Portsmouth Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Portsmouth interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Portsmouth, Dental Surgery BDS course page (selection process, FAQs, modules, careers) (September 2027 start (2027 entry)); University of Portsmouth, full entry requirements for Dental Surgery BDS 2027/28 (2027/28); University of Portsmouth, Dental Surgery BDS course page (web.archive.org copy, 6 June 2026) (September 2026 start)

When are Portsmouth dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Portsmouth, Dental Surgery BDS course page (selection process, FAQs, modules, careers) (September 2027 start (2027 entry)); University of Portsmouth, Admissions Policy (section 4.3 Interviews and portfolios; 5.10 Certificate of Good Conduct; international applicants) (November 2024)

How does Portsmouth decide who to interview?

Source: University of Portsmouth, Dental Surgery BDS course page (selection process, FAQs, modules, careers) (September 2027 start (2027 entry)); University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses) (no year stated)

What does Portsmouth assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses) (no year stated); University of Portsmouth, Dental Surgery BDS course page (selection process, FAQs, modules, careers) (September 2027 start (2027 entry)); Department of Health and Social Care, The NHS Constitution for England (updated 17 August 2023); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013); University of Portsmouth, University of Portsmouth hosts Government announcement of new dental school places in England (3 June 2026; places from September 2027); University of Portsmouth, Two new NHS dental clinics planned for Portsmouth (2 July 2026; clinics planned for 2027)

Why dentistry, and insight into the dentist's role

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth's personal statement advice asks applicants to make clear why they are interested in the profession and to demonstrate insight into and understanding of the professional registered role they want to enter. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

Portsmouth's guidance is shared across its health courses, so the dental part has to come from you: what a dentist does, how you know, and why it suits you. Its Dental Academy already trains dental nurses, hygienists and therapists, and the new course teaches dental students alongside them, so expect to explain what the dentist does that the rest of the team does not. A panel has time to follow up on your answer, so make sure every example you give is one you can talk about for a few minutes.

1. 1

   Why do you want to be a dentist, and how have you tested that decision?

   What to cover: Give your starting point in a sentence, then spend most of the answer on how you checked it: what you saw, what surprised you and what could have put you off but did not. A panel will ask why at least twice, so the reasons need to be your own.

2. 2

   Portsmouth's faculty also trains doctors, through a branch of King's College London's medical degree. Why did you choose dentistry over medicine?

   What to cover: Talk about what dentistry gives you that medicine would not, such as treating patients with your own hands from early in training and following the same patients for years in general practice. Say something fair about medicine too, because running down another profession sounds poor in a future colleague.

3. 3

   Why Portsmouth?

   What to cover: Use two or three things Portsmouth publishes about its course and say why they suit you, such as team-based learning with hygiene, therapy and nursing students, early patient contact at the Dental Academy, or its outreach work in the city. Saying it is a new school is not a reason on its own.

4. 4

   Why not train as a dental therapist, a course Portsmouth's Dental Academy already runs?

   What to cover: Show you know that therapists are registered professionals with their own scope of practice, focused on prevention, gum health, fillings and extracting baby teeth, and that dentists are trained in the full scope, including complex treatment plans and work a therapist does not do, such as crowns and adult extractions. Then say why the dentist's role is the one you want, without making the other sound lesser.

5. 5

   What does a dentist do in a working week that a patient never sees?

   What to cover: Think beyond the chair: writing up notes, checking X-rays, planning treatment, talking to laboratories about crowns and dentures, keeping up with training and running the practice. Show you have looked at the whole job, not just the appointments.

6. 6

   What does being a registered dentist mean, beyond having a degree?

   What to cover: Explain that you must be registered with the General Dental Council to practise, that registration means following its Standards for the Dental Team, keeping your skills up to date and being answerable if something goes wrong. That is the insight into the registered role Portsmouth asks for.

7. 7

   Portsmouth says it hopes to recruit locally so that its graduates stay in the region. Where do you see yourself working after you qualify?

   What to cover: Be truthful about your plans and give a reason for them. If you do not know yet, say what would help you decide, and show you understand why a region short of NHS dentists wants the dentists it trains to stay.

8. 8

   What do you think you would find hardest about a career in dentistry?

   What to cover: Pick something real, such as a fully booked day with no slack, patients who do not follow advice, or the physical strain of the work, and say how you would handle it. An answer that finds nothing hard tells the panel you have not looked closely.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

The course, the Faculty and the University

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth suggests that interviewees prepare by reading up on the course, the Faculty of Science and Health and the University. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

Portsmouth publishes a lot about how its BDS is taught: haptic simulators and phantom heads, team-based learning with dental care professional students, early patient contact at the Dental Academy, outreach across the city and hospital placements later on. Read the course page and the modules for each year before the day. Portsmouth does not publish a manual dexterity test, so the dexterity questions here are about how you would learn and show it, not a task to expect.

9. 9

   Portsmouth teaches dental students alongside dental hygiene, dental therapy and dental nursing students. What do you think you would gain from that?

   What to cover: Talk about learning each person's role and scope early, practising how to hand over work and ask for help, and seeing prevention done well by the people who specialise in it. Link it to something you saw a team do on work experience.

10. 10

    Portsmouth trains students on haptic simulators and phantom heads before they treat patients. Why do dental schools teach this way?

    What to cover: Drilling a tooth cannot be undone, so students build skill where a mistake harms nobody, and haptic units let you feel resistance and repeat a procedure until it is safe. Add that tutors can check simulated work closely before you are let near a patient.

11. 11

    How have you developed your manual dexterity, and how could you show a panel it has improved?

    What to cover: Name one or two activities you have kept up for a long time, describe the fine and careful part of each, and give evidence you can point to, such as early and recent work side by side. A sustained hobby is more convincing than a single taster day.

12. 12

    By the end of the third year, Portsmouth's course aims for you to practise using the full scope of a dental therapist, and the fourth year introduces the full scope of a dentist. What does that tell you about how the course is built?

    What to cover: Explain that it builds up in layers: prevention and simpler care first, then complex restorative and surgical work. Say what you like about learning that way, and why the therapist's skills are a foundation for the dentist's and not a lesser version of them.

13. 13

    Portsmouth says its dental students attend from early September to the end of July because of the course's clinical demands. How will you look after yourself with that little break?

    What to cover: Describe what has kept you going through something long before, the signs you watch for when you are struggling and who you would talk to. Mention the support Portsmouth describes, such as a personal academic tutor and its student success advisers.

14. 14

    The GDC will inspect Portsmouth's new course at the start, the midpoint and when the first cohort finishes. How do you feel about being in one of the first year groups?

    What to cover: Be balanced: an early cohort may see things change as the course settles, but it also gets attention from staff and a voice in how the course develops. Show you understand that pre-accreditation means the GDC has approved the plan and full accreditation is expected when the first students graduate.

15. 15

    Portsmouth's final year includes hospital rotations through oral and maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics, and its fourth-year outreach placements include special care dentistry. Which would you most like to see, and why?

    What to cover: Pick one and say what you know about it and why it interests you. Special care dentistry, for patients whose disability or medical condition makes routine care difficult, is a good choice if you have volunteered with people who need extra support.

16. 16

    Tell me about a practical task that went wrong and what you did next.

    What to cover: Choose a real example from a hobby, a lab or a job, describe what went wrong and what you changed the next time. Dental students redo practical work often, so showing you can take a setback and try again matters more than the first attempt.

Go deeper: The dentistry degree (BDS) explained

The dental profession and its regulator

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth suggests researching the profession you want to enter, including any professional bodies associated with it. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

For dentistry the body that matters most is the General Dental Council, which registers every dental professional and sets the Standards for the Dental Team. Learn its nine principles well enough to use them in an answer, know who is in the dental team, and know the route Portsmouth describes after graduation: Dental Foundation Training before you can work in the NHS. Our guide to a career in dentistry covers the options after that.

17. 17

    What does the General Dental Council do?

    What to cover: Explain that it registers dentists and dental care professionals, sets the standards they must meet, approves the courses that train them and investigates when a professional's fitness to practise is in question. Its purpose is to protect patients, which is worth saying plainly.

18. 18

    The GDC's Standards for the Dental Team set out nine principles. Which matters most to you, and why?

    What to cover: Choose one, say what it would mean on an ordinary clinic day and give an example of it from your work experience or your own life. Putting patients' interests first is the obvious choice, so if you pick it, make the example specific.

19. 19

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

    What to cover: Name the registered groups, 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 work to the same standards.

20. 20

    Portsmouth's course page says you need Dental Foundation Training before you can work in the NHS. What is it, and why does it exist?

    What to cover: It is a salaried year of supervised practice after the degree, with assessments and study days, after which a dentist can join the NHS Performers List. Explain why a new graduate benefits from a year of support before working independently.

21. 21

    A dental therapist can carry out some fillings and extract baby teeth. What does the dentist lead?

    What to cover: Explain that each professional works within the scope of practice the GDC sets, and that the dentist is trained in the full scope, so plans and carries out the more complex care, such as crowns, root canal treatment on adult teeth and adult extractions. Leading means making sure each task goes to the right person and the plan holds together.

22. 22

    Why must dentists keep learning after they qualify?

    What to cover: Techniques, materials and guidance change, and registered professionals are required to keep their knowledge and skills up to date throughout their careers. Give an example of something you have learnt that changed how you do a task, and say why patients benefit when their dentist keeps learning.

23. 23

    Portsmouth requires an enhanced DBS check and occupational health clearance before you start. Why does a dental student need these?

    What to cover: Students treat patients, including children and vulnerable adults, so the school must be satisfied they are safe to work with them. Show you understand that professional standards apply to dental students from the start, not only after graduation.

24. 24

    Portsmouth lists forensic dentistry, military dental care and public health dentistry among the careers open to its graduates. Pick one. What do you know about it?

    What to cover: Choose one and explain what the work involves and why someone might choose it: public health dentistry, for example, works on the oral health of whole populations through prevention and planning. Admit what you do not know and say how you would find out.

Go deeper: The nine GDC principles

Your work experience

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth tells interviewees to be prepared to talk about any relevant work experience, and its personal statement advice asks applicants to identify the work experience, volunteering or shadowing they have done and the behaviours that show the values needed in health and care. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

Portsmouth's guidance mentions work experience, volunteering and shadowing, and asks you to pick out the behaviours that show you have the right values. In a 30-minute panel there is time for follow-up questions, so prepare a few specific moments in detail: what happened, what you noticed and what you now think or do differently. Never name a patient or give details that could identify one.

25. 25

    Talk me through one moment from your work experience that changed how you think about dentistry.

    What to cover: Choose one moment and describe it well enough that the panel can picture it, then say what you believe now that you did not before. Listing every day of every placement wastes the time you have.

26. 26

    What did you learn about the dental nurse's role from watching a practice at work?

    What to cover: Go beyond passing instruments: nurses manage infection control, keep records, reassure anxious patients and often spot problems first. Describe one thing a nurse did that changed how an appointment went.

27. 27

    What did your volunteering teach you that shadowing a dentist could not?

    What to cover: Shadowing lets you watch; volunteering usually makes you do something for people yourself. Pick one example of responsibility or patience from volunteering and link it to a patient you might meet in a dental chair.

28. 28

    Describe a patient interaction you saw that went well. Why did it work?

    What to cover: Name the specific things the clinician did, such as sitting the patient up to talk, using plain words or checking understanding, and say what you would copy. The panel is looking for what you noticed, not what you were told.

29. 29

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

    What to cover: Be fair to the professional you watched and focus on the reason for your view, such as a patient who seemed confused about their treatment plan. Say what you would try and admit you only saw part of the picture.

30. 30

    How did you see a practice keep patients safe from infection?

    What to cover: Talk about what you saw: hand hygiene, gloves changed between patients, instruments decontaminated and sterilised, surfaces cleaned between appointments. Portsmouth's first year teaches microbiology and infection control, so showing you noticed this already is a good sign.

31. 31

    If you could not get as much dental work experience as you wanted, how else did you learn about the job?

    What to cover: Explain what got in the way without making excuses, then describe what you did instead: talking to a dentist, volunteering with people who need care, or online work experience. Show the steps you took to understand the job from more than one angle.

32. 32

    What job or responsibility outside healthcare has prepared you for working with patients?

    What to cover: Pick one, such as a weekend job, a caring role at home or coaching younger children, and give one example of a skill a dentist needs, like staying calm with someone who is upset. Then link it to a patient you could imagine treating.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

The NHS Constitution and Portsmouth's values

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth embeds the values of the NHS Constitution in its dental courses from the application process onwards, and tells interviewees to be prepared for questions on the NHS Constitution and the values of the NHS and the University. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

The NHS Constitution sets out six values: working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives and everyone counts. Read them in the Constitution itself and have a dental example of each from your own experience. Portsmouth also invites applicants to show how they align with its own mission, vision and values and its Student Charter, so read those pages on its website too.

33. 33

    Portsmouth says it will look for proof that you share the values of the NHS Constitution. Which value can you give the best evidence for?

    What to cover: Pick one value and give a real example in which you showed it, with what you did and what difference it made. Proof means something you did, so a description of the value on its own will not do.

34. 34

    What is the NHS Constitution, and who does it apply to?

    What to cover: It sets out the rights of patients, the public and staff, the NHS's pledges to them and their responsibilities to each other. Portsmouth notes that NHS bodies and the private and voluntary providers who supply NHS services must take account of it by law, which includes dental practices doing NHS work.

35. 35

    Which NHS value matters most in a dental surgery, and why?

    What to cover: Choose one and say what it looks like on an ordinary day, such as respect and dignity for a patient embarrassed about their teeth. There is no right answer, so the reason you give is what the panel will judge.

36. 36

    Portsmouth's students screen people on probation and work with people in homeless hostels. How does the value 'everyone counts' apply there?

    What to cover: Explain that some people need more help to get care, and that a service which waits for patients to come to it can leave them out. Talk about treating every patient with the same respect, whatever their circumstances.

37. 37

    The NHS Constitution says staff should speak up when things go wrong. Tell me about a time you spoke up.

    What to cover: Choose a real example, even a small one, explain why speaking up felt hard and what happened next. Our whistleblowing guide explains why this matters so much for patient safety.

38. 38

    What does commitment to quality of care look like in a busy NHS practice?

    What to cover: The Constitution defines quality as safety, effectiveness and patient experience, and asks for feedback to be used to improve care. Give a practical example, such as a practice checking that patients understood their treatment plans and changing its leaflets as a result.

39. 39

    How would you show compassion to a patient who is in pain and frightened?

    What to cover: Talk about what you would do in the first minute: acknowledge the pain, explain what will happen next in plain words and look for small things that help, such as a signal they can use to stop you. Compassion in the Constitution means doing those things without waiting to be asked.

40. 40

    Tell me about a time you worked with others to put someone else's needs first.

    What to cover: This is 'working together for patients' outside a clinic. Describe the situation, your part in the group and what you gave up or changed to help the person, then say what you learnt about working in a team.

Go deeper: The six NHS values

'What if' scenarios, some clinically based

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth advises interviewees to practise dealing with 'what if' scenarios, some of which may be clinically based. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

In a panel interview a scenario can be followed by several harder questions, so practise thinking aloud: what matters here, what you need to find out, what you would do and why. Nobody expects clinical knowledge from you; the panel wants to see that you would be safe, kind and fair, and that you know when to ask for help. Portsmouth's first year covers infection control, communication and the regulation of dental care, which are good places to start.

41. 41

    A patient with capacity refuses an extraction 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.

42. 42

    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.

43. 43

    On a visit to a residential home, a resident with dementia seems unsure why you are there and pulls away when you try to look in her mouth. What do you do?

    What to cover: Stop, reassure her and do not force anything. Capacity is judged for each decision at the time, so explain simply and give her time; if she cannot decide, work with the staff and her family in her best interests. Our capacity guide sets out the steps.

44. 44

    An adult patient tells you they have not been to a dentist for ten years because they are frightened. Talk me through how you would help.

    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, starting with a simple check if that is all they can manage today.

45. 45

    During an outreach session you see a colleague use the same gloves for two patients. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so you cannot ignore it. Raise it with your colleague straight away and, if it happens again or they brush it off, with the supervising clinician. Raising concerns if patients are at risk is one of the nine principles in the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, and it is a habit to build as a student.

46. 46

    A friend on your course mentions a patient's name and treatment in a group chat. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality, whatever your friend intended. Ask them to delete it at once and think about whether it needs reporting; our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

47. 47

    At an outreach session in a hostel for homeless people, a man with a painful tooth asks you to take it out there and then. You are a second-year student. What do you do?

    What to cover: Be clear and kind that you cannot do treatment you are not trained or supervised to do, and that the hostel is not the place for it. Then focus on what you can do: tell your supervisor straight away, make sure he knows how to get urgent care, and help him get there.

48. 48

    A patient asks for veneers on healthy teeth after seeing them on social media. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Find out what they want and why, explain what veneers involve, which often means removing some healthy tooth surface and maintaining them for life, and offer less invasive options. Putting patients' interests first can mean advising against what someone has asked for.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Current news in health and social care

What Portsmouth says: Portsmouth suggests that interviewees research current news related to the general area of health and social care. University of Portsmouth, NHS Values (health care, social care and dental courses)

For a dental applicant the news that matters most is about NHS dentistry: access, the contract, prevention and the workforce. Portsmouth publishes a lot on this itself: it describes the city as a dental desert, its course page flags the government's plan for a minimum period of NHS service for new dentists, and it is working with the city council on two new NHS clinics for 2027. Give balanced views, and only quote a figure if you know where it comes from.

49. 49

    Portsmouth describes the city as a 'dental desert'. What does that mean, and why might an area become one?

    What to cover: Explain that it describes an area where people struggle to find an NHS dentist, then give a few reasons: how the NHS contract works for practices, dentists moving to private work, and areas with no dental school nearby to train new dentists. Portsmouth's own case for its school rests on that last point.

50. 50

    Portsmouth's course page says the government plans to require new dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period, expected to apply to home students starting from 2027/28. What do you think of that?

    What to cover: Give both sides: the case for it in terms of access and public investment in training, and the questions it raises about choice and how it would work. Portsmouth says more information is expected from the Department of Health and Social Care, so do not invent the details.

51. 51

    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.

52. 52

    The government says it is reforming the NHS dental contract. What would you want the changes to achieve?

    What to cover: Portsmouth's own announcement says the reforms aim to reward dentists more fairly, prioritise patients with the highest need, strengthen prevention and require practices to provide urgent care. Pick one aim and say how you would judge whether it had worked; our contract reform guide has the background.

53. 53

    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 parts of England have fluoridated water and most do not, so come to a view and explain why.

54. 54

    Portsmouth says its graduates will help reduce health inequalities by working with vulnerable and underserved groups. Why is tooth decay more common in some communities than others?

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

55. 55

    Portsmouth's students run supervised toothbrushing in infant schools. Why focus on young children?

    What to cover: Tooth decay in young children is largely preventable, habits formed early tend to last, and a school programme reaches children whose families may not take them to a dentist. Mention that brushing with fluoride toothpaste is the point of supervising it.

56. 56

    Should the sugar tax be extended to other products?

    What to cover: Explain what the soft drinks levy was designed to do and weigh the case for extending it against the arguments about cost to families and personal choice. Our sugar tax guide has the background.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics