Dentist
Dentists are healthcare professionals who provide preventive and restorative treatments for problems that affect the mouth and teeth.
Most dentists work as self-employed practitioners in general practice, providing dental care to the public under The National Health Service (NHS) and/or privately. Others work in salaried posts within a variety of specialisms in hospital dentistry, community dentistry, the armed forces, corporate practices, industry, or university teaching and research.
A general dental practitioner (GDP) typically leads a team made up of dental care professionals (DCPs) and treats a wide range of patients, from children to the elderly.
Most dentists work in dental practices where, in addition to the dentist(s), the team may include a receptionist, dental nurse, dental hygienist, dental therapist and dental technician.
A dentist is typically responsible for:
Some practices also employ practice managers so that dentists can concentrate on clinical work.
Hospital dentists usually treat patients who have been referred by a GDP and provide more specialised and complex dental care. Additional postgraduate qualifications are required for career progression.
Dental officers working in the Community Dental Service (CDS) (known in England as the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS)) are employed by primary care trusts (PCTs) and provide dental care to adults and children with special needs and disabilities, as well as providing school visits.
Dentists in the armed forces hold a commissioned rank and provide a comprehensive range of dental services for armed forces personnel in the UK and abroad.
Salary figures are intended as a guide only.
In order to practise as a dentist, an approved degree in dentistry (BDS or BChD) is essential.
Entry to the course usually requires high grades at A-level/Highers in chemistry, biology and physics or mathematics. The course combines academic education with theoretical and practical training in all aspects of dental practice. Courses including a pre-dental year exist for candidates without science based A-levels or equivalents. This course normally lasts for 30 weeks and immediately precedes entry to the undergraduate degree course. It is not possible to become a dentist with an HND only.
Graduate entry to dental school is possible. A 2:1 in a science-based first degree is usually preferred. Graduate entry courses usually last for five years, but accelerated four-year courses are available for candidates with a 2:1 or better in a degree with a large element of biology or chemistry. Other graduate courses offer science foundation courses (a 'pre-dental' year) for suitable candidates with a non-science background. Some dental schools admit graduates in any subject as long as A-levels or Highers in sciences (including chemistry) have been passed with high grades.
There are 16 dental schools in the UK, (three of which are graduate entry only), and two postgraduate only dental institutions, all of which are regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC). A list is available from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and also from the British Dental Association (BDA) . Whilst the number of places at dental schools has increased in recent years, competition is still fierce. Some universities require candidates to sit a clinical aptitude test (UKCAT) or the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) as well as having the usual academic requirements.
Pre-entry experience of dentistry is not absolutely essential, but a few weeks of related work experience and work shadowing are looked for as evidence of your motivation.
It is usually essential for candidates to demonstrate potential in the following skills and attributes, which will be assessed at admissions interviews:
It is also important that you have good eyesight.
Training is lengthy and expensive. Lack of financial support can be a problem if you have exhausted your funding entitlements at undergraduate level. Contact course providers for further information on funding and fees. Here are some funding options:
Advice on finance is available to student members of the BDA. It can be beneficial for dental students to become members of the BDA and over 70% do so. Alongside providing a student newsletter, blog and magazine and access to useful texts and networking events, members are eligible to access the legal support provided by the BDA (see British Dental Association (BDA) - student pages ).
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Once qualified, and before being able to practise, dentists must register with The General Dental Council , the profession's regulatory body. Dentists must maintain a professional attitude and follow a professional code of ethics in order to maintain registration with the GDC.
The Committee of Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors (COPDEND) commission and manage postgraduate dental and medical training for dentists via the dental foundation training programme.
After graduation, if you wish to become a general dental practitioner (GDP) or to work as a junior hospital dentist in the Community Dental Service (CDS), (called the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS) in England), you must complete a one-year programme of dental foundation training (DF1), formally referred to as vocational training (VT), working as a Vocational Dental Practitioner (VDP). You'll work within an approved dental practice which provides the aspects of vocational training that all dentists require if they are to work in The National Health Service (NHS) .
Although the training varies by region, VDPs ordinarily work four days a week in the practice, initially under supervision, then increasingly more independently. They learn to manage teams of people by working with dental nurses, receptionists, hygienists and others, and to manage the surgery as a business. VDPs also attend a day release course of lectures and demonstrations, usually run in the dental departments of hospitals. In some practices, particularly in more rural areas, students will work five days a week in the practice and attend the courses on block release. All students are required to keep a log of their progress and undergo performance appraisals according to set guidelines. Following successful completion of this course, dentists may enter a practice as either an associate or an assistant. An assistant is employed on a salaried basis and an associate becomes a self-employed member of a practice, working for the practice owners.
Following DF1, you can undertake DF2 specialist training, a further year of working and trianing, this time in a hospital setting. This is very relevant if you are considering a future career as a hospital consultant.
Courses for specialist qualifications in areas such as orthodontics, implant dentistry and aesthetic dentistry are available. Consult the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) , the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) and the British Dental Association (BDA) for details.
On-going learning is also delivered through e-Den, via e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) .
The majority of dentists choose to become self-employed general dental practitioners (GDPs), but some aim to become consultants in the hospital dental service, or enter other salaried posts, e.g. in the Community Dental Service (CDS), (known as the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS) in England), corporate practices, the armed forces or academia.
A dental graduate entering general dental practice starts in a one-year salaried post as a vocational dental practitioner (VDP). From here, progression is possible to the role of associate or partner in the practice. Many dentists eventually go on to own and run their own practice as general dental practitioners (GDPs).
Self-employed dentists are not ordinarily entitled to benefits such as paid annual or sick leave and they also have responsibility for the management of staff, budgets, tax, equipment and premises. However, they may have the freedom to arrange their own working hours and choose their specialist areas of interest. In general practice, a reputation for competent work is crucial for attracting and retaining patients and ensuring the success of the business.
Hospital dentists follow a defined career structure and training pathway, and have to obtain recognised postgraduate qualifications in order to progress to senior posts. The four main specialisms in the hospital dental service are oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry and restorative dentistry.
In the CDS/SPDCS experience is gained as a community clinical dental officer (CCDO) with further opportunity to gain postgraduate qualifications by part-time study. CCDOs may wish to become senior dental officers (SDOs), with a special responsibility in areas such as epidemiology or treating patients with special needs.
In the armed forces, cadetships at undergraduate level lead to commissions, and dental officers share in many aspects of service life.
Dentists working in universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals can, with relevant postgraduate qualifications, progress to a senior lectureship or professorial post.
To maintain registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) dentists are required to complete a minimum of 250 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) over the course of a five-year cycle. It sounds a lot, but it should simply be a formal framework for what you’re already doing.
General dental practitioners (GDPs) are either employed as assistants or work as self-employed associates, providing National Health Service (NHS) dental services. Dental practices vary in size from single-practitioner part-time surgeries to multiple-site partnerships with several associates. Dental treatment may be provided under the NHS or as private care - most dentists run mixed practices.
Hospital dentists in the UK are employed in NHS hospital trusts in a variety of dental specialisms, including paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral pathology, restorative dentistry and dental public health. Many of their patients are referred by GDPs. Specialists in oral medicine and oral maxillofacial surgery are doubly qualified in dentistry and medicine. Hospital dentists see fewer patients than GDPs but cases are more complex.
Salaried dentists in the UK have a contract of employment with the Community Dental Service (CDS), known in England as the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS), providing dental care for patients with special needs of various kinds, such as people with disabilities, children, the elderly and the housebound. Salaried dentists work in a variety of clinical settings including health authority surgeries, mobile clinics and residential homes.
Dental officers in the armed forces provide dental care for service men and women and their families at locations in the UK and overseas. For details, contact the Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) , Royal Navy Careers and Royal Air Force Careers .
Corporate practices and regional dental access centres also employ dentists and are becoming more common.
Universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals offer dentists the option of combining academic teaching with research to pursue special interests in-depth.
Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.
Tweet