Newcastle University

Dental Surgery BDS Honours
UCAS Code: A206 (5 Years)

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Dentistry involves the treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases of the mouth – from tooth decay to oral cancer.

Our BDS degree in Dental Surgery is professionally accredited by the General Dental Council and entitles graduates to practise dentistry anywhere in the UK and in many other countries. 

It is designed to give you both the scientific background and the practical skills you need throughout your career, enabling you to provide for the complete oral health of patients. We place great emphasis on the prevention of dental disease as well as on treatment. 

You will gain experience in a full range of dental procedures, with clinics run by specialists in:

• oral and maxillofacial surgery
• oral medicine
• paediatric dentistry
• orthodontics
• restorative dentistry

Clinical dental practice occupies an increasingly large part of your time as you progress through the course.

You spend your first two years studying basic medical sciences in preparation for clinical work in later Stages. You see patients in the Dental Hospital, which is located in the same building as the Dental School, while shadowing a senior student in your first year. You also learn simple procedures such as fillings and root treatments.

In Stage 3 you start managing your own patients under close supervision and by the end of Stage 4 you will be spending approximately half of your time on patient care.  In Stages 4 and 5 you are exposed to advanced treatment techniques including dental implants and intravenous sedation.

The teaching of important theoretical aspects of dentistry continues at each Stage covering human structure, function, behaviour, clinical dental studies and related sciences.

Professional accreditation

This course is professionally accredited by the General Dental Council which is responsible for regulating the dental profession in the UK.

Your degree will also be recognised across Europe and by a number of other countries including Australia and New Zealand, giving you the flexibility to take your skills worldwide.

Quality and ranking

Dentistry at Newcastle achieved an overall student satisfaction score of 93% in the 2013 National Student Survey.

We are also ranked in the top five UK universities for dentistry in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2014.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching is by a combination of lectures, seminars, laboratory demonstrations (including closed-circuit TV), practical laboratory work and clinical demonstrations.

Formal assessment during the first two years takes the form of examinations in January and at the end of each year. You also undergo continuous assessment in the form of essays and projects, which allows for feedback on your progress.

Assessment of clinical skills is carried out on a continuous basis, with careful feedback so that you can constantly improve your performance and continue to learn.

Formative assessments are held to help you monitor your own performance in theoretical aspects of your learning, whilst professional examinations cover the major teaching themes for each year and contribute to your final degree result.

Intercalated study

Intercalated study is available for BDS students after completion of Stage 2. It is an opportunity for you to study for an additional degree by taking a year out from your dental studies and undertake a supervised research project. After completing the extra year you resume your dental studies. Current intercalation opportunities include:

• joining the third year of any of our BSc degrees in Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences to gain a BSc Honours degree
• undertaking our one-year Medical and Molecular Biosciences MRes programme after Stage 3 or Stage 4 (to gain an MRes qualification)

Visit the School of Dental Science's website to out more about our intercalated study opportunities.

Electives

You have the opportunity to undertake a period of elective study anywhere in the world.

Facilities

You will learn in some of the most modern and best-equipped facilities in the country, including:

• a high-tech Clinical Simulation Unit
• Dental Learning Resource Centre

School of Dental Sciences

The School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle is in the same building as the Dental Hospital. Together with the adjacent Medical School and Royal Victoria Infirmary teaching hospital, it forms one of the largest integrated teaching and hospital complexes in the country.

The School is home to almost 500 undergraduate students and a vibrant postgraduate community. It’s big but it’s far from impersonal with plenty of opportunities to get to know people across all years, helped by the activities of our student-led society Dentsoc.

Visit the School's website, where you can:

• read about a day in the life of one of our dental students
• take a virtual tour of our dental teaching and learning facilities