Dentistry Interview Questions & Example Answers

Q: Why do you want to study dentistry rather than medicine?

Dentistry appeals to me for reasons that are specific rather than residual: I am not choosing it because I could not get into medicine, but because its particular combination of qualities is what I am looking for. The blend of precise manual skill with patient-centred care is one I find genuinely compelling: dentistry requires the kind of careful, controlled dexterity that I have always enjoyed developing, and the satisfaction of completing a clinical procedure well is immediate and tangible in a way that is distinctive to the field. I am also drawn to the continuity of patient relationships in dentistry: seeing the same patients over years and contributing to their long-term oral health, and by extension their general health and confidence, is a form of care I find meaningful. The breadth of the role, from preventive advice to complex restorative work to oral surgery, also means that no two days are the same. Dentistry feels like exactly the right fit for who I am and how I want to spend my working life.

Q: What do you understand about the challenges currently facing NHS dentistry in the UK?

NHS dentistry is under serious strain, and the challenges are well documented. Access is perhaps the most visible problem: millions of people in England cannot find an NHS dentist accepting new patients, and the situation has worsened significantly in recent years, with particular shortages in rural and coastal areas. The 2006 contract, which introduced the units of dental activity system, has been widely criticised for incentivising high-volume, simpler treatments over complex or preventive care, creating perverse incentives that are bad for both dentists and patients. Recruitment and retention are also significant: many dentists are choosing to move entirely into private practice because NHS remuneration does not reflect the cost and complexity of the work. The pandemic exacerbated a backlog that was already growing. Reform of the contract has been discussed for years without adequate action. For a dental student entering this environment, understanding these structural challenges is part of professional preparation, and I believe future dentists have a responsibility to engage with them rather than simply work around them.

Q: How has your work experience shaped your understanding of what being a dentist involves?

My work experience in a mixed NHS and private dental practice gave me a much more textured understanding of the role than I had before. Observing clinical procedures across a range of complexity, from routine examinations and fillings to extractions and crown work, showed me both the precision that dentistry demands and the importance of making patients feel at ease throughout. What struck me most was how much of the dentist’s skill lay in communication: the way the dentist I shadowed explained each step before proceeding, checked in with patients during treatment, and adjusted their approach depending on the individual in front of them. I also observed the administrative and organisational dimensions of running a practice, which I had not fully appreciated beforehand. Spending time with the dental nurse and hygienist reinforced how much the quality of patient care depends on effective teamwork rather than the dentist working in isolation. The experience confirmed and deepened my interest rather than challenging it, which I think is the most honest thing I can say about it.

Q: Oral health has been described as a neglected dimension of general health. Do you agree, and why does it matter?

I think that description is accurate and the neglect is consequential. The separation of dental care from the rest of the NHS, with its own funding structure and its exclusion from the principle of free at point of need for most adults, reflects and reinforces a cultural tendency to treat the mouth as somehow distinct from the rest of the body. But the evidence does not support that separation: poor oral health is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and respiratory conditions, through both shared risk factors and direct biological mechanisms including systemic inflammation from chronic periodontal disease. Oral pain and tooth loss also have significant impacts on nutrition, mental health, and social confidence that ramify across every dimension of a person’s life. Children who miss school because of dental pain, or adults who avoid social situations because of their teeth, are experiencing health consequences that are both preventable and serious. Integrating oral health into general health promotion and making NHS dental care genuinely accessible are, in my view, among the most straightforward investments the health system could make.

Q: How would you approach a patient who has not attended for dental care in many years and is clearly embarrassed about the state of their teeth?

My absolute priority in that first appointment would be to ensure the patient felt safe from judgment. People who have avoided dental care for years, whether due to anxiety, cost, life circumstances, or simply letting time pass, often carry significant shame about that gap, and a response from the dentist that confirms their worst fears about being criticised will make them less likely to return. I would focus on the present and the future rather than the past: acknowledging that getting back into the chair takes courage, completing a thorough examination without editorial commentary on what I found, and framing any treatment plan as a series of achievable steps rather than an overwhelming list of problems. I would explain clearly what I could see and what I recommended, using plain language and checking understanding at each point. Building trust in that first appointment matters more than completing any treatment: a patient who leaves feeling respected and unjudged is one who will come back, and continuity of care is where real improvements in oral health are made.