and a patient can withdraw consent at any point in the chair.

17. 17

    A patient with capacity wants a painful tooth taken out instead of having the root canal treatment you think would save it. What do you do?

    What to cover: Explain both options, their risks and what losing the tooth would mean later, and check they have understood. If they still choose extraction it is their decision to make, and you record the discussion carefully.

18. 18

    A 14-year-old wants brace treatment but one parent objects. What are the issues?

    What to cover: Think about whether the young person understands the treatment well enough to consent, why the parent objects and whether the family can be brought to agreement. Our Gillick competence guide sets out the test clinicians use.

19. 19

    An older care home resident with dementia has a painful broken tooth. Who decides about treatment?

    What to cover: Start by assuming capacity and assess it for this decision. If they lack it, the decision is made in their best interests with family, carers and anyone holding a health power of attorney; our capacity guide explains how.

20. 20

    One emergency slot is left. One patient has swelling spreading up towards their eye; the other has had severe toothache for two days. How do you decide?

    What to cover: Spreading facial swelling can become dangerous, so that patient needs seeing first, and if they have trouble breathing or swallowing they need emergency care now. Then make a plan for the second patient, such as pain advice and the next available appointment, so nobody leaves without one.

21. 21

    A patient wants all their silver fillings replaced with white ones because they read that amalgam is poisonous. What do you do?

    What to cover: Find out what they read, explain the current advice calmly, and point out that drilling out sound fillings removes healthy tooth too. Our dental amalgam guide has the background and the phase-down.

22. 22

    On a Plymouth clinic, your supervisor is busy and a patient asks you to do something you have not yet been signed off to do. What do you do?

    What to cover: Decline politely, explain that you need your supervisor first, and make sure the patient is comfortable while you find them. Knowing the limits of your competence is part of being safe to have on a clinic.

23. 23

    A private patient says nobody told them a follow-up visit would cost extra. How should a dental team prevent that?

    What to cover: Give a written treatment plan with costs before treatment starts, explain what might change and check the patient has understood. The GDC's standards expect patients to have clear information about costs.

24. 24

    NHS dentists in England are paid in units of dental activity. Can you see a tension between that system and good care?

    What to cover: Describe it neutrally: a course of treatment falls into a band worth a set number of units, and a practice contracts to deliver a number each year. Then discuss the criticism that complex and simple work in the same band pay the same, and our UDA guide has the detail.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Impact of illness and oral health

What Plymouth says: Impact of illness is one of the eight qualities on Plymouth's shared medicine and dentistry interview list. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Plymouth's first-year engagement module sends students into community organisations to understand how demographics, lifestyle and the wider determinants of health affect local people, and its outreach projects work with groups who do not usually reach a dentist. Expect questions on what oral disease does to eating, sleep, work and confidence, how it links to general health, and why it falls hardest on some groups.

25. 25

    How can a painful or missing tooth affect someone's life beyond their mouth?

    What to cover: Think about eating, sleep, missed work or school, smiling and confidence at a job interview. Then describe what it looked like in one person you met, because a real example carries the answer.

26. 26

    Plymouth students run oral health projects with people recovering from drug or alcohol use. How might addiction affect someone's teeth and their use of dental care?

    What to cover: Talk about a sugary diet, dry mouth, neglect of routine care and missed appointments, and the shame that keeps people away. Then say how a dental team can make care easier to reach without judging.

27. 27

    Tooth decay is largely preventable. Why is it more common in some communities than others?

    What to cover: Talk about diet and the cost of healthy food, access to a dentist, fluoride exposure and how much people have been told. Our sugar tax guide is one example of a policy aimed at the causes.

28. 28

    Should water fluoridation be extended to more of England?

    What to cover: Explain that fluoride at the right level helps prevent decay and that some areas already have schemes, which benefit everyone whatever their brushing habits. Weigh that against the objection about individual choice, and know that the Health and Care Act 2022 moved the power to start new schemes to the Secretary of State.

29. 29

    Some young children still have teeth taken out under general anaesthetic because of decay. What could a dental team do about that?

    What to cover: Talk about prevention: fluoride varnish, advice on sugar and bottles, supervised brushing and working with health visitors and schools. Say also why it matters, because a child's experience of dentistry can shape whether they come back as an adult.

30. 30

    How can oral health affect someone's general health, and the other way round?

    What to cover: Give a two-way example, such as gum disease and diabetes each making the other harder to control, or medicines that cause a dry mouth. Add that a dentist may be the first to notice signs of a wider illness.

31. 31

    An older care home resident can no longer clean their own teeth. Why does that matter, and whose job is it?

    What to cover: Talk about pain, eating, dignity and the wider health risks of poor mouth care in frail people. Then explain that it falls to trained care staff with advice from the dental team, which is the kind of work Plymouth's outreach projects with older people do.

32. 32

    Plymouth's outreach work includes oral cancer awareness for young people. Why would young people need to know about mouth cancer?

    What to cover: Talk about the risk factors they can control, such as smoking and alcohol, and the signs to check, such as an ulcer that has not healed after three weeks. Early diagnosis changes outcomes, and habits start young.

Go deeper: Health inequalities and the Marmot review

Reflection and self-insight

What Plymouth says: Reflection and self-insight are on Plymouth's published list of interview qualities. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Reflection is built into the Plymouth course: every term you meet your academic tutor and present written critical reflections on your professionalism, and the outreach modules are assessed partly through reflective papers. Work experience is not used to shortlist, but you will still be expected to say what you noticed and what it changed. Prepare a few particular moments, including one where you got something wrong.

33. 33

    Tell me about a moment from your work experience or volunteering that changed how you think about dentistry.

    What to cover: Describe one moment in detail, what you noticed and what you now believe that you did not before. Resist going through every placement you did.

34. 34

    Plymouth students write a critical reflection every term and discuss it with an academic tutor. Tell me about something you reflected on recently and what you changed as a result.

    What to cover: Pick something small and real, describe what happened, what you made of it and what you now do differently. The change at the end is the part that shows reflection.

35. 35

    If you could not get much time in a dental practice, what did you do instead, and what did it teach you?

    What to cover: Talk about what you did manage, such as caring roles, volunteering or online placements, and draw out what it taught you about working with people. Schools know dental work experience is hard to find; what matters is what you learnt from what you did.

36. 36

    What is a weakness that could matter as a dental student, and what do you do 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 really a strength is easy to spot.

37. 37

    From year two, Plymouth students respond to critical appraisal from peers, colleagues and staff. Describe a time you got feedback you disagreed with. What did you do?

    What to cover: Show that you listened before deciding, took what was useful and checked whether the change worked. How you handled it matters more than whether the feedback was fair.

38. 38

    Tell me about a time you failed at a practical task that needed precision. What did you do next?

    What to cover: Choose a real example, explain what went wrong at the point it went wrong, and say what you practised or changed afterwards. Clinical skills are learnt through exactly that cycle.

39. 39

    Plymouth's last published feedback policy gives only your overall interview score and the score needed for an offer. How would you work out what to improve?

    What to cover: Talk about reviewing your own answers, asking people who saw you practise and getting more experience where you were thin. Self-insight here means finding the gaps without being told.

40. 40

    How do you know when you are out of your depth, and what do you do?

    What to cover: Describe your own warning signs and show that you ask for help early. Students are expected to know the limits of their competence from their first week in clinic.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

Integrity and inclusivity

What Plymouth says: Plymouth lists integrity and inclusivity among the eight qualities its interview looks for. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Plymouth's BDS page says it will only enrol and teach students with the integrity required of the profession. Every conditional offer includes signing its Dental Student Agreement, a code of conduct drawn from the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, and the school states a zero tolerance policy on discrimination, abuse and harm. The last scoring Plymouth published includes a yes or no red flag for anything unsuitable for the programme. Think through what you would do when telling the truth is inconvenient and how you would treat patients whose lives look nothing like yours.

41. 41

    Plymouth's Dental Student Agreement is based on the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team. Which of the nine principles matters most to you, and why?

    What to cover: Know the nine, from putting patients' interests first and obtaining valid consent to raising concerns. Choose one and explain it through an example, because reciting the list shows memory and the example shows judgement.

42. 42

    You see a fellow student touch their phone and then carry on working in a patient's mouth without changing gloves. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop it there, politely, because the patient's safety comes before anyone's embarrassment. Then make sure gloves are changed, and raise it with the supervisor if it happens again.

43. 43

    Plymouth requires dental students to show they are free of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, and to be immunised against Hepatitis B before treating patients. Why do you think that is?

    What to cover: Dental treatment involves sharp instruments in a confined space, so there is a small risk of infection passing between clinician and patient. The checks protect patients and students alike, and the results are confidential health information.

44. 44

    You realise you gave a patient the wrong aftercare advice after an extraction yesterday. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your supervisor today, make sure the patient is contacted with the right advice and an apology, and work out how it happened. The mistake can be put right; hiding it is what would worry an interviewer.

45. 45

    A fellow student posts a selfie from clinic with a patient's records visible behind them. 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 raise it if they will not; our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

46. 46

    What does inclusivity mean in a dental practice?

    What to cover: Talk about making care work for people who find it hardest to reach, such as wheelchair users, patients with a learning disability, those who do not speak English and people who are very anxious. Our equality, diversity and inclusion guide covers the Equality Act.

47. 47

    A patient says they do not want to be treated by a student because of the student's ethnicity. How should the clinic respond?

    What to cover: Make clear the comment is not acceptable, check on and support the student, and let the supervisor decide how the patient's care continues. Plymouth's zero tolerance policy is the starting point, and the patient still needs treating, which is what makes this hard.

48. 48

    Plymouth treats non-disclosure of a significant health problem at admission as a serious fitness to practise issue. Why might a school take that line?

    What to cover: Because support and adjustments can only be put in place if the school knows, and because patients depend on clinicians being open. Make the point that a school can support a condition it knows about, and can do nothing for one that is hidden.

Go deeper: The nine GDC standards

Teamwork, resilience and adaptability

What Plymouth says: Teamwork, and resilience and adaptability, are both on Plymouth's list of interview qualities. University of Plymouth, Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process

Plymouth's curriculum overview says that in year one you work as a dental nurse alongside senior students in clinic, and that as a senior student you delegate clinical work to junior dental therapy and hygiene students. In year three you are based in Plymouth and travel to the Exeter clinic two days a week, and in year four you live in Truro for the whole year. Expect questions on the dental team, on coping when a procedure goes wrong, and on settling into new places.

49. 49

    In year one at Plymouth you work as a dental nurse for senior students. What does a dental nurse do, and what might you learn from doing it?

    What to cover: Describe the role: preparing the surgery, passing instruments, suction, decontamination, records and looking after the patient. Then say what you would learn about the dentist's job by watching it from the nurse's side.

50. 50

    What does a dental technician do, and how does their work depend on the dentist?

    What to cover: Technicians make crowns, bridges, dentures and appliances from impressions or scans. Their work is only as good as the impression and the instructions they receive, which makes clear communication part of the treatment.

51. 51

    As senior students, Plymouth dental students delegate clinical work to junior dental therapy and hygiene students. What makes delegation safe?

    What to cover: Knowing what each professional is trained and allowed to do, giving clear written instructions, and being available for questions. The dentist who delegates still owns the treatment plan.

52. 52

    You are the most junior person in the surgery and think a used instrument tray has been mixed up with a sterilised one. What do you do?

    What to cover: Say so straight away, before anything touches the patient, even if you might be wrong. In infection control it is far better to stop and check than to stay quiet out of politeness.

53. 53

    Plymouth students live in Truro for the whole of year four. How would you look after yourself and your work away from your friends?

    What to cover: Be practical: getting to know your year group there, keeping routines that help you, staying in touch with people at home and knowing where to get support. Show that you see the move as part of the training you are choosing.

54. 54

    Tell me about a time you kept going with something difficult for months. What kept you going?

    What to cover: Choose a real example, such as an instrument, a sport or a caring responsibility, and describe the low point as well as what got you through. A five-year clinical course needs that kind of stamina.

55. 55

    A procedure on a patient does not go to plan and your supervisor has to take over. How do you deal with that afterwards?

    What to cover: Accept that it will happen to every student, talk it through with your supervisor, work out what you would do differently and then go back into clinic. Dwelling on it alone is the response to avoid.

56. 56

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

    What to cover: Describe what you actually do and the warning signs you watch for in yourself. A time you missed those signs and what you changed afterwards makes the answer believable.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry