Guide · Work Experience

Shadowing a dentist helps, but it is not the only thing that counts.

What dental schools ask for is career exploration: that you can show you have made an informed choice. The Dental Schools Council’s guide for 2027 entry says that, ideally, you should also have experience working, volunteering or observing in healthcare, particularly in general dental practice. Where a school’s own policy differs, the guide says so on that school’s page.

If nobody you know works in dentistry, you are in the same position as many applicants. Caring for people in paid or voluntary work counts too, and the sections below show what counts and how to find a placement.

What counts Want a placement anyway?

Dental Schools Council · 2027 entry

“Career exploration” — not placement hours — is what dental schools assess.

You understand what dentistry involves

You can explain what attracted you

You know the career options, and how they compare with other healthcare jobs

The Council’s own advice is that it is not how much experience you have that matters, but how you reflect on it — and paid or voluntary work caring for people can be just as good a source as shadowing in a practice.

Many dental schools recommend some healthcare experience, particularly in general dental practice, but not all of them ask for it. Check each school’s entry requirements .

A note on work experience

Dr Julius K. Babayemi

GDC 76198 · Principal Dentist, Omnipark

1 min 28 · press play for sound

Career Exploration

What counts

More than you would think. All of these demonstrate genuine career exploration to a dental school admissions panel.

A dental school summer school

Free summer schools from the Dental and Medical Schools Councils and universities, for students in England in Years 11 and 12.

Watch for them opening in late January. Last time, dentistry applications ran from 26 January to 8 March. See the Dental Schools Council summer schools page . Places are usually reserved for widening participation students. Private courses cost a great deal and carry no more weight than the free ones.

Volunteering in care

A hospice, care home, or charity. Shows you understand what a caring profession truly asks of you.

Talking to dental professionals

Not only dentists — hygienists, therapists, nurses and technicians. Dentistry is a team.

Reading & free courses

Dental journals, NHS news, Sheffield's free Discover Dentistry course. Self-directed learning counts.

An ordinary job

Shop work, restaurant shifts — you've handled the public under pressure. That can answer teamwork questions at interview.

Reflection matters more than the setting.

Two students can spend the same week in the same practice and only one of them has anything to say at interview. What you noticed, what surprised you, what you would want to ask next — that is what is being assessed.

Not where you stood.

Practical Steps

If you want a placement anyway

While not required, a placement can still be valuable. Here is how to arrange one without connections.

Write a short CV

Keep it to one page. Include your school, predicted grades, any volunteering, and a line about why you're interested in dentistry.

Visit places near you

Care homes, hospices, dental practices, dental hospitals — say you're willing to volunteer. Many say no simply because they don't know how to say yes.

Send the NHS toolkit

The NHS published a work experience toolkit for healthcare organisations . It is written for the practice, not for you, which is why it helps: send it with your CV and it gives them a framework to say yes.

We host placements ourselves

We take two students at a time at our own practice in Rainham, Kent. It has to be arranged through your school rather than by you directly — ask your careers lead or head of sixth form to download the request form below and send it to us. We do not arrange placements at other practices.

Download the request form (Word) · PDF

Where to record it

If your school or college has a careers platform, log the placement and write your reflections there — it is probably where your teachers will look. We do not keep your log. What we do is tell you what to look for while you are there, and what dental schools want you to say about it afterwards. Write the reflection the same week, not the night before the deadline.

Sources: Dental Schools Council, entry requirements guide for 2027 entry; “Dental schools update work experience requirements” (2024); “Gaining work experience to study dentistry” (2022); summer schools page. Studying Healthcare, “Work experience”. Checked 26 September 2026. Requirements vary by school — always check the dental school’s own website.