Dentist

Key skills/talents

Here are the top 10 skills and knowledge areas needed to be a dentist:

1. Clinical Dental Knowledge: This includes a strong understanding of oral anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and anaesthesia.

2. Manual Dexterity and Hand-Eye Coordination: Dentists work in a small space and need excellent fine motor skills for precise procedures like fillings and extractions.

3. Communication Skills: Being able to explain procedures clearly, answer questions patiently, and build rapport with patients of all ages and backgrounds is crucial.

4. Active Listening Skills: Understanding a patient's concerns and medical history is vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

5. Empathy and Compassion: Dental procedures can be stressful for patients, so dentists need to be sensitive to their anxieties and provide a calming presence.

6. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Diagnosing dental issues often involves piecing together clues from examinations, X-rays, and patient history.

7. Attention to Detail: Even small mistakes in dentistry can have significant consequences, so meticulousness is essential.

8. Stamina and Physical Fitness: Standing for long periods and maintaining good posture throughout the day are necessary for dentists.

9. Business Acumen (for some): Many dentists run their own practices, so understanding business principles like budgeting and marketing can be beneficial.

10. Lifelong Learning: Dentistry is a constantly evolving field, so a commitment to keeping knowledge and skills current is essential.

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​Qualifications required

To become a dentist in the UK, you'll need a combination of academic qualifications, practical experience, and personal qualities. Here's a breakdown of the key academic requirements...

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A-Levels: Typically, strong grades (mostly A's) in science subjects like biology and chemistry are required.

 

Dental Degree: Complete a five-year undergraduate dental degree (BDS or BChD) accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC): https://www.gdc-uk.org/education-cpd/dental-education/quality-assurance/approved-providers/dentistry. 

 

The UCAS link is also here: https://www.ucas.com/explore/search/all?query=dentistry

 

There might be four-year options for those with a relevant science degree already.

 

There are sixteen dental schools in the UK, of which two are graduate entry. There are also two postgraduate entry dental institutes. Upon qualification dentists must register with the General Dental Council (GDC), the profession's governing body.

 

You may be required to take an additional Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT): https://www.ucat.ac.uk, or the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT): https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/ucas-application/bmat-when-it-is-what-it-costs-and-how-to-prepare  to assess your suitability for the program you are applying for.

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If English isn't your first language, you'll also likely need to demonstrate proficiency through tests like IELTS with a score above 6.5: https://ielts.org

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The GDC gives further guidance regarding education & CPD: https://www.gdc-uk.org/education-cpd

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Rules and regs

The GDC has a document called Standards for the Dental Team, which gives a lot of information as to expectations, rules and regulations: https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/standards-for-the-dental-team

 

The Professional Standards Authority regulates the GDC, to ensure all guidance is met: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work-with-regulators/find-a-regulator/general-dental-council

 

As you would expect as a member of the healthcare profession, there are many laws, restrictions and regulations you should adhere to. This link gives a thorough run through of all that is expected: https://ukdental4u.co.uk/legal-rules-dentistry-in-the-uk

Insurance must be in place to practise dentistry. PFM Dental carries insurances specifically for dentists and their surgeries, as an example: https://pfmdental.co.uk/financial-planning/practice-insurance

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Remuneration framework

As a newly qualified dentist, if you want to work in the NHS, you'll have to complete one year of foundation training. During this time you'll earn a salary of £36,288.

 

Most dentists are self-employed contractors in general practice, mixing NHS with private work. Profits of dental practices vary greatly, but in general, you can earn around £50,000 to £110,000. Wholly private dentists can earn £140,000+.

 

If you enter dental core training, instead of working in general practice, you'll earn a salary of £43,923 to £55,329. There are also additional payments for night, weekend and on-call work.

 

If you work as a salaried dentist employed by the NHS, mainly in community dental services, you'll earn around £47,653 to £101,923.

 

In NHS trust hospitals, consultants in dental specialties earn a basic salary of £93,666 to £126,281 depending on the number of years spent in the consultant grade.

 

The long and short of it is, it’s a well-paid career, and one that also comes with great deal of flexibility, which for women wanting children, or with children, is a big plus!

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How to get started

As previously specified, you will need to study for a dentistry degree & complete a five-year undergraduate dental degree (BDS or BChD) accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC). 

 

Gaining work experience through volunteering or dental assistant roles can be highly beneficial for your application, as Henna talks about in the chat. Competition for dental school places is high, so strong academic performance and relevant experience will make you a strong candidate.

 

After completing your degree, register with the General Dental Council (GDC) to begin practising dentistry legally in the UK: https://www.gdc-uk.org

 

The first step to becoming an NHS dentist is Dental Foundation Training (DFT) or Vocational Training (VT). This is supervised training, working in an approved practice for one year after graduation.

 

After this, there are many different career options open to dentists; for example, working in hospitals or community dentistry, however most dentists choose to work in an established practice as an associate who is responsible for the treatment provided, but working in a practice owned by someone else. Henna did the traditional route and discussed working in an NHS practice to start and to complete her DFT, and then spending 2-years in hospital dentistry, before embarking down the private and NHS combined route and then onto a purely private practice.

 

If you want to consider a career as a hospital consultant, you'll need to take further specialist training in a hospital setting. Courses for specialist qualifications in areas such as orthodontics, implant dentistry and aesthetic dentistry are available. For details, consult the:

• British Dental Association (BDA)

• Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS)

• College of General Dentistry

 

Once qualified, dentists can continue to update and further their knowledge, through a wide range of short courses and postgraduate qualifications, sometimes on a part-time basis.

Further career advice can be found on the British Dental Association’s (BDA) website: https://www.bda.org/advice/career-hub/career-advice

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Associations or official bodies to register with

All UK dentists must register with the GDA: https://www.gdc-uk.org/registration/join-the-register before being allowed to practise. 

 

You can also join the BDA: https://www.bda.org/membership

The British Orthodontic Society carries a full list of the associations and other UK organisations that dentists can join: https://bos.org.uk/professionals-members/affiliates-links/uk-organisations-related-societies

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Job site links

NHS Jobs, as always are well listed on their job site: https://www.nhsjobs.com/job_list/Medical_and_Dental/s2/Dental/d533 

 

The British Dental Journal has listings:: https://www.bdjjobs.com
 

Zest Dental Recruitment also have good listings: https://www.dentistjobs.co.uk

 

And dentistry jobs can always be found on the usual job sites, such as Indeed: https://uk.indeed.com/jobs?q=dentist&l=&from=searchOnDesktopSerp&vjk=eec3d34899d6aa18

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Progression pathway​

As a dentist you can be employed in the following sectors:

• NHS or private dental practice - you'll either be employed as an assistant or will work as a self-employed associate. Dental practices vary in size from single practitioner, part-time surgeries to multiple-site partnerships with several associates. 

• NHS hospital trust - as a salaried dentist specialising in a certain area such as paediatric dentistry, orthodontics or restorative dentistry.

• Community dental service - working in a variety of clinical settings as a salaried dentist within the NHS, including health authority surgeries, mobile clinics and residential homes.

• Role in the armed forces - at locations in the UK and overseas with the Royal Air Force, Royal Army and Royal Navy.

 

Each route has its own progression route within it, and of course pay scale within it, so it’s really down to which you think floats your boat. When determining your career path, or indeed if you are considering changing path within dentistry, always speak to people within that sector, to find out what it’s like, and to determine whether it would suit your skillset and your personality.

 

Henna talks openly about NHS dentistry not being for her, purely because she likes to take more time with her work (and needs more time), but she only found this out by giving it a try.

 

Many dentists eventually go on to own and run a practice, and Henna discussed that she and her (Dentist) husband have just purchased a practice in Solihull. You'll need to take responsibility for the management of staff, budgets, tax, equipment and premises but will have the freedom to arrange your own working hours and specialist area.

 

If you go into hospital dentistry, you'll follow a defined career structure and training pathway and will have to obtain recognised postgraduate qualifications to progress to senior posts. The main specialisms in the hospital dental service are:

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery

• Oral surgery

• Orthodontics

• Paediatric dentistry

• Restorative dentistry

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Within community dental services, experience is gained as a community clinical dental officer, and you'll have the chance to take postgraduate qualifications through part-time study. You could progress to a senior dental officer role, with a special responsibility in areas such as epidemiology or treating patients with special needs.

 

In university dental schools and teaching hospitals you can, with the relevant postgraduate qualifications, progress to a senior lectureship or professorial post. 

 

Finally, as a practising dentist, with additional non-clinical responsibilities, you can choose to become involved in additional work that interests you. This may be a way to directly contribute to future growth in the sector, such as biomaterial development or public health initiatives. To be appointed to the title of 'Professor' you should expect to have been involved in publishing high-impact research as well as having been seen to be encouraging others to conduct their own research.

 

Dental research fellowships provide a great opportunity to pursue a specific area of interest and to develop expertise.

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Additional Information/links

To better understand the role of a dentist, it's helpful to know what their primary roles and responsibilities are. Dentists often handle:

• Education: Dentists are responsible for educating patients on the need for maintaining good oral hygiene. Encouraging patients, particularly young patients, to be motivated for looking after their oral hygiene is a crucial part of being a dentist.

• Examinations: Dentists are also responsible for examining patients to identify dental issues and concerns which might cause serious problems if left untreated.

• Dental treatments: After concluding the process of examination and diagnosis, dentists are then responsible for performing treatment procedures. These procedures might include tooth scaling, filling, bridging, gum contouring and reshaping.

• Teeth whitening: Patients often task dentists with performing teeth whitening procedures, which are done primarily for aesthetic reasons. Many patients complaining of stained, yellow or pale teeth go to dentists for teeth whitening.

• Patient records maintenance: Dentists need to maintain secure records of their patients, as these might come in use for a variety of reasons. For example, they may use records for reference and fact-checking, or simply to revisit past problems that might have resurfaced.

• Referrals: If a patient needs advanced oral health care that the general dentist cannot provide, they can refer the patient to specialised dentists for further consultation or more advanced procedures.

• Supply maintenance: Dentists often handle the maintenance of adequate equipment stocks used in the clinic. This ensures they can provide seamless service to their patients without minimal delays.

 

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/dentist

 

https://www.colgate.com/en-gb/oral-health/dental-visits/dentist-requirements-what-it-takes-to-become-a-dentist

 

https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-dentist