Dentistry Graduate/Professional Entry Programme

Overview

Our innovative entry route into dentistry is designed to enable graduates with honours degrees in biomedical-related science subjects and healthcare professionals with a degree, to study for a Dentistry BDS.

Our course combines the very latest thinking in dental education with early clinical experience. You will be taught by internationally-renowned staff and exposed to a rich breadth of skills and knowledge in a diverse clinical environment.

Key benefits

Evidence-based and research-led degree course with a high level of clinical experience in all areas.
Ranked 1st in the UK and 2^nd in the world for Dentistry (QS World University Rankings, 2019).
State-of-the-art clinical and technical facilities
Largest dental school in the UK graduating around 150 dentists a year.
Partnership with the world-famous hospitals: Guy’s, King’s College and St Thomas’.

Key information

UCAS code A202

Duration Four years

Study mode Full-time

Course type Single honours

Course accreditations The BDS Programme is regularly reviewed by the General Dental Council. It received a ‘sufficient for registration as a dentist’ rating at its last inspection in 2013.

Further details

Awarding institution King's College London

Faculty Dental Institute

Locations

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Dentistry at King's

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Course detail

Description

On this course, you will be exempted from the first year of the standard five-year BDS on the basis of your previous studies. You will undertake a two-to-three-week preparatory course in September before joining year two of the five-year course.

Our course has three main components. The first consists of subjects common to medicine and dentistry, through behavioural sciences, epidemiology, pathology and microbiology to human disease. The second includes oral and dental aspects of the biological sciences leading to an understanding of the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of oral and dental diseases and disorders, and the effects of systemic disease on the oral and dental tissues. The third covers the clinical and technical aspects of dentistry with the provision of comprehensive oral and dental healthcare for patients of all ages.

Throughout your degree, the balance of teaching will shift from theoretical and academic science to practical and clinical experience. Our curriculum enables students to assist in the dental care of patients from year one and assume an appropriate level of responsibility for patient care at an early stage.

The final two years of the course are designed to give students extensive clinical exposure with structured placements for practice in the community, as part of a dental team, providing care in diverse settings.

Teaching

The integrated nature of our course means that basic science teaching will relate to clinical practice and clinical teaching will be underpinned by scientific understanding. Our course emphasises whole patient care, which requires consideration of the patients’ total dental and medical needs, rather than just the provision of individual items of treatment.

Our working environment is structured into cross-year undergraduate teams so that students benefit from working and studying with the same group of teachers and peers throughout their time at the Dental Institute.

Assessment

You will be assessed through written and practical examinations at the end of each year of the course. You will be required to submit in-course assessments e.g. poster presentations, online tests, special projects and reports which must be successfully completed to progress through the course.

Structure

Year 1

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to- date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

You will be given the opportunity throughout your first year to review topics studied in year one of the standard five-year course.

The theme of your first year is the dentate patient, applied basic dental science, and preparation for prevention of oral disease and the treatment of patients. You will also study integrated courses covering the development, structure and function of the nervous system, as a basis for understanding the aspects involved in dentistry, such as pain and anxiety; oral biology, including the influence of nutrition and endocrine factors; and pathology, which covers the study of the cellular and molecular basis of human disease.

During this year you will be developing basic dental clinical skills, treating your own adult patients, providing preventive advice and undertaking straightforward procedures in periodontology and conservative dentistry. You will also learn dental materials science and behavioural science.

Required Modules

The following topics comprise the year one module (150 credits):

BDS Communication in Dentistry
BDS Management and Leadership
BDS Professionalism in Health Care
BDS Social and Behavioural Sciences
BDS Dental Public Health
BDS Oral Surgery
BDS Radiology
BDS Dental Material Science
BDS Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
BDS Care of the Dental Patient
BDS Conservative and Minimum Intervention Dentistry
BDS Science -Oral and Craniofacial Biology
BDS Periodontology
BDS Prosthodontics
BDS Human Disease

Optional Modules

Year 2

In year two, you will continue to learn about all aspects of human disease and study the replacement of missing teeth. You will learn about fixed and removable prostheses, such as dental implants. There is also a technical component to these courses to ensure you understand how prostheses are constructed and how to deal with problems associated with their fit and function. You will devote significant time each week to the clinical care of patients including tuition in conservative dentistry and prosthodontics. You will also begin to learn about and perform the extraction of teeth and minor oral surgery.

Required Modules

The following topics comprise the year two module (180 credits):

BDS Communication in Dentistry
BDS Management and Leadership
BDS Professionalism in Health Care
BDS Social and Behavioural Sciences
BDS Dental Public Health
BDS Oral Surgery
BDS Radiology
BDS Dental Material Science
BDS Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
BDS Conservative and Minimum Intervention Dentistry
BDS Periodontology
BDS Prosthodontics
BDS Human Disease

Optional Modules

Year 3

In year three, you will spend most of the week providing dental care for patients. You will continue to learn about and perform more advanced procedures in restorative dentistry. During this year, you will gain a strong foundation in periodontology, child dental healthcare and orthodontics. As you become more proficient at dentistry, you will treat patients under conscious sedation. Learning continues in the human disease strand of the curriculum and you are introduced to an ongoing course in oral disease that will incorporate pathology and medicine relevant to disease in and around the mouth. Under the supervision of specialist teachers, you will be able to treat patients with more complex dental problems.

Required Modules

The following topics comprise the year three module (165 credits):

BDS Communication in Dentistry
BDS Professionalism in Health Care
BDS Social and Behavioural Sciences
BDS Dental Public Health
BDS Oral Disease
BDS Oral Surgery
BDS Radiology
BDS Conservative and Minimum Intervention Dentistry
BDS Periodontology
BDS Orthodontics
BDS Paediatric Dentistry
BDS Outreach (clinical placements)

Optional Modules

Year 4

The final year consolidates all you have learned up to this point. You will continue to provide comprehensive dental care for adult and child patients. A specific feature of our course, our structured placements enable you to work on a regular basis at purpose-built clinics away from the main campus amongst diverse patient populations. There, you will gain valuable experience working in a dental team with dental nurses, hygienists and therapists to prepare yourself effectively for Dental Foundation Training and future practice.

Required Modules

The following topics comprise the year four module (180 credits):

BDS Communication in Dentistry
BDS Professionalism in Health Care
BDS Social and Behavioural Sciences
BDS Dental Public Health
BDS Oral Disease
BDS Oral Surgery
BDS Radiology
BDS Special Care Dentistry
BDS Conservative and Minimum Intervention Dentistry
BDS Periodontology
BDS Prosthodontics
BDS Orthodontics
BDS Paediatric Dentistry
BDS Outreach (clinical placements)

Optional Modules

Entry requirements

Required subjects

Biosciences

Preferred subjects

None

Further information and other requirements

Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements.

Either:

A minimum 2:1 (upper second class honours) undergraduate degree (or international equivalent) in a Biosciences subject

or

A 2:2 (lower second class honours) undergraduate degree with a postgraduate degree (with at least a Merit) in a Biosciences subject

The UCAT

Please note that all applicants are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), previously known as the UKCAT, prior to applying to this programme. Please refer to the UCAT website for details on registration and test dates.

King’s does not have a threshold UCAT score in any particular year, but all candidates are still required to take the UCAT examination for this course. The overall UCAT score averaged across the four subtests is given more consideration than the individual subtest scores. The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is also taken into account when shortlisting.

When considering those students which will be shortlisted for interview the selectors consider the following; predicted or achieved 2.1 (or equivalent) in a Biosciences degree; the personal statement, the reference and the score in the UCAT. These contribute to the shortlisting of candidates, and we do assess for this programme holistically, taking in to account all these factors and your performance in the context of your educational background. Examination results and the UCAT score are perhaps the most important factors when considering applications. These are highlighted as they provide us with the fairest and most consistent method of assessing applicants.

Meeting our requirements

In order to enrol onto our programmes, successful offer holders must be able to evidence that they can meet our requirements by the beginning of August in year of entry. Any applicants who feel that they could be eligible for the programme but who will not be able to provide evidence of meeting our requirements by August should instead apply in a later application cycle when they are able to do this.

Selection procedure

Selection procedures follow those determined for the five-year BDS programme, including Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI, see BDS programme entry for details). Applications must reach UCAS by 15 October 2018. A maximum of four choices on the UCAS form may be made for programmes which lead to a professional qualification in dentistry. All suitably qualified graduates with biomedical-related science or healthcare degrees, as judged by the Dental Institute, are eligible to apply. Approximately 30 places are available on the programme and applications from Channel Islands and overseas fee-paying graduates will be considered.

Application deadline: October 15th 2018 for entry in September 2019

Help and support

View our English language entry requirements

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, or if English isn't your first language, our academic preparation courses can help you get ready for study in the UK.

Preparation courses

Fees and funding

Full time tuition fees UK:

The UK tuition fee for the 2019-2020 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.

Full time tuition fees EU:

Students starting their programme in 2019/20 (September 2019) who are eligible to pay EU fees will pay the same rate of tuition fees as UK students. This will apply for the duration of their programme, but may be subject to change by the UK Government for subsequent cohorts from 2020/21.

The UK tuition fee for the 2019-2020 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.

Full time tuition fees International:

The International tuition fee for the 2019-2020 academic year is £43,500 per year.

Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

All International applicants to undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £5,000 against their first year’s tuition fee. This deposit is payable within 2 weeks from when you firmly accept an offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.

Additional costs/expenses

The following table gives you an indication of additional costs associated with your course. These costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Item	Approximate cost (over span of programme)	Total:
DBS check- paid just prior to course entry	£50.00	£50.00
DBS ongoing subscription	£13.00/year after first check	£39.00
Travel between campuses (to Denmark Hill from Guy’s)	Around £200.00 in each year: 3 and 4	£400.00
Initial funding of placement travel (can be claimed back)	Around £2,375.00 (Portsmouth) or £98.00 (West Norwood)	£2,375.00 or £98.00
Job hunting expenses	£200.00	£200.00
Final year printing of poster for case presentation	£5.00	£5.00
Graduation costs: tickets, gown hire etc.	£200.00	£200.00
GDC registration (in year of graduation)	Refer to GDC website for prevailing rates. For example, registration fee paid in July 2017 is £445.02 to cover July – December 2017.	Variable – see example

In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for:

Books if you choose to buy your own copies
Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
Library fees and fines
Personal photocopies
Printing course handouts
Society membership fees
Stationery
Graduation costs
Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses

For further information, please visit our fees and funding pages.

Financial help and support

Visit the fees and funding webpages to find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans and other financial help available at King's.

Career prospects

A variety of career pathways are open to new dental graduates. The career path for many graduates is general practice, with others aiming to be consultants in the hospital dental service, senior clinical academics in a teaching hospital, or specialist practitioners. In every case, newly-qualified graduates will enter practice by way of Dental Foundation Training. Foundation Dentists (FDs) work in a Training Practice under supervision and have a day release course of lectures and demonstrations building on the undergraduate degree and giving instruction in all aspects of practice management. After this year, successful FDs can begin work as an associate in a practice.

Testimonials

Philip

"The programme itself is highly integrated which means we see patients very soon after starting.We are being taught to be good clinical dentists by enthusiastic and interested staff who are themselves practising clinicians"