Dental Surgery

Dental surgery is the professional degree that trains students to diagnose, treat and prevent the diseases and conditions affecting the mouth, teeth, gums and surrounding tissues. A career in dentistry combines clinical science with skilled manual practice and the capacity to build trusting relationships with patients, many of whom approach dental appointments with anxiety. It is a profession of genuine therapeutic consequence: dental disease is widespread and its treatment can dramatically improve patients' quality of life, and dentists play an important role in identifying early signs of wider systemic conditions.

At Liverpool, which has a well-regarded dental school with its own teaching hospital and clinical facilities, this five-year programme provides the comprehensive scientific and clinical education required for registration with the General Dental Council. You will study anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology and pharmacology before progressing to the clinical disciplines of restorative dentistry, oral surgery, periodontology, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry and dental public health. Significant time in clinical settings, where you will treat real patients under supervision, begins early and increases progressively through the programme.

The typical entry tariff is 168 UCAS points.

Graduates complete a period of dental foundation training before registering with the General Dental Council and entering independent practice. Dentists work in NHS general dental practices, private practices, hospital dental services, community dental services, the armed forces and academic institutions. Specialisation is possible in orthodontics, oral surgery, restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry, periodontology and other disciplines, each requiring further postgraduate training.

Liverpool's reputation and clinical teaching environment prepare graduates well for both general dental practice and the pathway toward specialist or academic careers.