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Dentistry - BDS entry

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A-A,B,B

AAA including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics. Graduates are required to obtain a 2:1 in their degree and BBB at A-level including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics. Contextual offer: ABB including A in Chemistry and B in one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics. Please visit: bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/ for more information about contextual offers.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Access to HE Diploma in Science, Biomedical/ Medical/ Health Science or Psychology (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include: - at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit or above; and - at least 12 credits at Distinction from Chemistry units; and - at least 12 credits (with 9 at Distinction) from one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics. Mature students can contact [email protected] to check the suitability of their Access course.

Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/ D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/ M2 is B, and M3 is C.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

Applicants must also meet these GCSE profile requirements: advanced numeracy requirement (7 or A in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent) and standard literacy requirement (4 or C in GCSE English or equivalent). For further information: bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/gcse/

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32-36

Standard offer: 36 points overall with 18 at Higher Level, including 6, 6 at Higher Level in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics (either Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretations). Contextual offer: 32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level, including 6 at Higher Level in Chemistry and 5 at Higher Level in one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics (either Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretations). Please visit: bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/ for more information about contextual offers.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

DDD in Applied Science BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma, with Distinctions in five specified Chemistry units.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A

Advanced Higher: AA in Chemistry and either Biology, Physics or Mathematics.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,B

Standard Higher: AAAAB.

Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.

UCAS Tariff

112-159

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

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About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Clinical dentistry

This five-year degree has a strong core of clinical training supported by integrated learning of relevant sciences and technical skills. You will progress personally, academically, clinically and professionally, applying taught communication and teamworking skills when providing supervised dental care to a diverse range of patients in and around Bristol. You will learn to work within dental and wider healthcare teams and networks, demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and behaviours so you graduate as a safe practitioner.

From September 2023, we will have moved into our new Dental School building with the latest facilities and equipment, designed with input from our current students and staff to provide an exceptional educational experience.

The course structure comprises four main themes of development:

- practitioner,

- scholar and scientist,

- professional and agent of change,

- person and citizen.

You will be introduced to basic concepts in the healthy patient before progressing to apply your knowledge and skills to prevent and treat a range of oral diseases. In first year, you will become familiar with the clinic environment through peer group activities and observations. You will begin your dental practice under supervision in clinics after completion of simulated skills training undertaken in our new state-of-the-art facilities. From second year you will treat patients with a wide variety, and increasing complexity, of oral and dental diseases in preparation for practice beyond graduation.

After third year, you can choose to intercalate in a subject of personal interest to obtain an BA, BSc, or even a master's degree.

Student welfare is central to our programme and you will have access to a wide range of support, starting with our well-developed in-house personal tutor and senior tutor network, alongside support from the wider University.

**Health and Disclosure and Barring Service check**
Certain health conditions may be incompatible with careers in dentistry. Before starting your degree, you will need to complete a health assessment questionnaire and pre-course screening for blood-borne viruses. These blood tests are to identify the few individuals whose health status may place them and/or future patients at risk. Please note that as part of your training you will come into contact with human and animal cadaveric material.

Practising dentistry demands the highest standards of professional and personal conduct. In accordance with General Dental Council guidelines, all dental students must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. For more information, please visit our guidelines for students on the DBS disclosure page: https://bristol.ac.uk/secretary/legal/dbs/students-dbs/

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£43,100
per year
International
£43,100
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Bristol

Department:

Bristol Dental School

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

79%
Clinical dentistry

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Dentistry

Teaching and learning

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
68%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
88%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

84%
Library resources
91%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
39%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
33%
Male students
67%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Dentistry

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£31,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
98%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

100%
Health professionals

If you want a stable, well-paid career, then dentistry is an excellent choice. Starting salaries rival those for medicine, almost all graduates get jobs in dentistry on leaving their course and there are roles all around the country. It is a pretty select course, with only a little over a thousand graduates a year, but for that group, the rewards can be excellent.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Dentistry

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£39k

£39k

£50k

£50k

£53k

£53k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Plymouth | Plymouth
Dental Surgery
BDS 5 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 136-168
Nearby University
Cardiff University | Cardiff
Dentistry
BDS 5 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 144

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here