Dentistry

Study an innovative dental curriculum at a top school with world-class facilities and access to London’s diverse population.

This five-year degree is designed to help you build the skills needed to become a dental professional. The Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London offers a new and innovative curriculum, covering the care of the mouth, including the prevention and treatment of dental diseases, screening for oral cancers, managing trauma, orthodontics, and oral surgery. Throughout the programme, you will develop your academic, clinical, professional, and personal skills, putting into practice your communication and teamwork abilities while delivering supervised dental care. You will gain experience collaborating with dental professionals and broader healthcare teams, demonstrating the expertise, competencies, and ethical behaviours essential to qualifying as a safe and capable practitioner.

Our location in east London means you will serve a population of great diversity and encounter a wide range of disease, including some of the more unusual oral cancers. You will be exposed to patients early on, and as you progress through your studies, you will gain hands-on experience at our outreach clinics in Canary Wharf, Stratford, and our newest centre in Homerton.

We encourage you to take a holistic approach to dentistry by studying the human sciences along with your core dentistry modules – including sociology and psychology – to examine patients’ attitude to oral healthcare and the dental profession.

The Dental Schools Council has published a guide to the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry, which we recommend you read before making your application.

More information about the course including entry requirements and selection criteria can be found here https://www.qmul.ac.uk/fmd/study/undergraduate/courses/

Our undergraduate dental curriculum incorporates the General Dental Council’s (GDC) Safe Practitioner framework of behaviours and outcomes for dental professional education which is effective from 2025. The dental curriculum has been reviewed and co-created with students with the aim of ‘Opening the doors of opportunity to serve our patients by producing outstanding Dentists, Therapists and Dental Care professionals of the future’. The curriculum embodies what is expected by the GDC with the domains listed below running through each year of the course:

•    Clinical knowledge and skills.
•    Interpersonal skills.
•    Professionalism.
•    Self-management.

UCAS application deadline: 15 October

YEAR 1
Fundamentals of clinical practice

The first-year BDS curriculum provides a comprehensive foundation in basic sciences, clinical practice, and professionalism, preparing you for your future role as a dental professional. In your first year, you will be introduced to the fundamental biological, clinical, and professional principles needed to begin your journey as a dental practitioner.

The curriculum emphasises early clinical exposure, patient-centred care, and the development of essential skills. The core modules focus on the structure and function of body tissues, organs, and systems, with a particular emphasis on oral health and function. You will explore the relationship between tissue structure and function, including dental materials science, and examine how physiological systems and their disorders impact both general and oral health. The curriculum is integrated with Clinical Practice & Professionalism and Population & Public Health modules to ensure a cohesive learning experience that underscores the interconnectedness of systemic health, pharmacology, and oral care.

To develop your clinical and professional competencies, you will engage in lectures, small group sessions, clinical skills training, and patient observation, enhancing your communication, teamwork, and professionalism skills. The course promotes evidence-based dentistry and prevention principles, fostering critical thinking and clinical decision-making. Professionalism is assessed through portfolio development, with staff and peer feedback encouraging reflective practice and lifelong learning. You will also benefit from collaborative learning with Dental Hygiene and Therapy students, strengthening your interprofessional education.

You will cover:

Oral biology and the normal biological structure and function of cells
The main organs and body systems
The effects of illness on people and their families
Development of clinical skills using haptics, clinical skills laboratories and the dental clinics. This increases the exposure of students to clinical dentistry in the first year.
Dental materials and their application
The impact of environmental and social factors on health
The impact of systemic health and medication on oral health
Critical Thinking and Professional Skills
Interpersonal and Professional Skills

The Year 1 curriculum reflects the Spiral Curriculum Model, ensuring that topics introduced in this year will be revisited and built upon throughout the course, reinforcing your knowledge and clinical competence.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Your progress will be assessed throughout the programme, using:

Continuous assessment – including in-course examinations, independent projects and success in student-selected components
Longitudinal assessments to evaluate the development of clinical competence, interpersonal skills and professionalism throughout all years

Examinations – where you’ll demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes you’ve developed throughout the programme
Formative assessments, which do not count towards your final marks but allow us to identify whether you need additional help with your studies

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to assess your clinical and communication skills. You will be assessed on your ability to interact with clinical simulations, accomplish tasks and communicate or interact with both real and simulated patients
Clinical case studies

Feedback is provided to support student learning and the development of insight as well as facilitate reflective practice
Reflective practice is an essential component of your professional identity formation. You will be taught and assessed on your ability to think critically about your practice enabling you to identify your learning needs. This will support self-awareness development, which enables self-monitoring and regulation.