UCLan Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does UCLan interview for dentistry?

Source: University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (2027 entry (page dated 16 October 2026)); Dental Schools Council, Entry requirements for UK and Ireland dental schools (PDF) (2027 entry (updated October 2026)); University of Lancashire, Preparing for a university interview or audition (all undergraduate courses) (no year stated (page updated January 2026)); University of Lancashire, Office for Students approves University of Lancashire name change (news item, 19 December 2024)

When are UCLan dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (2027 entry (page dated 16 October 2026)); University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (web.archive.org copy, 14 November 2025) (2026 entry); University of Central Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (web.archive.org copy, 10 December 2024) (2025 entry); University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (web.archive.org copy, 18 May 2026) (2026 entry (page dated 23 March 2026)); University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (web.archive.org copy, 26 April 2025) (2025 entry); University of Lancashire, Preparing for a university interview or audition (all undergraduate courses) (no year stated (page updated January 2026))

What kind of course is UCLan interviewing for?

Source: University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (2027 entry (page dated 16 October 2026)); University of Lancashire, Study Dentistry (no year stated); University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery (International Route) BDS (March 2027 start; admission exams 15 to 17 December 2026); Dental Schools Council, Entry requirements for UK and Ireland dental schools (PDF) (2027 entry (updated October 2026))

How does UCLan decide who to interview?

Source: University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (2027 entry (page dated 16 October 2026)); Dental Schools Council, Entry requirements for UK and Ireland dental schools (PDF) (2027 entry (updated October 2026)); Admissions statistics as published on our UCLan dental profile, from the university's figures (2025 entry, home applicants)

What does UCLan assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page (2027 entry (page dated 16 October 2026)); Dental Schools Council, Entry requirements for UK and Ireland dental schools (PDF) (2027 entry (updated October 2026)); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Knowledge of dentistry: why dentistry, why graduate entry, why UCLan

What UCLan says: Knowledge of dentistry is one of the topics UCLan says its MMI will include. University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page

As a graduate you will be asked why you did not choose dentistry at 18, and the answer should show a decision you reached over time and tested. UCLan no longer uses work experience in selection, but you still need to know what a dentist's working week is like, whether you learnt that from shadowing, a job in a practice or your own reading. For the UCLan part, use what it publishes: a year in Preston, then three years treating patients at a Dental Education Centre in Accrington, Blackpool, Carlisle or Morecambe Bay.

1. 1

   Why dentistry, and why now, after your first degree?

   What to cover: Be open about when the idea started and what made it firm, such as something in your degree, a job or a placement. The assessor wants to hear that you tested the decision before committing four more years to it.

2. 2

   Why dentistry and not graduate entry medicine?

   What to cover: Talk about what dentistry offers that medicine would not, such as treating patients with your own hands from early in the course and caring for the same patients over years in general practice. Be fair to medicine, because criticising another profession reflects badly on you.

3. 3

   Why UCLan's graduate entry course?

   What to cover: Use two or three things UCLan publishes, such as the small cohort, the three years in a community Dental Education Centre and following each patient through their whole treatment. Explain why each suits you, since a list of features tells the assessor nothing about you.

4. 4

   After your year in Preston you will relocate to a Dental Education Centre in Accrington, Blackpool, Carlisle or Morecambe Bay for three years. How do you feel about that?

   What to cover: Treat it as part of what you are choosing. Be practical about housing, travel and leaving friends behind, and say what you expect to gain from treating patients in the community you would be living in.

5. 5

   How has your first degree prepared you to enter dentistry at Year 2?

   What to cover: Pick the parts of your degree that carry over, such as physiology, microbiology, lab technique or reading research papers, and be clear about what will be new to you. UCLan asks you to show your degree covered relevant biomedical subjects, so know which modules count.

6. 6

   UCLan does not use work experience to select applicants. How have you found out what a dentist's working life is really like?

   What to cover: Describe the sources you used, whether shadowing, a job in a practice, talking to dentists or reading, and one thing you learnt that surprised you. Then say what in that picture still appeals to you.

7. 7

   What happens after you graduate, and where could you be ten years later?

   What to cover: Show you know that a year of foundation training follows the BDS, and that dentists then work mostly in high street practice or community clinics, with some going on to specialist training. Say what appeals to you now, while allowing that it may change.

8. 8

   UCLan also trains dental therapists. How is a dentist's role different from a dental therapist's?

   What to cover: Explain that dental therapists are registered professionals who carry out prevention and some treatments within their own scope of practice, while the dentist carries the full diagnosis, the treatment plan and the more complex care. Then say why the dentist's role is the one you want, without making the therapist's sound lesser.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Knowledge of dentistry: NHS dentistry and oral health

What UCLan says: UCLan names knowledge of dentistry among its MMI topics, and says it places students in community dental services in Cumbria and Lancashire to increase the number of new dentists who stay in the area. University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page

Knowledge of dentistry includes the system you would work in. UCLan's course is built around primary care and community dental services, and its page carries a notice about the government's plan to require new dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period. Know how NHS dentistry in England is paid for, why access is difficult in many areas and why oral health differs between communities, and give balanced views without figures you cannot back up.

9. 9

   UCLan says placing students in community dental services is meant to increase the number of new dentists who stay in Cumbria and Lancashire. Why does that matter?

   What to cover: Talk about access: if dentists train in an area, more of them may settle there, and patients in towns far from a dental hospital benefit. Then be realistic that training location is only one reason dentists choose where to work.

10. 10

    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.

11. 11

    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 offer one or two realistic improvements. Our NHS dental contract reform guide covers the latest changes.

12. 12

    UCLan tells applicants that the government plans to require newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period from 2027/28. What do you think of that?

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

13. 13

    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, access to care, health literacy and fluoride exposure, and say which of these a dentist can influence. Our health inequalities guide gives the framework.

14. 14

    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 have fluoridated water and most do not, so come to a view and explain how you reached it.

15. 15

    How would you improve children's oral health in a town served by one of UCLan's Dental Education Centres?

    What to cover: Think about prevention that reaches children where they are: supervised toothbrushing in nurseries and schools, fluoride varnish, advice on sugary drinks and making it easy for families to register with a dentist. Say how you would find out what the local need is before deciding.

16. 16

    Why do some adults only see a dentist when they are in pain, and what could a practice do about it?

    What to cover: Think about fear, cost, difficulty getting an appointment and past bad experiences. Then suggest things a practice can do, such as reminders, explaining charges clearly and giving anxious patients more time at the first visit.

Go deeper: Current NHS dentistry hot topics

Communication skills

What UCLan says: Communication skills are the first topic UCLan lists for its MMI. University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page

UCLan does not say whether any station uses an actor, so practise both speaking to a person in a scenario and explaining your thinking to an interviewer. In a dental chair, communication often means fear, embarrassment and cost, and UCLan's model of following each patient through their whole treatment makes trust over several visits matter. If interviews turn out to be online, practise on video as well.

17. 17

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

    What to cover: Thank them for coming, ask what frightens them most and listen before you reassure anyone. Then explain what will happen in small steps, agree a signal they can use to stop you, and let them set the pace.

18. 18

    Explain to a parent why their six-year-old would benefit from fluoride varnish.

    What to cover: Say in plain words what it is and how it helps protect teeth from decay, and what the appointment involves for the child. Check what the parent already knows and answer their worries without making them feel judged.

19. 19

    A patient is surprised by the charge for their NHS treatment. Explain how NHS dental charges work.

    What to cover: In England, NHS treatment is charged in bands depending on what you need, and some people do not pay, such as under-18s and those on certain benefits. Explain calmly, check they understood the treatment plan, and say what you would do differently so it does not surprise the next patient.

20. 20

    A patient who speaks little English has brought her 12-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 pass on clinical information about a parent and she may not say everything in front of him. Use plain words and check understanding by asking her to explain the plan back.

21. 21

    A patient who lip-reads is struggling to follow you while you wear a mask. How do you adapt?

    What to cover: Lower the mask at a safe distance before treatment begins, or write things down, face the patient and speak clearly without shouting. Ask them what works best, because they will know better than you.

22. 22

    At UCLan you would follow each patient through their whole course of treatment. How do you build trust with a patient you will see over several visits?

    What to cover: Talk about small, consistent things: remembering what they told you last time, explaining each step before you do it, keeping to what you promised and being open when something changes. Trust grows across visits, and so does the patient's willingness to tell you what is worrying them.

23. 23

    Explain something you studied in your degree to someone with no science background.

    What to cover: Choose one idea, start with why it matters to the listener and use one everyday comparison. Stop and check they are with you, because the interviewer is scoring how well you adapt, not how much you know.

24. 24

    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.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Ethics

What UCLan says: Ethics is one of the topics UCLan says its MMI will include. University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page

UCLan publishes no ethics framework of its own, so use the one every dental student learns: the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, especially putting patients' interests first and obtaining valid consent. Because UCLan students spend three years treating patients in community clinics, set your answers in general practice where you can. In each scenario say what matters, what you would want to find out, what you would do and why.

25. 25

    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.

26. 26

    A 15-year-old comes to the clinic alone with toothache and asks you not to tell her parents. What are the issues?

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

27. 27

    A patient with dementia arrives with their carer for treatment 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, act in their best interests with the carer's help; our capacity guide sets out the steps.

28. 28

    On a placement at a UCLan Dental Education Centre, you see a child with extensive decay whose parent has missed several appointments. What do you do?

    What to cover: Start by finding out why the appointments were missed, because there may be a simple barrier such as cost, transport or work. Raise it with your supervisor, and be aware that persistent dental neglect can be a safeguarding concern that the clinic has a procedure for.

29. 29

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

    What to cover: Find out what they want and why, explain what veneers involve, which often means removing 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.

30. 30

    A patient with toothache asks for antibiotics so they can avoid treatment. What do you say?

    What to cover: Explain that antibiotics do not treat the cause of most toothache and that unnecessary antibiotics add to resistance. Offer the treatment that will fix the problem and pain relief in the meantime, and listen to why they want to avoid treatment.

31. 31

    There is one emergency slot left today and two patients want it. How do you decide?

    What to cover: Decide on clinical need: swelling, trauma or bleeding would come before a lost filling, and some problems need A&E. Make sure whoever does not get the slot leaves with a plan and knows what would mean they should not wait.

32. 32

    A classmate posts a photo from clinic with a patient's radiograph visible on the screen. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever they intended. Ask them to remove it at once and report it if they refuse; our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Professionalism

What UCLan says: Professionalism is one of the topics UCLan says its MMI will include, and its first graduate entry module introduces the practice of professionalism in dentistry, with recorded reflections on practice. University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page

Professionalism for a dental student means the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team from the day you start treating patients, and UCLan asks you to record reflections on your practice from the first module. As a graduate you have a longer record to draw on, from your degree, jobs and life since, so choose real examples. Expect questions on admitting mistakes, safe practice, looking after yourself through an intense course, and the practical skill a dentist has to build.

33. 33

    Which of the GDC's nine principles do you think would be hardest to keep as a student treating patients?

    What to cover: Choose one principle, explain why it would be hard in practice and say what you would do to keep it anyway. Our guide to the nine GDC principles sets them out.

34. 34

    UCLan's first graduate entry module asks you to record reflections on your practice. Tell me how you reflect on something that went badly.

    What to cover: Walk through a real example: what happened, how it felt, what you worked out afterwards and what you now do differently. Showing the change in your behaviour is what makes it reflection and not just a story.

35. 35

    You realise you gave a patient the wrong aftercare advice yesterday, and nobody has noticed. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your supervisor today, make sure the patient gets the correct advice and an apology, and work out why it happened. The GDC expects dental professionals to be open with patients when something goes wrong, and hiding a mistake is far more serious than making one.

36. 36

    On a clinic you see a colleague skip a step in decontaminating instruments. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so you cannot ignore it. Raise it with the colleague or your supervisor promptly, and know that raising concerns when patients are at risk is one of the GDC's principles for everyone in the dental team.

37. 37

    UCLan quotes the Dental Schools Council's advice to think about how intense dental courses are and how far you will be from your support network. How will you look after yourself?

    What to cover: Be specific about what has kept you going through long, demanding stretches before, the warning signs you watch for and who you will rely on. Then say how you will build support in a new town when you move to a Dental Education Centre.

38. 38

    How have you developed your manual dexterity, and how would you show it has improved?

    What to cover: UCLan does not publish a dexterity test, but you will start simulated restorations in your first year. Describe one or two activities you have kept up for a long time, the fine, careful part of each, and progress you can point to, such as lab work from your degree.

39. 39

    Why does a dental school require an enhanced DBS check and occupational health clearance?

    What to cover: Because you will treat vulnerable patients, including children, and carry out procedures where a clinician's health could affect patient safety. Show you understand the reasoning, and that UCLan asks you to speak to the Course Leader if you know your check will show a past conviction, because some convictions may not stop you doing the course.

40. 40

    Why does the GDC care how dental students behave outside clinic?

    What to cover: Because patients need to trust dental professionals, and the GDC's ninth principle asks that your personal behaviour maintains that trust. Give an example such as conduct online, and say how you would keep your private and professional life apart.

Go deeper: The nine GDC principles

Team working and the dental team

What UCLan says: Team working is one of the topics UCLan says its MMI will include, and its course page says the BDS is a course that strongly emphasises teamwork. University of Lancashire, Dental Surgery BDS course page

UCLan teaches teamwork through the structure of the course: dental students learn alongside dental therapy and clinical dental technology students, work in the dental team at the Dental Education Centres and finish in a practice with a dedicated dental nurse. Know who is in the dental team and what each person does. Have one example of leading a group and one of working well under someone else's lead.

41. 41

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

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

42. 42

    At UCLan, dental students learn alongside dental therapy and clinical dental technology students. What would you expect to gain from that?

    What to cover: Talk about understanding what each colleague can do before you are relying on them, learning to refer work to the right person and building respect early. Give an example of a team where knowing each other's roles mattered.

43. 43

    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. An extraction cannot be undone, and a team where the nurse feels able to speak up is a safer team.

44. 44

    In your final semester at UCLan you would work in your own surgery with a dedicated dental nurse. How would you make that partnership work?

    What to cover: Talk about small, regular things: agreeing the plan for the day, explaining each procedure before you start, asking for their view and thanking them. An experienced nurse will often know more about how the clinic runs than you do, so be ready to learn from them.

45. 45

    UCLan's placements show the roles of specialists and primary care dentists. When should a general dentist refer a patient on?

    What to cover: When the treatment is beyond their competence or needs specialist care, such as complex orthodontics or surgery, and urgently when cancer is suspected. Show that knowing your limits is part of good care, not a weakness.

46. 46

    When might a dentist need to work with a patient's GP or pharmacist?

    What to cover: Give examples such as a patient on blood-thinning medication before an extraction, or a medical condition that affects healing. UCLan's course includes communicating with healthcare professionals outside the dental team, so show you know dentistry does not work in isolation.

47. 47

    Tell me 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 someone not being heard, and say what you would do differently. A degree project or a job gives you good material here.

48. 48

    When is it right for a junior member of the team to challenge a senior one?

    What to cover: Always when a patient could come to harm; otherwise by asking a question and giving a reason, then accepting a good answer. Our whistleblowing guide covers the formal routes.

Go deeper: A career in dentistry

Group tasks

What UCLan says: The Dental Schools Council's 2027 entry table lists UCLan's interview method as multiple mini-interviews and group tasks. Dental Schools Council, Entry requirements for UK and Ireland dental schools (PDF)

UCLan's own page does not describe a group task, and the Dental Schools Council does not say what one involves, so treat the prompts below as practice for working with other candidates under time pressure. The assessor is likely to watch how you listen, build on others' ideas, keep the group on time and bring quieter people in. UCLan uses problem-based learning alongside lectures and tutorials, so this is also a preview of how you would study.

49. 49

    Your group has a limited budget for a new community dental service. Agree, in ten minutes, which three things to fund first.

    What to cover: Help the group agree how it will decide before arguing about the options, for example by need, reach and cost. Keep track of time, summarise where the group has got to and make sure a decision is reached.

50. 50

    Your group has to plan an oral health talk for a class of secondary school pupils. Plan it together.

    What to cover: Ask who the audience is and what would make them listen, then share out the parts. Offering a clear idea is good, but the assessor is also watching whether you take up other people's.

51. 51

    One member of your group is talking over everyone else. What do you do?

    What to cover: Acknowledge their point, then bring the discussion back to the group by asking someone else directly for their view. Keep it friendly, because embarrassing a fellow candidate helps nobody.

52. 52

    A quiet member of the group has not said anything. How do you bring them in?

    What to cover: Ask them a specific, open question, such as which option they would pick and why, and then build on what they say. Including them is the kind of teamwork a dental team needs every day.

53. 53

    The group is heading towards an answer you think is wrong. What do you do?

    What to cover: Say so clearly and give your reason, then listen to the response. If the group still disagrees and nobody would come to harm, accept the decision and help make it work.

54. 54

    After the task: what role did you play, and what would you do differently?

    What to cover: Describe what you did, not what you meant to do, and name one thing you would change. Being able to see your own part in a group is the reflection the assessor is looking for.

55. 55

    UCLan uses problem-based learning, where students work together to build their knowledge. Tell me about a time you learnt something as part of a group.

    What to cover: Use your degree, such as a lab group or a group project, and say what you contributed and what you learnt from the others. Mention one thing that made the group work well and one thing that did not.

Go deeper: Top 10 tips for MMIs