UniGeniusMedicine interviews

Dentistry interview questions

68 original dental school interview questions. Answer one out loud against the clock, then see what a strong answer covers.

DentistryPanel question: 2 minutes

Why dentistry and not medicine?

What a strong answer covers
  • A reason specific to dentistry: long-term patient relationships, prevention, hands-on precise work
  • Evidence: work experience in a dental practice, and what you saw
  • Respect for medicine, without suggesting dentistry is the easier option

Follow-up: What did your work experience show you that you did not expect?

Practise a whole station. A running clock, follow-ups that change the situation and feedback on your own words.

Run the free four-station circuit

All 68 questions

Dentistry

  1. Why dentistry and not medicine?
  2. How have you shown manual dexterity?
  3. Who is in the dental team, and what does each person do?
  4. Why is it hard to find an NHS dentist in some parts of England?
  5. Should fluoride be added to drinking water across England?
  6. Tooth decay is the most common reason children aged 5 to 9 are admitted to hospital in England. Why, and what would help?
  7. Role play: a patient is very anxious about having a filling and wants to leave. Talk to them.
  8. Is cosmetic dentistry ethical?
  9. Some people travel abroad for cheaper crowns or veneers. What are the risks?
  10. During a check-up you notice a child has several untreated decayed teeth and seems withdrawn. What do you do?
  11. How does sugar cause tooth decay?
  12. What links oral health with general health?
  13. A colleague in the practice keeps cutting infection control corners when busy. What do you do?
  14. What does a dentist do after graduating in the UK?
  15. A patient demands antibiotics for toothache, but the cause needs a filling. Explain your decision.
  16. Should NHS dentistry be free for everyone, like most NHS care?
  17. Role play: tell a patient that their tooth cannot be saved and needs to come out.
  18. What makes a good dental practice from a patient's point of view?

Role play

  1. Role play: your flatmate has failed an important exam and says they want to drop out. Talk to them.
  2. Role play: you are a volunteer on a ward. A visitor is angry that nobody has told her how her father is. Speak to her.
  3. Role play: you accidentally broke your friend's laptop, which had their coursework on it. Tell them.
  4. Role play: explain to someone with no science background how to use an inhaler.
  5. Role play: a classmate in your project group has not done their share for three weeks. Talk to them.
  6. Role play: a patient says he read online that his blood pressure tablets cause cancer and wants to stop them.
  7. Role play: a younger student you mentor tells you they are being bullied but asks you not to tell anyone.
  8. Role play: you are a receptionist. A patient arrives 25 minutes late and is told they cannot be seen today. They are upset.

How we wrote these

Every question is original: schools do not publish their own. Topics follow what UK schools say they assess: motivation, communication, teamwork, ethics and judgement. Facts in the answer notes were checked against the sources below on 4 October 2026, and again by an independent reviewer.

The clock gives a panel question 30 seconds to think and 2 minutes to answer, and a station 2 minutes to plan and 6 to answer. Schools set their own timings: find your school's format.

What do dental school interviews ask about?

Why dentistry, your work experience, manual dexterity, teamwork, ethics, NHS dentistry and how you talk to patients, often in role plays.

Do dental schools use MMIs?

Many UK dental schools use multiple mini interviews; some use panels. Check your school's own interview page for its format and timing.

How should I practise?

Out loud and timed. Answer first, then compare with what a strong answer covers, and try the follow-up.

Are these the real questions?

No. Schools do not publish their questions. These are original questions on the topics they assess.

Sources