Dental Courses

Dental – Overview

General dental practitioners (GDPs) are self-employed as performers or providers of National Health Service (NHS) dental services. These practices may be under the NHS or private and most dentists run mixed practices. Approximately 3,000 hospital dentists are employed in the NHS hospital trust in a variety of dental specialism's. Specialists in oral medicine and oral maxillofacial surgery are qualified in both dentistry and medicine.

Dentists also can have a contract of employment with the Salaried Primary Dental Care Services (SPDCS). Salaried dentists may work in a variety of clinical settings, such as: health authority surgeries; mobile clinics; residential homes.

Dentists may also practice in the Royal Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force providing dental care for the service men and women and their families at locations in the UK and overseas. Universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals offer dentists the option of combining academic teaching with research to pursue special interests in-depth.

Expected Salary

• Vocational Dental Practitioner (VDP): £28 600
• Senior Dentist with experience: £60 000 – £141 000
• In trust hospitals of the National Health Service (NHS) – Consultants: £71 000 - £161 000
• Salaries in the CDS/SPDCS range from £36,000 to £77,000

Training

Many dental graduates start with general professional training (GPT). GPT is a recently introduced qualification, which is structured introduction to both junior hospital posts and vocational training for general dental practice. It is a requirement for UK dental school graduates to complete the VT year in order to be able to work in NHS primary dental care.

Courses for specialist qualifications in areas such as orthodontics, implant dentistry and aesthetic dentistry, are available on Underoak website.

Related Careers

• Dental hygienist
• Doctor, general practice
• Physiotherapist
• Radiographer, diagnostic
• Radiographer, therapeutic
• Speech and language therapist

Useful Links

Dental Guide

NHS Student Bursaries

Core Skills

It is essential to be qualified in a five-year degree in dentistry (BDS or BChD) to practice as a dentist. Entry to the course requires high grades at A-level/Highers in Chemistry, biology and physics or mathematics. The course combines a mixture of academic with theoretical and practical training in all aspects of dental practice.

Graduate entry to dental school is possible preferably with a 2.1 in a science-based degree. It is essential for the potential candidates to demonstrate the following skills, which will be assessed at admissions interview:

• Strong academic ability
• Self-discipline
• Commitment to completing this long and demanding degree course
• Manual dexterity and technical dental skills, plus the ability to maintain intense concentration for prolonged periods
• The ability to build relationships with patients and colleagues
• High level communication and interpersonal skills, for interaction with patients of all ages and backgrounds
• An interest in the welfare of others and a sympathetic manner
• Good administrative and managerial abilities
• Information technology skills, due to the increasing use of computers for keeping records and accounts, and for digital imaging of radiographs and intra-oral photography
• It is also important that you have good eyesight

Job Sites

Average working hours per week

Job Description

Dentist

The Role

Dentists are health care 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 dental team may include a receptionist, dental nurse, dental hygienist, dental therapist and dental technician. Some practices also employ practice managers so that dentists can concentrate on clinical work.

A dentist is typically responsible for:

• Educating patients on oral health care;
• Examining teeth and diagnosing patients' dental conditions, using tools such as X-rays
• Assessing treatment options and agreeing treatment plans with patients
• Carrying out agreed clinical treatments, such as treating gum disease, restoring teeth affected by decay, etc
• Maintaining patients' dental records
• Recruiting, training and managing staff
• Managing budgets and maintaining stocks of equipment
• Keeping abreast of new developments through structured continuing professional development (CPD)
• Marketing services to potential clients

Hospital dentists usually treat patients who have been referred by a general dental practitioner (GDP) and therefore dental care is more specialised and complex. Additional postgraduate qualifications are required for career progression.

Dental officers working in the Community Dental Service (now known in England as the Salaried Primary Dental Care Service (SPDCS) are employed by primary care trusts 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 and their families, both in the UK and abroad.

Salary:

• Vocational Dental Practitioner (VDP): £28 600
• Senior Dentist with experience: £60 000 – £141 000

Career Development

Self-employment – most dentists choose to become self-employed general dental practitioners (GDPs). However consulting is also one of the options that some may want to choose. e.g. consultants in the hospital dental service, salaried posts such as Community Dental Service (CDS), corporate practices, the armed forces or academia.

A graduate entering general practice may start in a one-year salaried post as a vocational dental practitioner (VDP). Most dentists eventually go on to own and run their own practice as general dental practitioners (GDPs).

Dentists working in universities with dental schools and teaching hospitals can, with relevant postgraduate qualifications, progress to a senior lectureship or professorial post.