Key information
For:
starting September 2026
UCAS code:
B758
Typical offer:
144 UCAS points from 3 A levels, or equivalent, including 48 UCAS points in A level Biology and 48 points in one other science subject
Showing content for section Overview
Overview
Eligibility
This course is currently only accepting applications from EU and international students.
We hope to open this course to UK students in the future, depending on Government allocated funding.
Graduates of this course will go on to have a meaningful impact on society, contributing to better health and reducing long-term healthcare costs.
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) combines biomedical and behavioural sciences, dental public health, clinical skills, and patient-centred care, preparing you for a future career in dentistry. You'll get hands-on training in our state-of-the-art teaching facilities and take part in live clinical sessions with patients. You'll also develop your communication skills and deliver outreach activities, securing your place as a valuable and key member of the community.
Studying in our Dental Academy, you’ll develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours you need to be ready to apply for registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), which is essential for practicing as a dentist in the UK.
Course highlights
- Develop and refine clinical skills in our modern phantom head and haptics labs, using high-fidelity haptic simulators in a team-based environment
- Early patient contact in our dedicated primary care clinical facilities at the Dental Academy
- Community based dental care and community healthcare projects, involving outreach placements which develop the skills needed to prepare dentists to tackle the oral health needs of local communities
- Team-based education, working alongside dental hygiene, dental therapy and dental nursing students to replicate real-world general dental practice
- Secondary care placements in hospital settings to gain experience in specialised areas such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, special care dentistry and restorative dentistry
Accredited by:
This course has pre-accreditation approval.
Why isn't this course accepting UK students?
We’re currently waiting for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and then the Office for Students (OfS), to finish reviewing the dental workforce and confirm how many funded Dentistry training places will be available across the UK.
Until we're given an official number of places, we are unable to offer places on this course to UK students. We are working hard to secure an allocation for UK students and will update the website to reflect this position in due course.
This is a new course and we're finalising the detailed information for this page. This course is subject to approval.
Get in touch
Entry requirements
Typical offers
This course is currently only accepting applications from EU and international students.
Typical offers
- A levels - AAA
- UCAS points - 144 points from 3 A levels, or equivalent, including 48 points in A level Biology and 48 points in one other science subject (Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology). For A levels which include a separate science practical component, a pass is desirable and may strengthen an application (calculate your UCAS points)
- International Baccalaureate - 30
30 points from the IB Diploma with 666 at Higher Level, with 6 points from a Higher Level in biology and one other science subject (Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology)
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
Selection process
- All applicants will be required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in year of application
- All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview, either an individual online interview or an on campus interview, which will be used alongside your application to determine your suitability for this course
- Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health checks before starting the course
- The Department of Health requires all new Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP) workers, including students, are tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. The consent, test and managed process of results will be carried out by our Occupational Health Department
You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs – .
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 6.5.
.
We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Values and the NHS Constitution
We embed the principles and values of the in all our health and social care courses. When you apply for this course, we’ll expect you to demonstrate how your values align with the values of the Constitution.
Facilities and specialist equipment
Discover our dental facilities
Explore our dental facilities, where you'll access a range of specialist equipment and build your skills towards your chosen career.
The tutors, they don't just teach you to pass your course. They really care about you having a good information and knowledge base to be able to deal with your patients as a whole. It's just amazing.
Careers and opportunities
Dentists are pivotal to the team responsible for improving oral health and will contribute to reducing long-term healthcare costs and improving life expectancy. With a focus on community and patient-centred learning, our dentist graduates will reduce health inequalities by working with diverse populations, including vulnerable or underserved groups.
1024ºË¹¤³§ dental graduates may take on leadership roles within professional bodies or health systems, shaping policies around oral health education, access to care, or ethical practices in dentistry.
What areas can you work in with a dental surgery degree?
After you complete this course, you’ll be able to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a dentist and embark on your dental career straight away in the private dental sector; for international students, this will be subject to working visa regulations at point of graduation. You'll need to complete Dental Foundation Training (DFT) to be eligible to practice dentistry in the NHS. Eligibility for the DFT is different for international students.
You'll also be qualified to work in areas such as:
- Primary care general dental practice (NHS after DFT)
- Dental Core Training (DCT) – develop skills and focus on specialties in secondary care (orthodontics, paediatrics, oral surgery, special care and geriatric dentistry) (after DFT)
- Secondary care dental services (community dental services, hospitals)
- Public health dentistry
- Dental Education
- Research and Innovation (academic, product development, pharmaceutical companies, dental equipment manufacturers)
- Forensic dentistry
- Military dental care
- Cosmetic dentistry
Dental Foundation Training (DFT)
To practice dentistry in the NHS you'll need to complete Dental Foundation Training. The DFT is a postgraduate training programme that takes 12 months to complete full-time and you'll be paid a salary throughout. Through hands-on clinical experience, assessments and study days, newly-qualified dentists will demonstrate that they have the necessary competencies to work independently in NHS general dental practice. Eligibility for the DFT is different for international students.
Once the DFT has been successfully completed, candidates will be eligible for inclusion in the NHS Performers List. Any dentist offering primary care in an NHS setting is required to be registered on the Performers List for England.
DFT for international students
While international graduate dentists of BDS Dental Surgery can apply for GDC registration upon completion of their course and practice in the private dental sector, not all international dental graduates will be eligible to apply for DFT. By 2031, University of 1024ºË¹¤³§ hopes to secure DFT eligibility for our international graduate dentists.
Ongoing career support – up to 5 years after you graduate
Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience.
Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Careers and Employability Service to help you find your perfect role.
Work experience with patients in the community
To help you gain professional experience, you'll help to provide free dental health services to the public at the Dental Academy and work with patients in local community settings.
You'll have the chance to offer preventative and educational dental support within institutions such as school clinics and hostels for homeless people, enabling you to gain a better understanding of the social impact of good dental care.
Our community work experience projects include:
- outreach activity in community surgeries and maxillofacial departments in local hospitals
- oral health promotion
- supervised tooth brushing in infant schools
- helping staff to develop oral care plans in residential homes
- providing dental screening to offenders in the probation service
- providing dental check ups to elite athletes, including first team players from 1024ºË¹¤³§ Football Club
1024ºË¹¤³§ FC players get a check up at the Dental Academy
Thanks to a collaborative partnership with 1024ºË¹¤³§ Football Club, our undergraduate dental students gave first team players Clark Robertson and Liam Vincent a full oral health assessment at our Dental Academy.
Check ups like these are an opportunity to catch any potential issues early, such as dental trauma from the sport, tooth decay from a diet that’s often high in carbohydrates and sugars, or dental erosion caused by acidic sports drinks.
Professor Chris Louca: Today we are resurrecting a collaboration between the University of 1024ºË¹¤³§ and 1024ºË¹¤³§ Football Club. So in this case, we've got final year Dental Hygiene students who are looking at the 1024ºË¹¤³§ Football Club players and they're carrying out a full oral health assessment.
This is a really big area of interest, looking at the link between oral health and the performance of elite athletes. There's a growing body of evidence to show that there is a link between these two areas.
Francesca Lee: So an athlete's diet consists of high sugar, so the advice I'd give to athletes is to minimise eating sugary foods and drinks and if they're going to have it, eat it in one sitting rather than snacking throughout the day.
Liam Vincent: I've just had a check up and they've removed some decay off my teeth. My teeth are a lot better now!
I never really considered the health of my teeth before, as much as I will do now.
Clark Robertson: I didn't really think about it too much in relation to actually playing football, but it's something I'll be more aware of moving forward.
Modules
What you'll study
Throughout your first year we will support you in your transition to higher education and provide you with core knowledge and skills that will prepare you for your career in dentistry.
You’ll be introduced to the fundamental topics related to dentistry, including human anatomy & physiology, microbiology & infection control, communication skills & preventive approaches to patient care and the regulatory aspects of dental service provision.
We use a blended learning approach for theoretical based teaching and alongside this you will undertake lab-based clinical skills sessions, developing an understanding of the equipment used and hands-on practices of dentistry.
You’ll be integrated as part of the team delivering patient care on our dedicated patient clinics, in a safe and supportive learning environment.
In your second year, you’ll build on the knowledge gained from year one using our blended learning approach. You will be able to apply all your theoretical learning on live patient clinics. Alongside this, you’ll develop knowledge and clinical skills to help you manage Paediatric Dental Care, Oral Diseases, and how to use Radiology to improve diagnostic skills, enabling you to provide a wider range of restorative care for both children and adults.
This will help you improve your clinical and diagnostic skills and give you a better understanding of systemic health conditions that can be detected in the mouth and may need attention from the wider dental team, or even an interdisciplinary healthcare team.
In your third year, you’ll develop important skills essential for understanding clinical research and practising evidence-based dentistry. There is a focus on dental public health and oral health promotion.
You will develop fundamental skills required for safe practice, including the management of medical emergencies and engaging with service improvement and quality in patient care provision.
You will continue to develop your clinical skills; managing dental pain and enhancing your diagnostic skills, extracting primary teeth and treating dental trauma. You will attend placements in secondary care settings to broaden your experience and understanding of holistic dental care.
In your fourth year, you’ll take your restorative and surgical skills to the next level, preparing to deliver the full scope of a dentist. You’ll learn how to extract permanent teeth, manage the pulp, replace missing teeth, and restore smiles with dental crowns and bridges. You’ll continue to gain invaluable clinical experience at our dedicated student clinics where you’ll see first hand the impact of your skills on patients’ lives. In addition, you will take part in outreach placements to be able to apply theoretical aspects of complex patient management in clinical settings, gaining rich experiences of dental care in primary and secondary care settings, including special care dentistry.
Your final year focuses on consolidating your knowledge and gaining advanced clinical experience to prepare you for safe independent practice. You’ll complete placements in hospital settings, including rotations through Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics —giving you exposure to complex cases and multidisciplinary care. You’ll continue to develop and enhance your skills in clinical governance and leadership and management, while engaging in activities designed to ensure you graduate as a safe, confident practitioner, fully prepared for GDC registration and a successful career in dentistry.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
This course is currently only accepting applications from EU and international students.
- EU and international students – £43,000 per year (subject to annual increase)
Fees for new international and EU undergraduate and postgraduate students (both full-time and part-time) will increase each year, based on factors including inflation. For continuing students, fees will not increase by more than 5% per year.
For more information, please refer to our .
Additional costs
Our accommodation section shows your accommodation options and highlights how much it costs to live in 1024ºË¹¤³§.
You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for the modules you study each year.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget around £40 a year for photocopying, printing charges, binding and specialist printing - while we try to keep files and content electronic, there may be some paper and printing to be undertaken.
You’ll need to bring your own 40mm padlock if you use our locker facilities.
You’ll get 4 sets of clinical scrubs throughout the course duration, a clinical visor frame and a name badge at the start of the course. You can order extra or replacement scrubs at £11 per set. You can also order replacement name badges for £7.
You’ll need to buy your own clinical footwear (a pair of black shoes which enclose the foot that are not canvas or clogs) and optionally, dental loupes.
You’ll need to pay for your own travel costs when you go out on placement and attend outreach locations in support of your studies.
Apply
Eligibility
This course is currently only accepting applications from EU and international students.
We hope to open this course to UK students in the future, depending on Government allocated funding.
Ready to apply?
To start BDS Dental Surgery in September 2026, apply through UCAS. You'll need:
- the UCAS course – B758
- our institution code – P80
If you'd prefer to apply directly, use our .
You can also sign up to an Open Day to:
- Tour our campus, facilities and halls of residence
- Speak with lecturers and chat with our students
- Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies and which clubs and societies to join
If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.
Why isn't this course accepting UK students?
We’re currently waiting for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and then the Office for Students (OfS), to finish reviewing the dental workforce and confirm how many funded Dentistry training places will be available across the UK.
Until we're given an official number of places, we are unable to offer places on this course to UK students. We are working hard to secure an allocation for UK students and will update the website to reflect this position in due course.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of 1024ºË¹¤³§, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.
Finalising this course
All our courses go through a rigorous approval process to make sure they’re of the highest quality. This includes a review by a panel of experts, made up of academic staff and an external academic or professional with specialist knowledge.
This course is in the final stages of this process and is open for applications. If any details of the course or its approval status change after you apply, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and will be here to discuss your options with you.
This is a new course and we're finalising the detailed information for this page. This course is subject to approval.