Cardiff Dentistry Interview — Format, Questions & Prep Tips

Why dentistry, and why Cardiff specifically?

Reference Cardiff's integrated curriculum, the bilingual clinical environment, Welsh NHS placements, and — if applicable — your interest in practising in Wales.

What dental work experience have you done and what did you learn?

Pick one specific moment. Reflect on the daily realities — communication, anxiety management, team dynamics with hygienists and nurses.

Describe a complex topic from your A-Levels to me as if I knew nothing about science.

Avoid jargon. Vivid analogy. Check understanding mid-explanation. Cardiff scores clarity over depth.

Tell me about a time you worked in a team and there was a conflict.

STAR framework. Focus on managing the conflict productively, not on who was right.

A patient with a chronic condition refuses to follow your treatment plan. How do you respond?

Respect autonomy. Explore why (cost, side-effects, mistrust, misunderstanding). Address the underlying issue without coercion.

Should the NHS treat patients differently if their dental problems are self-inflicted (e.g. heavy smoking or sugar intake)?

Justice and non-maleficence both argue no. Engage with the role of patient education and prevention without punitive withdrawal.

A patient is anxious about a procedure. (Actor present.)

Acknowledge the anxiety. Use simple non-jargon explanations. Tell-show-do approach. Offer the patient control signals.

A friend tells you they're considering quitting their course due to mental-health struggles. (Actor present.)

Validate. Don't prescribe solutions — ask what they need. Suggest professional routes (uni counselling, GP).

Here is data showing dental decay rates by region in Wales. What might explain the differences and what could be done?

Discuss multi-causal factors: deprivation, healthcare access, vaccine/fluoridation policy, sugar intake. Avoid simplistic explanations.

What is the role of a dentist beyond treating dental disease?

Public health, oral cancer screening, safeguarding (signs of abuse, eating disorders), patient education, advocacy for better dental access.

How would you explain to a parent why their child needs to come back for further treatment?

Listen first. Use simple language. Empathise with the inconvenience. Be specific about what the next visit will involve and why.

How do you train your manual dexterity?

Concrete examples — model-making, art, music, surgery shadowing. Reflect on improvement over time.

A patient asks you about a treatment they read about online but you're not familiar with. What do you do?

Honesty — don't pretend to know. Offer to research it together. Suggest they bring the information so you can both look at it. Don't dismiss.

What concerns you most about a career in dentistry?

Honest concerns + management strategies. NHS contract instability, physical demands (back/neck from posture), patient anxiety dynamics, business pressures.