Dentistry (first-year entry) (5 Years) [BDS] - About the course
Year of entry: 2013

• Enquiry-based learning
• Small group teaching
• Outreach community clinics
• Emphasis on research throughout the programme
• Early clinical experience
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning between students of dentistry and student professionals complementary to dentistry e.g. student dental hygienist/therapists/technicians
• Opportunity to undertake an intercalated BSc

BDS with Foundation Year: Students who do not have the required science qualifications for entry into year 1, but have either achieved good A2 level grades in other subjects or can demonstrate equivalent academic competence or potential, may apply for the BDS with Foundation Year .

Intercalated BSc: Outstanding students can take an extra year to study for an intercalated BSc (Hons) degree. This is partly taught and partly research-based. The choice of subjects is varied and ranges from psychology to the history of medicine. Full details oncan be found at:

• Intercalated degree option

Bachelor of Dental Scienc: Students with acceptable academic performance who do not wish to continue with a career in dentistry may exit BDS Dentistry after Year 3 with a BMedSci (Dent) degree, providing they have successfully completed the assessments up to that point.

The Manchester Dental Programme has been designed by the students and staff of the School of Dentistry to provide an integrated, enquiry-based five-year programme building on and incorporating the School's existing high-quality learning/teaching, expertise in problem-based learning (PBL) and well-established outreach courses.

A key feature of the programme is integration between theory and practice, and early learning and teaching in the clinical context is central to this. Clinical subjects are taught alongside the basic dental science subjects. This allows links to be made between the relationship of disease processes to body structure and function, and the behavioural sciences to patient treatment. From the first year of the programme, students study and practise aspects of clinical dentistry. The programme is designed around five themes:

1. Human Health and Disease
2. The Mouth in Health and Disease
3. Clinical Competence:
   • Diagnostic Skills
   • Manual Skills and Dexterity
   • Problem Solving
   • Patient Management
4. Scientific Understanding and Thought
5. Team working, Communication Skills, ICT, reflective practice

Dedicated teams have worked to develop these themes, and the years shown below, to ensure that students' knowledge and skills develop over the five years of the programme.

Basic building blocks:

• Orofacial Biology 1
• Healthy Living 1 (a healthy body)
• Team Working, Professionalism and Patient Management 1
• Patient Assessment 1

Building your knowledge, skills and attitudes:

• Orofacial Biology 2
• Healthy Living 2 (a healthy mouth)
• Team Working, Professionalism and Patient Management 2
• Patient Assessment 2
• Disease Management 2

Integrating knowledge, skills and attitudes:

• Orofacial Biology 3
• Healthy Living 3 (a healthy mind)
• Team Working, Professionalism and Patient Management 3
• Patient Assessment 3
• Disease Management 3

Achieving clinical competence:

• Orofacial Biology 4
• Team Working, Professionalism and Patient Management 4
• Patient Assessment 4
• Disease Management 4

Moving to professional competence:

• Team Working, Professionalism and Patient Management 5
• Preparation for Independent Practice
• The Complex Patient

The degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery is accredited as a qualification registerable with the General Dental Council.

BDS Dentistry graduates have opportunities to work in general practice, the community dental service, hospital practice, university teaching and research, various individual organisations and the armed forces.

Further specialisation and training are frequently required. Graduates wishing to work in general practice are required to undertake a year of mandatory vocational dental practice working under the supervision of an experienced dentist in a recognised practice. Travelling fellowships and government posts may offer opportunities overseas. The qualification is recognised throughout the European Union and in many other countries.

'The best thing about studying Dentistry is being able to interact with so many different types of people during the clinical years, and being able to make some difference in their lives'. (Janelle Bryan, Bachelor of Dental Surgery)

The University holds open days each year in June and October.

The days normally include a series of talks about dentistry at Manchester, and a question and answer session with existing dental students and staff.

There is an emphasis on research throughout the course. Of particular note is the use of Critically Appraised Topics (CAT), in which students pose a clinical question, eg 'Is water fluoridation an effective means of preventing tooth decay?', and assess the existing published literature to draw conclusions. These might include suggestions for further research to add to the existing evidence base or a strategy for implementing treatments where the existing research evidence is strong.

Through the review process, students acquire skills that will equip them to assess, in a meaningful way, new developments in dentistry throughout their lifetime in practice. The reviews are added to the School's database of critically appraised topics and published on its website.