UEA Dentistry Interview Questions (2027 Entry)

How does UEA interview for dentistry?

Source: University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page (2027/28 entry (course start September 2027)); University of East Anglia, Our Admissions Policy (section 10, Interview Policy) (no year stated; university-wide, reviewed annually); University of East Anglia news, Applications open for region's first undergraduate training places for dentists (2027 entry (published 11 May 2026))

When are UEA dentistry interviews for 2027 entry?

Source: University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page (2027/28 entry (course start September 2027)); University of East Anglia, Our Admissions Policy (section 10, Interview Policy) (no year stated; university-wide, reviewed annually)

How does UEA decide who to interview?

Source: University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page (2027/28 entry (course start September 2027)); University of East Anglia, FOI_26-229 Dentistry course admissions criteria (Freedom of Information disclosure log) (current (2027 entry) cycle; response dated 17 September 2026)

What does UEA assess at a dentistry interview?

Source: University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page (2027/28 entry (course start September 2027)); Dental Schools Council, Guidance on the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry (no year stated (uploaded under a December 2023 file path)); General Dental Council, Standards for the Dental Team (effective from 30 September 2013)

Motivation for dentistry, and why UEA

What UEA says: UEA says it trains patient-focused dentists through hands-on clinical experience, and that its graduates will be well equipped to contribute to improving oral health in diverse populations. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

UEA has not said how it tests motivation, but any dental school will want to know why you chose dentistry and whether you understand the job. For the UEA part, use only what UEA has published: early patient contact, community-based training, a course built around the patient journey, and a school opened to improve NHS dental access in the East of England. Remember too that you would be in the first year group the school has ever taught.

1. 1

   Why dentistry and not medicine?

   What to cover: Give a reason that only works for dentistry, such as treating patients with your own hands early in training, the long relationship with patients in general practice, or the mix of science and fine manual work. Show that you looked at medicine fairly and can explain why you chose against it.

2. 2

   Why UEA?

   What to cover: Use what UEA publishes about its course, such as early patient contact and community-based training, and connect each point to how you learn. A new school has no track record to quote, so the answer has to be about the course and the region.

3. 3

   You would be in UEA's first ever dental cohort. What appeals to you about that, and what worries you?

   What to cover: Be balanced. A first cohort may get close attention from staff and a say in how things are done, but some arrangements will still be settling and there will be no older dental students to ask. Say how you would handle the second part.

4. 4

   UEA's course page says the government plans to require newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum period, starting with students who enter in 2027/28. How do you feel about that?

   What to cover: Show you have read it and give a view you can defend. You might accept it as fair because public money funds dental training, while noting that the details have not been published yet. Avoid sounding as though you would resent NHS work.

5. 5

   What does a general dental practitioner's working week involve?

   What to cover: Talk about examinations, fillings, extractions, preventive advice, treatment planning, record keeping and leading a small team, drawn from what you saw on work experience. Admit that much of the work is routine, and explain why that does not put you off.

6. 6

   What did your work experience show you about dentistry that surprised you?

   What to cover: Pick one moment and describe what changed in your view. Our dentistry work experience guide shows how to turn a placement into reflection.

7. 7

   What are the downsides of a career in dentistry?

   What to cover: Name real ones, such as strain on the back and neck, the pressure of running to time, anxious or unhappy patients, the risk of complaints and the cost of setting up a practice. Then say how you would manage one of them.

8. 8

   Where do you see yourself ten years after qualifying?

   What to cover: UEA lists general, community and hospital dentistry, specialist training and academic careers as routes after its course. It is fine not to know yet, as long as you know the options exist and can say what draws you to one.

Go deeper: How to answer "Why dentistry?"

Communication and the patient-centred approach

What UEA says: UEA says early patient contact helps students develop strong clinical and communication skills, that a patient-centred approach runs through the course from day one, and that year two brings an increased focus on communication skills. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

UEA has not said whether any station uses an actor, but it describes communication as something its course builds from the first year, through simulation and early patient contact. Expect to be judged on how clearly you explain, how well you listen and whether you notice the person in front of you. Dental patients are often anxious, so think about fear as well as information.

9. 9

   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 offer anything. Then talk through what could make it easier, such as agreeing a stop signal, explaining each step before it happens and starting with a check-up before any treatment.

10. 10

    Explain to an eight-year-old why they need a filling.

    What to cover: Use short words and one picture they can hold on to, tell them what they will feel and hear, and ask what is worrying them. Speak to the child first while keeping the parent involved, and steer clear of words such as hurt or needle.

11. 11

    A parent is angry that their child needs teeth taken out under general anaesthetic and says nobody warned them. What do you say?

    What to cover: Let them finish, acknowledge how upsetting it is and avoid blaming anyone. Explain in plain words why it has come to this, then move on to protecting the other teeth and any brothers or sisters, because that is where you can help now.

12. 12

    How would you explain to a patient that sugary drinks between meals are damaging their teeth, without it sounding like a lecture?

    What to cover: Ask about their routine first, explain that how often sugar reaches the teeth matters as much as how much, and agree one small change they think they can keep. Our guide to the sugar tax gives the public health context.

13. 13

    A patient with toothache speaks very little English. How do you make sure they understand what will happen?

    What to cover: Ask for a professional interpreter instead of relying on a family member, and never ask a child to interpret for a parent. Use plain words and pictures, and check understanding by asking them to explain the plan back to you.

14. 14

    What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, and which does a dentist need?

    What to cover: Empathy is understanding how the situation looks from the patient's side; sympathy is feeling sorry for them. Our empathy and sympathy guide explains why a clinician needs the first and has to manage the second.

15. 15

    UEA describes its BDS as patient-centred from day one. What does patient-centred care mean in a dental surgery?

    What to cover: It means planning treatment around what the patient wants, can afford and can look after, as well as what is clinically ideal. Give an example, such as a patient who would choose a simpler option they can keep clean over a complex one they cannot.

16. 16

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

    What to cover: Choose a real example, such as tutoring a younger student or helping a relative with a form, and describe how you changed your explanation when the first attempt did not land. Asking them to explain it back is the check that proves it.

Go deeper: MMI role-play stations

Teamwork and the dental team

What UEA says: UEA says its integrated curriculum covers science, clinical care and teamwork, that year two focuses on working effectively within dental teams, and that year three refines leadership and teamwork. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

A dentist rarely works alone. UEA names working within dental teams in its second year and leadership in its third, so expect to be asked what the other members of the team do and how you behave in a group. Know the roles properly, because an interviewer can tell quickly whether you watched the team on work experience or only read about it.

17. 17

    Who makes up the dental team, and what does each person do?

    What to cover: Cover dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists, with one thing each of them does. All of them register with the GDC, which tells you how the profession sees the team.

18. 18

    What can a dental therapist do, and could more of them help people get NHS care?

    What to cover: Therapists provide fillings, preventive care and some treatments for children within their training and scope of practice. Using the whole team well frees dentists for complex work, though how NHS practices organise and pay for that work affects how much of it happens.

19. 19

    On work experience, what did you notice about how the dentist and the dental nurse worked together?

    What to cover: Describe something specific, such as the nurse having the next instrument ready, keeping the patient calm or keeping the records up to date. Then say what it taught you about the kind of colleague you want to be.

20. 20

    You are the most junior member of a team and think the plan is unsafe. What do you do?

    What to cover: Ask a question first and give your reason, then accept the answer if it is a good one. If a patient could be harmed, keep raising it until someone senior has listened, which is what the GDC expects of every registrant.

21. 21

    Tell me about a team you were in 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. Blaming everyone else wastes the question.

22. 22

    UEA says its students develop leadership skills in year three. What does leadership look like for a dental student?

    What to cover: Think small: running a clinic session to time, supporting a classmate who is behind, keeping notes complete for the next person, or raising a concern. Leadership in a dental surgery is often quiet.

23. 23

    A dental nurse tells you that a patient seemed upset after you saw them, and you had not noticed. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Thank her, take it seriously and find out what happened, then put it right with the patient if you can. Think about why you missed it, because the nurse often sees what the person holding the instruments cannot.

24. 24

    When does a dentist need to work with a patient's doctor?

    What to cover: Give examples such as a patient on blood-thinning medicine before an extraction, a possible mouth cancer that needs urgent referral, or gum disease in someone with diabetes. A dentist who knows when to contact a GP keeps patients safe.

Go deeper: Dentistry work experience guide

Professional values and safe practice

What UEA says: UEA says first-year teaching develops students' understanding of professional values, teamwork and safe practice, that its graduates will deliver safe, effective and compassionate care, and that offers depend on an occupational health check with evidence of immunisations and an enhanced DBS check. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

Professionalism questions are where any dental school looks hardest for something that worries it. UEA has not published how it scores them, so prepare from the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, which set out nine principles every dental professional must follow and which the Dental Schools Council advises applicants to read before applying. Know them well enough to apply them to a situation, not just recite them.

25. 25

    What are the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team, and which principle do you think matters most to patients?

    What to cover: Know the nine principles, from putting patients' interests first to making sure your personal behaviour keeps patients' confidence in you. Our guide to the nine GDC principles sets them out. Choose one and explain it with an example.

26. 26

    A friend on your course posts a photo from clinic with a patient's face visible in the background. What do you do?

    What to cover: Treat it as a breach of confidentiality whatever they meant. Speak to them, ask them to take it down at once and raise it if they will not; our confidentiality guide explains where the line sits.

27. 27

    You realise you made a mistake during a patient's treatment and nobody else has noticed. What do you do?

    What to cover: Tell your supervisor straight away, make sure the patient is told and offered an apology, and help put it right. The duty of candour means being open when something goes wrong, and hiding a mistake would be the far bigger problem.

28. 28

    Why does UEA require evidence of immunisations before you can start the course?

    What to cover: Dental work involves blood, saliva, sharp instruments and fine spray from the drill, so students must protect patients and themselves. Hepatitis B vaccination is the example most people know. UEA says its placements are compulsory and that you must meet its placement vaccination policy.

29. 29

    What does infection control involve in a dental surgery?

    What to cover: Talk about hand hygiene, gloves, masks and eye protection, cleaning and sterilising instruments between patients, single-use items and the safe disposal of sharps. Explain that the same precautions are used for every patient, because you cannot tell who carries an infection by looking.

30. 30

    A classmate tells you they have been drinking the night before a morning clinic and still feel drunk. What do you do?

    What to cover: Patient safety comes first, so they should not treat patients that morning. Encourage them to tell the clinical tutor and get support, and if they will not, raise it yourself. Show that you care about them as well as the patients.

31. 31

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

    What to cover: Patients have to be able to trust the profession, and the ninth GDC principle covers your personal behaviour, including online and in your own time. Being open about any caution or conviction is part of the same expectation.

32. 32

    You see a senior colleague skip a step in cleaning instruments between patients. What do you do?

    What to cover: Do not ignore it. Raise it with your supervisor or through the route the school gives students, and keep the focus on patient safety instead of blame. Our whistleblowing guide explains why raising concerns protects patients.

Go deeper: The nine GDC principles

Clinical scenarios, decision-making and ethics

What UEA says: UEA says learning on its BDS is structured around real-world clinical scenarios and decision-making, and that from year two students integrate scientific knowledge with clinical decision-making. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

In a scenario station, how you reason usually matters more than knowing the law. With 1.5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to speak, use the preparation time to note what matters, what you would want to find out and what you would do. Consent is a good place to start, because the Dental Schools Council names an appreciation of consent among the attributes dental schools look for.

33. 33

    A 15-year-old comes in alone and asks for a filling without her parents knowing. What are the issues?

    What to cover: Consider whether she is competent to consent, which is the Gillick test, her right to confidentiality and whether anything suggests she is at risk. Our Gillick competence guide explains the test.

34. 34

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

    What to cover: Make sure they understand the risks of leaving it, explore why they are refusing, offer alternatives and record the conversation. Then respect the decision; our capacity guide covers how capacity is judged.

35. 35

    An older patient with dementia arrives with a carer and needs treatment. How do you approach consent?

    What to cover: Start by assuming capacity and assess it for this particular decision, with time and simple explanations. If they lack capacity, act in their best interests and involve the people who know them; our consent guide sets out the rules.

36. 36

    A patient asks for antibiotics for toothache because they cannot get an appointment for a week. What do you say?

    What to cover: Explain that antibiotics do not treat the cause of most toothache and that using them when they are not needed adds to resistance, then help them find urgent dental care. Our antibiotic resistance guide has the background.

37. 37

    A patient wants the cheapest option, an extraction, for a tooth that could be saved with a root filling. What do you do?

    What to cover: Explain both options, their costs, risks and long-term consequences, clearly and without pressure. If they understand and still choose the extraction, the decision is theirs to make.

38. 38

    A patient tells you she is going abroad for cheaper crowns and asks your opinion. How do you respond?

    What to cover: Respect her choice and give balanced information: what to ask the clinic, what happens if something goes wrong and how follow-up would work. Our guide to dental tourism covers the risks and benefits.

39. 39

    You have one emergency slot left and three patients ring in pain. How do you decide who gets it?

    What to cover: Ask about swelling, fever, trouble swallowing or breathing, and injury, because some of those need hospital care at once. Then weigh urgency against the other options each person has, and make sure nobody is left without a plan.

40. 40

    UEA builds its teaching around real clinical scenarios. Talk me through how you would make a decision when you are not sure what is right.

    What to cover: Set out your steps: what you know, what you need to find out, who you would ask, what the options are and what each one risks. Finish with how you would check afterwards whether the decision worked.

Go deeper: Dentistry ethical scenarios

Community-based training and oral health in the East of England

What UEA says: UEA says its community-based training means learning in real settings and meeting diverse patient needs, that year one teaches how oral health relates to overall health and wellbeing, and that year three brings clinical experience across a range of dental and community settings. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

This is where UEA's own published reasons for opening a dental school matter most. It says the East of England has some of the lowest access to NHS dentistry in the country, and that rural, coastal and disadvantaged communities are often affected most. Expect to talk about who struggles to see a dentist and why, and what prevention can do. Quote a figure only if you can say where it comes from.

41. 41

    UEA says more than 1,600 people attended hospital emergency departments in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn for dental treatment in a single year. Why might someone go to A&E with a dental problem?

    What to cover: Think about not finding an NHS dentist, cost, fear, and pain at night or at weekends. Then explain why an emergency department is a poor place for most dental problems, because it usually cannot provide the treatment the tooth needs.

42. 42

    How does NHS dentistry in England pay for treatment, and what are the criticisms of the system?

    What to cover: Describe the contract neutrally: practices are paid for units of dental activity, or UDAs, linked to treatment bands. Critics argue it does not reward prevention or complex care well, and reform has been debated for years. Our UDA guide explains the bands, and our contract reform guide covers the proposed changes.

43. 43

    Why do some children have far more tooth decay than others?

    What to cover: Talk about diet and sugar, brushing with fluoride toothpaste, access to a dentist and deprivation, which our health inequalities guide links to many health outcomes. Then say what could reach those children, such as supervised toothbrushing in nurseries and schools.

44. 44

    What is water fluoridation, and what are the arguments for and against it?

    What to cover: Some areas of England add fluoride to the water supply at a level intended to reduce tooth decay. Supporters point to less decay, especially in deprived areas, while opponents raise individual choice and the risk of mild marks on the teeth called fluorosis. Give a view and explain how you reached it.

45. 45

    How is oral health linked to general health?

    What to cover: UEA's first year teaches how oral health relates to overall health and wellbeing. Give two clear examples, such as the link between gum disease and diabetes, or a dentist spotting an early sign of mouth cancer, and explain why it matters that the dentist notices.

46. 46

    UEA says that from autumn 2028, up to 36 second-year students will begin offering supervised appointments to local patients. What would you need to get right to treat a patient in your second year?

    What to cover: Talk about knowing the limits of what you are allowed to do, asking your supervisor early, telling the patient you are a student and gaining their consent, and keeping to time. Patients who have waited a long time to see a dentist will need to be able to trust you.

47. 47

    What might a dentist in a rural or coastal town need that a city dentist might not?

    What to cover: Think about patients who travel a long way or rely on buses, older patients with complicated medical histories, fewer specialist services nearby, and a stronger case for prevention because follow-up is harder. Say what draws you to that kind of practice or what worries you about it.

48. 48

    Some people call access to NHS dentistry a postcode lottery. Is that fair?

    What to cover: Explain what the phrase means and give more than one reason access differs between areas, such as where dentists choose to work and how NHS contracts are spread. Our postcode lottery guide gives the wider NHS picture.

Go deeper: NHS dentistry hot topics

Reflective practice, resilience and hands-on skills

What UEA says: UEA says its students refine reflective practice in year three, develop clinical skills through simulation and supervised patient care, and are assessed continuously, including early clinical evaluations in year one, to support their development as safe and competent dental practitioners. University of East Anglia, BDS Dental Surgery (A200) course page

UEA does not publish a manual dexterity test, and its course page does not mention one, so do not prepare as though a practical task were certain. You may still be asked how you know you can do fine, precise work, and how you would cope with five years of continuous assessment at a brand-new school. Prepare examples you can describe in detail.

49. 49

    How do you know you have the manual dexterity for dentistry?

    What to cover: Give real evidence, such as playing an instrument, sewing, model-making, art or careful lab practicals, and say what it taught you about precision and patience. Add that hand skills are trained over years in simulation, which is how UEA says it teaches clinical skills.

50. 50

    Tell me about a time you practised a practical skill and it went badly at first. What did you do?

    What to cover: Describe the early failures plainly, what you changed and how you knew you were improving. Sticking with something fiddly until it works is close to what the early years of clinical training feel like.

51. 51

    UEA assesses its students continuously, with early clinical evaluations from the first year. How do you respond to being assessed all the time?

    What to cover: Talk about treating feedback as information, keeping a note of what you are told and acting on it. A real example of handling a disappointing mark well says more than claiming you thrive under pressure.

52. 52

    What is reflective practice, and how would you use it as a dental student?

    What to cover: It means looking back at what happened, what you thought and felt, and what you would do differently, and then trying that next time. Walk through one example from your own life using those steps.

53. 53

    Tell me about 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 helped. How you handled it matters more than whether the feedback was fair.

54. 54

    As one of UEA's first dental students, you would have no older dental students to ask for advice. Where would you turn for support?

    What to cover: Name real sources of help, such as personal tutors, clinical supervisors, your year group, the university's wellbeing services, and friends and family. Make the point that asking early is a strength on a clinical course.

55. 55

    How do you look after yourself under pressure, 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.

56. 56

    What would you do if you did not get a place this year?

    What to cover: Give a realistic plan, such as strengthening your application and reapplying, and know that UEA considers Dental Surgery applicants for two consecutive years only. Our reapplying guide covers how to use a gap year.

Go deeper: 230 dentistry interview questions