Free Dentistry MOOCs: The Wider-Reading Directory

Most are. The majority of courses in the directory are free to access and learn: those from Alison, OpenLearn (The Open University) and Khan Academy are completely free with no paywall, and those on FutureLearn, Coursera and edX are free to enrol on and study, with only the optional certificate costing money. We also include a smaller number of optional paid courses (for example some Udemy courses) where they are genuinely useful, and every one is clearly labelled with a 'Paid' tag so you can filter them out in one click. You can build an excellent application using only the free courses.

We include a few paid courses simply because some of the best dentistry-specific content, such as detailed dental anatomy, oral biology or paediatric dentistry, sits on paid platforms, and we would rather show you the full picture than pretend it does not exist. This is an independent list: we are not affiliated with any course, platform or university, we receive no payment, commission or affiliate income if you enrol, and listing a course is not an endorsement. Prices change often and paid courses (especially on Udemy) are frequently discounted, so always check the current price on the provider's own site. If you would rather only see free options, use the cost filter.

Discover Dentistry from the University of Sheffield is the standout free course made specifically for aspiring dentists. Over six weeks it covers tooth anatomy, dental disease, the dental team, materials and specialisms, and it is widely used as a virtual introduction to the profession. Strong follow-ups include the University of Pennsylvania's Introduction to Dental Medicine and The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease, HKU's Fundamentals of Cariology, and Glasgow's Study Dentistry: How to Become a Dentist. Choose one or two, reflect on them, and be ready to discuss them at interview.

A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course: a free online course, usually made by a university or a respected organisation, that anyone can take. They are typically self-paced or run over a few weeks, use short videos, readings and quizzes, and cover a specific topic such as oral health, cariology or dental materials. For applicants they are one of the most accessible forms of super-curricular learning, because you can do them from home for free.

Both, and this directory includes 45 genuinely dentistry-specific courses. These cover the profession itself (Discover Dentistry, Dentistry 101, Introduction to Dental Medicine), core clinical topics (cariology, dental materials, implant dentistry, oral cancer, dental radiography) and oral health more broadly. Around these sit dentistry-relevant biomedical courses on head and neck anatomy, microbiology, the sugar and diet link to decay, ethics and the NHS, which a dental applicant can reflect on just as credibly. Use the theme filters above to jump straight to the dental ones.

They can, but only if you reflect on them rather than just list them. Admissions tutors are not impressed by the number of courses you have completed. They are looking for evidence of genuine curiosity and the ability to think about dentistry beyond the syllabus. A single MOOC that you can discuss thoughtfully, linking an idea from it to your motivation or to what you saw in work experience, is far more valuable than a long list of course names.

It is a complement, not a replacement. Courses like Discover Dentistry and Mouth Care Matters are widely used as virtual insight into dentistry, and they are especially useful when hands-on placements are hard to arrange. But dental schools still want to see that you have observed real practice or spent time in a caring setting and reflected on it. Treat online courses as a way to deepen and evidence your interest alongside genuine experience, and use our free work experience finder to arrange a placement.

No. On Coursera, edX and FutureLearn the course content is free and the certificate is an optional paid extra. UK dental schools do not ask to see certificates and gain nothing from them. What matters is what you learned and how you reflect on it, so there is no reason to pay. Save your money and put your energy into taking notes and thinking about the ideas.

Focus on one specific idea rather than the course as a whole. Name the concept that stayed with you, for example how a biofilm of bacteria on the tooth surface drives both decay and gum disease, explain what it made you realise about prevention or patient care, and link it back to why you want to study dentistry. Avoid simply stating that you completed a course: that tells the tutor nothing. One reflective sentence about an idea is worth more than three describing the syllabus.

Around two is plenty. Quality beats quantity every time: two courses you have thought about carefully are more useful than ten you rushed through. A good pairing is one dentistry-specific course and one on a topic you find genuinely interesting, such as the science of sugar and decay or dental materials, so your courses add range rather than repeating yourself. Whichever two you pick, see them through to the end and take notes as you go: you never need to pay for the certificate, but you do need your own written reflections, an idea or two that struck you and what they made you think about dentistry, prevention or patient care, because those reflections are exactly what you will use in your personal statement and at interview.

Super-curricular activities extend your academic interest beyond the school syllabus. They include MOOCs and online courses, wider reading of books and journals such as the British Dental Journal, an EPQ on a dental or scientific topic, science lectures and podcasts, and science competitions. They are different from extracurricular activities such as sport or music, which show broader skills. MOOCs are a popular and accessible form of super-curricular learning for dentistry because they are free and can be done from home.

Yes, to study. FutureLearn lets you join a course such as Discover Dentistry and access the material for free, usually for the length of the course plus a couple of weeks. Unlimited long-term access and a certificate require payment, but you do not need either for an application. Start the course, take your notes, and reflect on what you learn while you have free access.

Yes, if you choose the free option. On Coursera look for the 'Audit' link when you enrol, which gives you free access to the videos and readings for courses like Introduction to Dental Medicine or Dentistry 101. On edX, courses such as Implant Dentistry and Fundamentals of Cariology have a free track alongside the paid verified certificate. In both cases the learning is free and only the certificate and some graded assignments are paid, none of which you need for a dentistry application.

Alison hosts several fully free dental courses, including Oral Health Care, Dental Health and Hygiene, Dental Assistant Fundamentals, a Diploma in Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene, and Dental Radiography: Theory and Techniques. The learning is completely free with no paywall; only an optional certificate or diploma document costs money, which you never need. They are practical, accessible introductions to the dental setting that suit a sixth-form student exploring the profession.

It varies a lot. Some are short, focused courses of only a few hours, such as the Alison oral health courses or Antibiotic Resistance and Dentistry, while others are university-level courses of thirty hours or more. You can filter by length above to find quick reads under ten hours, medium courses of ten to twenty-four hours, or in-depth courses of twenty-five hours and up. You do not need to finish a long course to benefit: even a few well-chosen sections can give you something worth reflecting on.

Yes. MOOCs are open to anyone, anywhere in the world, and they are a particularly good option for international applicants who may find UK dental work experience harder to arrange. They are also useful for showing UK dental schools that you have engaged seriously with the subject in English. The same rule applies wherever you are: reflect on what you learn rather than simply listing courses.

No. Hands-on experience and reflection on real dental or caring settings remain the most important part of a dentistry application, and MOOCs do not replace them. Manual dexterity, teamwork and communication are also central to dentistry and are best evidenced through real activities. Think of online courses as a complement: they show academic curiosity and give you extra material to draw on, but they sit alongside work experience, wider reading and your grades. If you are short on time, prioritise arranging experience first.

Not directly. The UCAT tests aptitude and situational judgement rather than dental knowledge, so a MOOC will not raise your score. What MOOCs help with is the rest of the application: your personal statement and interviews, where showing genuine interest in dentistry matters. For UCAT preparation specifically, structured practice and tutoring are what move your score.

Any time before you write your personal statement, but Year 12 is ideal, and the key is to keep them well away from your UCAT preparation. Doing a course in the year before you apply means the ideas are fresh, and the summer before Year 13, or the period after you have sat the UCAT, is perfect because neither your revision nor your reflection gets rushed. There is nothing wrong with starting earlier in Year 11 if you are curious, as long as you can still remember and discuss what you learned.

Most are accessible to a motivated sixth-form student, and some, such as the Alison, Khan Academy and OpenLearn courses, are gentle introductions that GCSE students can follow too. A few, like Duke's Introductory Human Physiology or the university anatomy courses, are genuinely demanding. Start with a shorter, introductory course such as Discover Dentistry or Oral Health Care, and do not worry if you do not understand everything: engaging with challenging ideas is itself worth reflecting on.

Every course in this directory was checked to confirm it exists and is free to access. They come from universities and organisations such as the University of Sheffield, Penn Dental Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, the King's Fund and the NHS, hosted on FutureLearn, Coursera, edX, Alison, OpenLearn and Khan Academy. Online courses do occasionally move or close, so if a link has changed, a quick search for the course title will usually find its new home. We review the list regularly.