Dental Surgery

Overview
Graduates of this course will go on to have a meaningful impact on society, contributing to better health and reducing long-term healthcare costs.

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) combines biomedical and behavioural sciences, dental public health, clinical skills, and patient-centred care, preparing you for a future career in dentistry. You'll get hands-on training in our state-of-the-art teaching facilities and take part in live clinical sessions with patients. You'll also develop your communication skills and deliver outreach activities, securing your place as a valuable and key member of the community.

Studying in our Dental Academy, you’ll develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours you need to be ready to apply for registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), which is essential for practicing as a dentist in the UK.


• Develop and refine clinical skills in our modern phantom head and haptics labs, using high-fidelity haptic simulators in a team-based environment



• Early patient contact in our dedicated primary care clinical facilities at the Dental Academy



• Community based dental care and community healthcare projects, involving outreach placements which develop the skills needed to prepare dentists to tackle the oral health needs of local communities



• Team-based education, working alongside dental hygiene, dental therapy and dental nursing students to replicate real-world general dental practice



• Secondary care placements in hospital settings to gain experience in specialised areas such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, special care dentistry and restorative dentistry



Accredited by:
This course has GDC pre-accreditation approval.

Careers and opportunities
Dentists are pivotal to the team responsible for improving oral health and will contribute to reducing long-term healthcare costs and improving life expectancy. With a focus on community and patient-centred learning, our dentist graduates will reduce health inequalities by working with diverse populations, including vulnerable or underserved groups.

What areas can you work in with a dental surgery degree?
After you complete this course, you’ll be able to register with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a dentist and embark on your dental career straight away in the private dental sector. You'll need to complete Dental Foundation Training (DFT) to be eligible to practice dentistry in the NHS.

Eligibility for the DFT is different for international students. While international graduate dentists can apply for GDC registration upon completion of their course and practice in the private dental sector, not all international dental graduates will be eligible to apply for DFT. By 2031, we hope to secure DFT eligibility for our international graduate dentists.

Work experience with patients in the community
To help you gain professional experience, you'll help to provide free dental health services to the public at the Dental Academy and work with patients in local community settings.

You'll have the chance to offer preventative and educational dental support within institutions such as school clinics and hostels for homeless people, enabling you to gain a better understanding of the social impact of good dental care.

Why isn't this course able to accept UK students for September 2026 entry?
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Office for Students (OfS) have now reviewed the dental workforce and confirmed how many funded Dentistry training places will be available across the UK for the academic year starting in September 2027.

While we remain unable to offer places on this course to UK students for September 2026 entry, we have secured training places for UK students for September 2027 entry.

All Clearing students are guaranteed an offer of a room in halls (terms and conditions apply), giving you added confidence as you plan your next steps. Full details can be found on the University of Portsmouth website.

By signing up for Priority Clearing, you can receive accommodation information straight to your inbox, along with exclusive access to Portsmouth’s Clearing Visit Day on Thursday 6 August. Priority Clearing applicants benefit from queue-jump status on Results Day, as well as exclusive updates, invitations to Clearing Webinars and personalised one-to-one application support.

The Clearing Visit Day offers you the chance to experience Portsmouth’s welcoming campus and vibrant student community first-hand before you enrol. With guaranteed accommodation, you can feel reassured that you’ll be at the heart of university life from day one.