Bachelor of Dental Surgery Queen's University Belfast

The Dental School at Queen's has been responsible for delivering dental education in Northern Ireland since 1920. The 5-year curriculum has been designed to ensure our graduates have the knowledge, skills and attributes to work effectively and successfully in the dental profession.

Dentistry Degree Highlights

The Dentistry degree programme at Queen's is Ranked 2nd in the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 and 3rd in the Guardian University Guide (2021) out of the 16 Dental Schools in the UK.

Professional Accreditations

• The Queen’s University Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree programme is recognised and accredited by the United Kingdom’s General Dental Council (GDC) as a registrable qualification.

Career Development

• Students will have the opportunity to undertake clinical placements from year 1 of the course. During their course students will gain experience in a range of clinical settings to help develop their skills and career opportunities.
• Students who successfully complete the BDS programme can apply for full registration with the GDC which allows the registrant to practise as a dentist in the UK if the student fulfils the UK government’s residency requirements.

World-Class Facilities

• We take great pride in our commitment to enhancing the student learning experience and our modern clinical facilities are a key part of this. Our students are working and learning in clinics which have been redeveloped to a high specification and a state-of-the-art Clinical Techniques Laboratory (CTL) is now used by students throughout the programme.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• The Dentistry degree programme at Queen's is Ranked 2nd in the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 and 3rd in the Guardian University Guide (2021) out of the 16 Dental Schools in the UK.

Studying for a dental degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions.

There are a wide range of career opportunities available in dentistry. On completion of undergraduate studies, most graduates undergo a further one year of training in a Dental Foundation Training Scheme. Dentists can then decide to follow a career as a general dental practitioner or train to become a specialist in a dental discipline. Other dental career options include hospital dentistry, community dentistry, armed forces dentistry and university teaching and research.

Further Study

A number of our graduates combine specialist clinical training with further study at Queen’s at PhD or Master’s level in research or education.

Additional Awards Gained

Year 1 students are required to buy a clinical tunic at a cost of approximately £25.

Students in Years 3-5 are required to buy clinical scrubs at a cost of approximately £30 (details will be provided)

Students are required to cover their own costs for transport to any of the outreach teaching clinics used during the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme.

All students entering dentistry are required to undergo an enhanced disclosure check with Access NI which costs £33, payable at the start of the course.

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Year 1 and Year 2

Students are attached to dental clinics and also undertake modules where they learn about the foundations of clinical practice including the biomedical and behavioural sciences as well as the principles of dental patient management, dental health promotion and core clinical dental skills.

Year 3

Introduces a greater clinical component within the various clinical dental specialties. Students continue to develop their clinical skills in Restorative Dentistry, carrying out assessment and treatment of their own patients. Students also begin their teaching and core training in the specialty areas of Oral Surgery, Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry. In parallel, students also learn about the impact of systemic disease in dentistry.

Year 4 and 5

Emphasis is on teaching advanced dental clinical skills within the range of clinical specialties in dentistry. Students carry out the full range of dental treatment for their own adult and child patients. Clinical teaching takes place both within the Dental School and in Outreach dental clinics.

Learning and Teaching

At Queen’s Dental School, we provide a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society. Our students have access to innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Clinical teaching in a simulated environment
  Clinical teaching in a simulated environment provides students with the opportunity to learn, develop and practice clinical skills in a safe and controlled environment before proceeding to patient care.
• E-Learning technologies
  Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas.
• Lectures
  Are used to introduce core information about new topics to large groups and provide a starting point for further learning. Lectures are often linked to case-based learning seminars incorporating clinical scenarios and developing independent learning.
• Practicals
  Are generally developed in smaller group sizes and are designed to allow students to see how some of the principles introduced in lectures can be observed in living organisms and in dental materials science. This type of class also provides the opportunity to develop technical skills and receive formative feedback on academic progress.
• Self-directed study
  Is used to provide time for students to study the theoretical principles underpinning the practice of dentistry, engage with e-learning resources, reflect on feedback and research assignments in their own time.
• Seminar/tutorials
  Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students) and clinical activity is often preceded by a clinical seminar. These provide opportunities for students to engage with academic and clinical staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions and to assess progress and understanding with the support of peers.
• Teaching and operative treatment in a clinical environment
  Clinical teaching and clinical operative treatment in a workplace environment enables students to learn directly from clinical experts and also provide treatment for their own patients across the full range of clinical disciplines.

Assessment

The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the learning outcomes for each module.

• Assessments range from written exams, MCQs, case studies and group projects to Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and clinical procedures with patients. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in Canvas (Virtual Learning Environment).

Feedback

Feedback on performance is a vital part of our students' learning process. As you progress through your course you will receive general and specific feedback about your work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, clinical supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and your peers.

As a university student, you will be expected to reflect on and use this feedback continuously as a clinician.

• Feedback may be provided to you in a variety of forms including: formal written comments, online or emailed feedback, pre-submission advice, feedback and outcomes from practical classes and when carrying out clinical treatment for patients.