Program Overview

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Dentistry BDS

Key Information

• Course type: Single honours
• Delivery mode: In person
• Study mode: Full time
• Required A-level: A*AA
• Full entry requirements, including contextual requirements
• Duration: Five years
• Application status: Closed
• Start date: September 2025
• Application deadline: 15 October 2024

Course Description

The Dentistry BDS course combines the very latest thinking in dental education with early clinical experience. You will be taught by internationally-renowned staff and exposed to a rich breadth of skills and knowledge in a diverse clinical environment.

Key Benefits

• Evidence-based and research-led degree course with a high level of clinical experience in all areas
• Global recognition of teaching excellence (Dentistry at King’s is ranked 1st in the UK and 4th in the world - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
• State-of-the-art clinical, simulation (both low fidelity phantom head simulation and high fidelity augmented reality haptic simulation) and technical facilities
• Largest dental school in the UK graduating around 150 dentists a year
• Partnership with the world-famous Guy’s, St Thomas' and King’s College Hospitals
• Taught alongside Dental Therapy & Hygiene students
• Opportunity to intercalate a BSc degree

Course Essentials

Base Campuses

• Guy’s Campus: The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Institute of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
• St Thomas’ Campus: Located near Waterloo Campus and home of continuing medical and dental teaching, as well as a museum dedicated to Florence Nightingale.
• Denmark Hill Campus: Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.

Additional Locations

• Clinical placements are currently based at: Guy’s Hospital; University of Portsmouth Dental Academy; King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill and West Norwood Health & Leisure Centre; Queen Mary Hospital (Sidcup); Community Clinics as part of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Course Accreditation

• Reviewed, inspected and accredited by the UK General Dental Council (GDC)

Regulating Bodies

• King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry Requirements

Subject Requirements

• Required subjects: A-level (or equivalent) grade A in Biology or Chemistry, in addition to grade A in one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology.
• Preferred subjects: None

A-Levels

• Required grades: A*AA
• Must include grade A in Biology or Chemistry, in addition to grade A in one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• 38 points overall or an aggregate score of 19 from three Higher Levels.
• Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Chemistry or Biology, in addition to grade 6 in Higher Level in one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology.

GCSE/IGCSE Requirements

• English Language and Mathematics grade 6/B.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

• All applicants are required to sit the UCAT (previously known as UKCAT), prior to applying to this programme, and the UCAT must be taken the same year you apply in order to be valid.

Alternative Accepted Qualifications

• Access to HE Diploma
• BTEC Nationals/CTECs
• Cambridge Pre-U
• European Baccalaureate
• Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

International Applicants

• Equivalent International qualifications
• English language requirements: English language band: B

Selection Process

• Applications are ranked based on GCSE/IGCSE performance, UCAT score and contextual information.
• Interviews are an essential part of the assessment process.

Teaching Methods

• Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology.
• The integrated nature of our course means that basic science teaching will relate to clinical practice and clinical teaching will be underpinned by scientific understanding.

Assessment

• Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations.
• Forms of assessment may typically include written (short answer) examination, online (multiple choice question) examination, poster presentation, structured clinical reasoning examination, special projects and reports.

Structure

• The programme is divided into modules.
• You will normally take modules totaling 780 credits over 5 years.

Required Modules

• Year one:
  • Biomedicine in Relation to Dentistry I (30 credits)
  • Biomedicine in Relation to Dentistry II (30 credits)
  • Clinical Humanities & Wellbeing I (15 credits)
  • Dentistry in Society I (15 credits)
  • Simulated Clinical Practice I (15 credits)
  • Student Selected Component I (15 credits)

Employability

• A variety of career pathways are open to new dental graduates.
• The career path for many graduates is general practice, with others aiming to be consultants in the hospital dental service, senior clinical academics in a teaching hospital, or specialist practitioners.

Tuition Fees

• Full time tuition fees UK: £9,535 per year
• Full time tuition fees International: £58,200 per year
• All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £5,000 against their first year's tuition fee.

Additional Costs

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Society membership fees
• Stationery
• Graduation costs
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
• Accommodation and subsistence expenses

Funding

• To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.