Queen Mary Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does Queen Mary interview for dentistry?

Source: Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria (September 2027 entry); Queen Mary Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Admissions Policy 2027 (PDF) (2027/28 entry (approved June 2026, effective September 2026)); Queen Mary Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Frequently asked questions (MBBS and BDS) (no year stated); Queen Mary, Admissions Policy for Undergraduate Programmes in Medicine and Dentistry, 2023/24 entry (PDF) (2022 application, 2023/24 entry); Queen Mary, Policy for Admissions to Undergraduate Programmes in Medicine and Dentistry, 2024/25 entry (PDF) (2024/25 entry; used only to show the video component and length were dropped)

When are Queen Mary dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria (September 2027 entry); Queen Mary Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Admissions Policy 2027 (PDF) (2027/28 entry (approved June 2026, effective September 2026)); Queen Mary Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Frequently asked questions (MBBS and BDS) (no year stated); Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria, archived copy (September 2026 entry (archived 14 October 2025)); Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria, archived copy (September 2025 entry (archived 21 January 2025)); Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria, archived copy (September 2024 entry (archived 10 December 2023))

How does Queen Mary decide who to interview?

Source: Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria (September 2027 entry)

What does Queen Mary assess at interview?

Source: Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria (September 2027 entry); Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS course page (2027 entry); Dental Schools Council, guidance on the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry (PDF) (2023); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Motivation and the reality of a career in dentistry

What Queen Mary says: Queen Mary's interviews are designed to evaluate "motivation and reality of a career in dentistry". Its selection page asks you to show an informed choice through career exploration: knowledge of the dental profession, what attracted you to it, the career opportunities and how they compare with other healthcare professions, ideally with experience in general dental practice. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

Queen Mary pairs motivation with the reality of the job, and its selection page tells you what an informed choice looks like: you know what dentists do, you can compare dentistry with other healthcare careers, and ideally you have seen general dental practice. A panel can follow up your first answer, so make sure your picture of the job includes NHS practice, the wider dental team and the hard parts. For "Why Queen Mary?", use what the university publishes: early clinical skills, outreach clinics in Canary Wharf, Stratford and Homerton, and a very diverse east London patient population.

1. 1

   Why dentistry, and why not medicine?

   What to cover: Give a reason that belongs to dentistry, such as caring for the same patients over many years, precise work with your hands, or prevention you can see working. Then show that you weighed medicine or another healthcare career and say what tipped it, because Queen Mary asks you to compare the professions.

2. 2

   Why Queen Mary?

   What to cover: Pick two things Queen Mary publishes and link each one to you: clinical skills from the first year and the outreach clinics later, the diversity of east London's patients, or a small year of around 70 students. Praise for the school's reputation tells the panel nothing about you.

3. 3

   What did you see in general dental practice that you did not expect?

   What to cover: Describe one moment, such as how much of an appointment was conversation, or how a dentist handled a patient who could not afford the treatment they needed, and say what it changed in your view of the job. If you could not get practice experience, say what you did instead and what it taught you about dentistry. Our dentistry work experience guide has ideas for both.

4. 4

   How is NHS dentistry in England paid for, and how might that affect the way a dentist works?

   What to cover: Explain plainly that NHS practices in England hold contracts measured in Units of Dental Activity, with courses of treatment grouped into charge bands that patients pay unless they are exempt. Then talk about the pressure that can put on appointment time and on how many new patients a practice can take, without blaming any one group. Our guide to the UDA system and NHS dental contract reform explainer set out the detail.

5. 5

   Queen Mary tells applicants the government plans to require newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period. What do you think of that?

   What to cover: Start with what Queen Mary says: the plan was announced in the 10 Year Health Plan for England, is expected to apply to students starting a dental course from 2027/28, and the details are still to come from the Department of Health and Social Care. Weigh access for patients and the public cost of training against personal choice and the effect on who applies, then say where you stand, since it would apply to you.

6. 6

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

   What to cover: Choose something real, such as frightened patients, fine work for hours at a time, the strain on your back and eyes, or telling a patient that the treatment they want is not available on the NHS. Then say how dentists you met manage it, which shows the panel that your picture of the career is realistic.

7. 7

   What careers are open to you after a BDS?

   What to cover: Queen Mary says most graduates start as dental foundation trainees and then stay in the NHS or move into private practice, and that others go into specialties such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics or children's dentistry, the armed forces, research or teaching. Pick one path that interests you and say why, without sounding as if you have already decided.

8. 8

   Queen Mary says its students meet a wide range of disease in east London, including some of the more unusual oral cancers. Why does a dentist need to think about cancer at all?

   What to cover: A dentist looks in the mouth more often than almost any other clinician, and checking the soft tissues is part of a routine examination, so a dentist may be the first to notice something. Say what you would expect a dentist to do next: explain calmly what they have seen and refer the patient urgently, without guessing at a diagnosis.

9. 9

   Tooth decay in children is still common in parts of England. What could reduce it, and where does water fluoridation fit?

   What to cover: Start with prevention: less sugar, twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, supervised brushing in nurseries and schools, and fluoride varnish at the dentist. On fluoridation, explain that adding fluoride to the water at a controlled level helps prevent decay and that only some areas of England have a scheme, then give the main objection, which is about consent and choice, and reach your own view. Our sugar tax guide covers the policy side.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Initiative, resilience and maturity

What Queen Mary says: Queen Mary's interviews are designed to evaluate initiative, resilience and maturity. Its list of attributes also includes resilience and the ability to deal with difficult situations, insight into your own strengths and weaknesses, the ability to reflect on your own work, and insight into your own health. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

Queen Mary's course asks a lot of you early: clinical skills from the first year, then substantial time with patients, with professionalism assessed through a portfolio and feedback from staff and other students. The panel wants evidence that you act without being told, cope when things go badly and can talk about your weaknesses calmly. The panel may have your UCAS application in front of it, so expect to be asked to go further into what you wrote.

10. 10

    Tell us about something you started or organised without being asked.

    What to cover: Choose an example where you saw a problem and did something about it, such as a revision group, a fundraiser or a change at your part-time job, and say what came of it. The panel is listening for what you did yourself, so say "I" where it was you.

11. 11

    Talk us through the experience in your UCAS application that taught you most.

    What to cover: Queen Mary says the panel may have access to your application and may ask about it, so re-read it before the interview and know every example well enough to go one level deeper. Tell it as a short story with a point and finish with what you now do differently.

12. 12

    Tell us about a time something went badly wrong for you. What did you do next?

    What to cover: Choose a setback that cost you something, say how you felt at the time and then what you did about it. Admitting you were upset before you got on with it sounds more believable than claiming you were unaffected.

13. 13

    Queen Mary assesses professionalism partly through a portfolio, with feedback from staff and from other students. How do you take criticism?

    What to cover: Give a real example of feedback that stung, how you responded in the moment and what you changed afterwards. Show that you can separate the point being made from the way it was said, and that you checked whether the change worked.

14. 14

    What is a weakness that could affect you 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 in practical work or finding it hard to ask for help, and describe what you already do to manage it. A weakness dressed up as a strength is easy to spot.

15. 15

    Queen Mary's selection page lists "insight into your own health" as an attribute. Why would that matter for a dentist?

    What to cover: Tiredness, stress or illness can affect your judgement and your hands, and patients rely on both. Talk about knowing your own warning signs, asking for help early and stepping back from clinical work when you are not well enough to do it safely.

16. 16

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

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

17. 17

    Dentistry is five years of study, much of it in clinics. What will keep you going in the third year, when the novelty has worn off?

    What to cover: Name something specific, such as the patients you will be treating by then, a part of dentistry you want to get good at, or the people around you. Show that you have a plan for the hard weeks as well as a reason for starting.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

Team work and the dental team

What Queen Mary says: Team work is one of the six areas Queen Mary says its interviews are designed to evaluate, and teamwork appears again in its list of attributes. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

A dentist rarely works alone: a dental nurse is beside you for almost every patient, and hygienists, therapists and technicians each do work the dentist relies on. Queen Mary's first year includes collaborative learning with Dental Hygiene and Therapy students, so expect questions on who does what in a dental team and how you behave when a team is not working. The GDC's sixth principle, working with colleagues in patients' best interests, is the standard to keep in mind.

18. 18

    What does a dental nurse do, and why does a dentist depend on them?

    What to cover: Talk about preparing the surgery, passing instruments, keeping the mouth clear, decontaminating equipment, recording notes and looking after the patient. Then say why it matters: safety, speed, and a second person who notices when a patient is anxious or unwell.

19. 19

    In your first year at Queen Mary you would learn alongside Dental Hygiene and Therapy students. What do hygienists and therapists do, and what could you learn from them?

    What to cover: Hygienists focus on prevention and gum health, and therapists can also carry out some fillings and extract baby teeth, each within the scope of practice the GDC sets. Then say what you would want to learn from them, such as how to give prevention advice that patients act on.

20. 20

    What does a dental technician do, and how does a dentist work well with one?

    What to cover: Technicians make crowns, bridges, dentures and orthodontic appliances to a dentist's prescription, and Queen Mary says digital scanning is now built into its later years. Show that a good result depends on a clear prescription and on talking to the lab when something is not right.

21. 21

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

    What to cover: Own a share of the problem, work out what went wrong, such as unclear roles or one person doing everything, and say what you would do differently now. Blaming everyone else wastes the question.

22. 22

    You are a student on one of Queen Mary's outreach clinics and you think a dental nurse has not followed the decontamination procedure for an instrument. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so the instrument should not be used until it has been checked. Raise it quietly and politely with the nurse as a question instead of an accusation, and tell your supervisor if it is not resolved, because infection control is everyone's job in a surgery.

23. 23

    What makes a good team leader, and when have you been one?

    What to cover: Talk about making sure everyone knows their job, listening to the quietest person and taking responsibility when things go wrong. Give one example of leading and one of supporting someone else's lead, because a dentist does both every day.

24. 24

    How would you work with a colleague you find difficult?

    What to cover: Start by trying to understand why they behave as they do, then talk to them directly and privately about the effect on the work. Keep the patients' interests at the centre, and go to a supervisor if it starts to affect care.

25. 25

    A patient's dental problem turns out to be linked to a medical condition or a medicine they take. Who else might the dentist need to work with?

    What to cover: Think of the patient's GP, a pharmacist when medicines affect bleeding or the mouth, and hospital teams for suspected cancer. Queen Mary's first year covers the effect of general health and medication on oral health, so show that you see the mouth as part of the whole patient.

Go deeper: The nine GDC standards explained

Organisation and problem solving

What Queen Mary says: Queen Mary's interviews evaluate organisation and problem solving abilities. Its list of attributes adds personal organisation, problem solving, dealing with uncertainty, and managing risk and dealing effectively with problems. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

Queen Mary joins organisation to problem solving, and its attribute list adds dealing with uncertainty and managing risk. Expect questions on how you plan a heavy workload and scenarios where you have to decide with incomplete information. Say what you would find out, what you would do first and why, and what would make you change course.

26. 26

    How did you organise your time this year alongside your A-levels, the UCAT and everything else?

    What to cover: Describe the system you actually use, what slipped when it got busy and what you changed as a result. Dental school timetables are full from the first year, so the panel wants a method you have tested under pressure.

27. 27

    A clinic is running 40 minutes late and three patients are waiting. What do you do?

    What to cover: Find out why it is late, then tell the waiting patients what is happening and how long they can expect to wait. Think about who cannot wait, such as a patient in pain or someone who has to collect a child, offer to rebook those who can, and keep the treatment safe instead of rushing it.

28. 28

    Three people phone for an emergency appointment and there is one slot left. How do you decide who gets it?

    What to cover: Ask questions first. Swelling that affects breathing or swallowing needs A&E, not the dental slot, and a knocked-out adult tooth is urgent because the sooner it goes back in the better; toothache without swelling may be manageable with advice until the next day. Give everyone a plan, including the people who do not get the slot.

29. 29

    Tell us about a time you had to make a decision without all the information you wanted.

    What to cover: Describe what you knew, what you could not find out in time, how you weighed the risk and what you chose. Then say what happened and what you would do differently, because dealing with uncertainty is on Queen Mary's list.

30. 30

    Queen Mary's Kenworthy Road clinic serves part of Hackney where the university says tooth decay is common and care is in high demand. How would you encourage more families there to bring their children for check-ups?

    What to cover: Find out why families are not coming before proposing anything: not knowing NHS dental care is free for children, not finding a practice, language, or a parent's own fear of dentists. Then suggest ways to reach families where they already are, such as schools, nurseries and health visitors, and say how you would check whether it worked.

31. 31

    You find a mistake in a group project the day before it is due. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell the group straight away, work out how serious it is and agree who fixes what. If it cannot be fixed in time, tell whoever set the work what happened instead of handing in something you know is wrong.

32. 32

    How would you find out whether a change in a dental surgery has made things better?

    What to cover: Describe audit in simple terms: decide what good looks like, measure what happens now, make one change, then measure again. Queen Mary offers audit and quality improvement projects among its student-selected components, so this is work you would do on the course.

33. 33

    A practice notices more missed appointments after it stopped phoning patients and switched to text reminders. What might explain it, and what would you check?

    What to cover: Offer more than one explanation, such as wrong mobile numbers, patients who rarely read texts, or something else that changed at the same time, like the season. Say how you would test each one before deciding, which is the skill in our data interpretation guide.

Go deeper: Prioritisation stations and tasks

Contribution to university life

What Queen Mary says: Contribution to university life is one of the six areas Queen Mary says its interviews are designed to evaluate. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

Queen Mary names this area at interview. Its admissions policy adds that selectors consider your interests, talents and the contribution you could make to the programme and the university, and the course page describes a relatively small dental school of around 70 students a year with a strong sense of community. The panel wants to know what you would add to it, and the most convincing answers rest on what you already do.

34. 34

    What would you contribute to Queen Mary outside your studies?

    What to cover: Name one or two things you already do and would carry on, such as a sport, music, volunteering or helping younger students, and say what you would bring to them. A plan to join everything sounds less believable than a commitment you have kept for years.

35. 35

    Queen Mary's dental school takes around 70 students a year. What would you add to a year group that size?

    What to cover: In a small year people notice whether you turn up and help, so talk about reliability as well as talent. Give an example of something you have kept going week after week and what it gave other people.

36. 36

    Tell us about an interest outside science and what it has taught you.

    What to cover: Pick something you would talk about happily for five minutes and link it to one skill dentistry needs, such as patience, fine control or working with people. The link should come from you, not be forced.

37. 37

    How would you balance a society or sport with a full clinical timetable?

    What to cover: Be practical: say what you would protect, what you would cut in a busy term and how you manage your time now. Show that you see time away from the course as part of staying well, not a distraction from it.

38. 38

    Queen Mary's outreach clinics serve local communities in east London. How could dental students give something back beyond the treatment they provide?

    What to cover: Think about oral health education in schools or care homes under supervision, supporting local campaigns, or volunteering with groups who find it hard to see a dentist. Keep it within what a student can safely do.

39. 39

    Tell us about a time you helped someone else learn something.

    What to cover: Describe how you worked out what they did not understand and changed your explanation to suit them. Queen Mary uses feedback from other students in its portfolio, so being able to help and teach your peers is part of the course.

40. 40

    What does being part of a community mean to you, and how have you shown it?

    What to cover: Choose a community you belong to, such as a team, a place of worship, a workplace or a school, and give one example of doing something for it that nobody asked you to do. Then say what you would want to do for the community of students at Queen Mary.

Go deeper: Extracurricular activities that count

Communication skills

What Queen Mary says: Communication skills are one of Queen Mary's six interview areas, and its list of attributes names effective communication, including reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as empathy and the ability to care for others. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

Queen Mary's course pages describe a dentist as an excellent communicator who explains options and procedures to patients and reassures those who are frightened, and its clinics serve a very diverse population. On an online panel your communication is also on show in how you answer: a clear structure, a pace the panel can follow and an answer to the question you were asked. Practise on video with someone who will tell you when you ramble.

41. 41

    A patient at one of Queen Mary's outreach clinics has not seen a dentist for many years and is very anxious. How do you start the appointment?

    What to cover: Start before the chair: introduce yourself, ask what worries them and what happened last time, and agree a signal that means stop so they feel in control. Explain each step before you do it, go at their pace and avoid any hint of blame for the years away.

42. 42

    Explain to a seven-year-old why they need a filling.

    What to cover: Use short words and one picture they can hold on to, such as a small hole that the dentist cleans and fills so it cannot get bigger, and tell them what they will feel and hear. Talk to the child as well as the parent, and check what is worrying them.

43. 43

    A patient speaks very little English. How do you make sure they understand their treatment?

    What to cover: Ask for a professional interpreter instead of relying on a relative, and never ask a child to interpret for a parent. Use plain words and pictures, then ask the patient to explain the plan back, because consent depends on understanding.

44. 44

    A patient is angry that the treatment they want is not available on the NHS and would have to be paid for privately. What do you say?

    What to cover: Let them finish, acknowledge the frustration and explain that the NHS provides the treatment needed to keep the mouth healthy and free of pain, which may not include everything a patient would like. Set out the options and costs clearly, in writing if possible, and make it plain there is no pressure to choose private treatment.

45. 45

    How would you tell a patient you have seen something in their mouth that needs checking at a hospital?

    What to cover: Say clearly what you saw and why it needs checking, without guessing a diagnosis, then explain the urgent referral and what will happen next. Check how they feel, who they have for support and how they would like to be contacted; our breaking bad news guide gives you a structure.

46. 46

    What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, and why does it matter for a dentist?

    What to cover: Empathy is understanding how things look from the patient's side; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Explain why an anxious patient needs the first, and our empathy and sympathy guide shows how to bring it into an answer.

47. 47

    Your Queen Mary interview is online. How will you make sure you come across well on a screen?

    What to cover: Set the camera at eye level with the light in front of you, look into the camera when you make a point and leave a short pause before you answer so you do not talk over anyone. If the connection drops, say calmly where you had got to and finish your point.

48. 48

    How do you know when someone has not understood you?

    What to cover: Watch for a nod that comes too quickly, and ask them to tell you back what you said. If they cannot, change the words you used instead of repeating the same explanation more loudly.

Go deeper: Role-play stations and how to approach them

Honesty, respect and the attributes Queen Mary lists

What Queen Mary says: Queen Mary's selection page lists honesty, the ability to treat people with respect, the ability to take responsibility for your own actions, managing risk and manual dexterity among its attributes, and says it expects high standards of professional behaviour from dental students, whose graduates must be fit to practise according to principles laid down by the GDC. Queen Mary University of London, Dentistry BDS (A200) selection criteria

Queen Mary tells applicants that a dental student whose conduct calls their fitness to practise into question can be required to appear before a Fitness to Practise Committee, and that graduates must show the GDC their fitness to practise is not impaired. Expect scenarios where the right answer is inconvenient, and use the nine principles in the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team as your reference points. The panel is scoring how you reason, so say what matters, what you would find out and what you would do.

49. 49

    All Queen Mary dental students carry out exposure-prone procedures and must show they are not chronically infected with a blood-borne virus. Why does that matter?

    What to cover: Explain what an exposure-prone procedure is, where an injury to the dentist could let their blood reach the patient's open tissues, and why vaccination and testing protect patients and students. Link it to infection control as part of the trust patients place in the whole team.

50. 50

    A 15-year-old comes to the practice alone and wants a filling without their parents knowing. What are the issues?

    What to cover: Think about whether they understand the treatment, its risks and the alternatives well enough to consent, which is the Gillick test, along with their right to confidentiality and any sign that they are at risk. Encourage them to involve a parent without making it a condition; our Gillick competence guide explains the test.

51. 51

    What makes consent valid in dentistry?

    What to cover: Consent must be given freely by someone with capacity who understands the options, including doing nothing, the risks and the cost, and the GDC's third principle covers it. Add that consent continues during treatment, so a patient can ask you to stop at any point; our consent guide goes further.

52. 52

    An older patient with dementia needs a tooth taken out. How would you decide whether they can consent?

    What to cover: Start by presuming capacity, and remember it is judged for each decision: can they understand the information, retain it, weigh it up and communicate a choice? If they cannot, the decision is made in their best interests with the people who know them, choosing the least restrictive option, as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out for England and Wales.

53. 53

    A classmate posts a photo from clinic on social media with a patient's face visible. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever they intended, which is the GDC's fourth principle. Speak to them, ask them to take it down at once and raise it with a supervisor if they refuse; our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

54. 54

    You realise you made a mistake in a patient's notes yesterday and nobody has noticed. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your supervisor today and correct the record with a dated note, leaving the original entry visible instead of deleting it. If the mistake affected the patient, they should be told and given an apology, because being open when things go wrong is part of the duty of candour.

55. 55

    A patient makes a racist comment to the dental nurse. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Stay calm, make clear that the comment is not acceptable, check on your colleague and report it. Remember that the patient may still need care, which is what makes this hard; our equality, diversity and inclusion guide covers the Equality Act.

56. 56

    A friend on your course asks you to sign them in to a lecture they are skipping. Does it matter?

    What to cover: Yes, because signing a register is a small statement of fact, and Queen Mary expects high standards of professional behaviour from dental students, with conduct that calls fitness to practise into question able to reach its Fitness to Practise Committee. Say no, explain why to your friend and suggest they talk to someone if they are struggling to attend.

57. 57

    Manual dexterity is on Queen Mary's list of attributes. How could you show the panel yours?

    What to cover: Queen Mary describes no dexterity test, though its overview page says a dentist must be able to undertake precision work in adverse conditions. Talk about something you already do that needs fine, controlled hand work over time, such as an instrument, model making, sewing or cake decorating, and what practising it taught you. Then show you know the skill is trained at dental school, on phantom heads and haptic simulators, and that you are ready to put the hours in.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios