NHS Dentistry

NHSDentistry.Org is a free resource and guide for the public, potential Dental Students and existing Dental Professionals. We are a privately owned website and are not part of the National Health Service.

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NHS Dental Careers:


dentistry degree

Once you have attained requisite passes in your A-Level exams you will leave School and wish to start the road to decoming a fully qualified Dentist / Dental Associate.

You will need to go to a specialist Dental Scool or University to study for your BDS, otherwise knows as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery. This is in actual fact a 5 year degree course. You can find out more on our Dental Schools Page.


The Start Of Your Dentistry Career Path:


You will of course have a number of different paths you may take when newly qualified with your BDS Qualification.

You will have had 5 years to think about which route to take and where to start, it is worth considering all options from the outset.

We have briefly outlined the general coniderations and options one will have to think about on leaving Dental School and embarking on their new Dentistry Careers.


General Dental Service (GDS)

After completing your BDS and coming fresh out of Dental School, you will often of course dream of entering a NHS Dental Practice or entering your own Private Dental practice as part of a new or existing team. Before you can do this you need to complete your Vocation Training. Of course this is an absoulte requirement to get real on the job traing and supervision. There are established training practices in place for this transition and purpose. You would be trained up in your chosen particular field of General or Community practice.
If you are a Qualified Dental Associate and have completed your Vocational Training, then you are free to work in an NHS Dental Practice or Private Dental Practice. You would of course need to register with the local Primary Care Trust.

Once you find a Dental Practice to work in that you are happy with, you will be able to discuss terms with the owner, if it is a Private Practice or the authority and Trust if a pure NHS Dental Practice. Depending on the role you wish to take and the decision of the existing associates/owners, you will become a Dental Associate or a Dental Assistant.

After a number of years working in these positions and garnering the relevant experience and funds, some Dental Associates decide to break away and start their own Dental Practices. This is always a much needed service, but is an extremely hard operation to start with payrolls, staff, overheads, running your own business etc. but is also very rewarding in many areas.

Working in NHS Dentistry is often the best option for the first few years of any Dentists' Career to learn the wide variety of techniques in Dentistry and meet the widest cross-section of people, from staff to the general public. It is also a chance to give something back to society at large, whilst still earning a very good salary. British NHS Dentists are respected the World over.

Community and Hospital Dentistry

By following a Career path into Community Dentistry or Hospital Dentistry, the promotional ladder and range of opportunities are much clearer.

You would not have the responsibilities of running your own practice or business and would often be at the cutting edge of Dentistry and Dental Science, and work in the widest field possible. By being part of the NHS Dental Sector you would work with consultants, specialists, dental students and dental nurses, and would be serving the UK population at large. You would have greater possibilities to work all over the country and build a career of great experience. If you are in your final years of study in Dentistry, it would be advisable to speak to the Dean or your tutors on the best course of action once you have gained your BDS Qualification.