A dental nurse’s guide to becoming a dentist:
You may not realise it but by being a dental nurse, you already have some of the skills required to become a good dentist. Not only do you understand the procedures and technical aspects of dentistry, you have practice handling instruments and are good with your hands. Your excellent patient care and ability to maintain good relationships proves your potential as an excellent dentist. If you would like to take you career further, and enjoy a rewarding and lucrative career, it’s time you took the plunge.
As the General Dental Council (GDC) keep a close check on the standards of UK dental education at undergraduate and postgraduate level, dentistry is one of the most competitive courses to be granted a place on at university in the UK; and this reflected in the entry requirements.
For entry to standard five-year degree programmes, applicants will usually need five good GCSEs plus three A-levels which include two sciences at grades AAA to ABB. Chemistry and biology are usually required. If you have a non-science A-level, you can apply for dental degrees with the additional pre-dental year which brings the total study time to six years.
If you already have a degree, you may be considered for entry onto a five-year standard degree course although you will normally need to have an upper-second class degree and A-level grades similar to the school’s normal entry requirements
There are also a few four-year accelerated degrees for graduates who have degrees (at upper-second class level or above) with large elements of biology and chemistry. Graduates with a degree in biomedical science may also be considered.
If you do not have a degree or A-levels, you can still train to be a dentist. You could sit A-levels that meet the entry requirements; this can be done in a year. There are many institutions that offer part-time, evening or even distance learning A-levels.
You can also study for a degree in biology/chemistry which takes six years part-time.
To be able to work in an NHS general practice as an associate or in their own dental practice, a dentist must enter their name on the dental list of the primary care trust for the area they will be working in. To do this, they will need to complete vocational training (VT) in a dental practice. Current VT schemes are sent to all dental students in the January/February of their final year.
After vocational training, dentists can work in a general practice as an associate or as an assistant.
An associate is a self-employed dentist, responsible for the treatment that they provide but working in a practice owned by someone else.
Most dentists make large sums of money which varies depending on the chosen environment to practice in. Implantologists, for example, enjoy some of the highest salaries of any health care professional.
To find out more information on which institutions offer courses in dentistry, visit our course list page.
We would also like to hear from dental nurses who are currently studying dentistry as we would like to share your experiences with other dental nurses.