Liverpool Dentistry Interview

Why dentistry, and why Liverpool?

Reference the integrated BDS curriculum, the Liverpool University Dental Hospital placements, the early clinical contact, and the city's diverse patient population. Make sure dentistry-specific motivation is distinct from any medicine reasoning.

What attracted you to the Liverpool Medical and Dental Programme specifically?

Show you understand Liverpool runs medicine and dentistry side-by-side with shared infrastructure but distinct curricula. Mention the dental hospital, the Mersey region clinical exposure, and the school's preventative-care ethos.

(Simulated patient station) A patient is upset that their dental treatment has been delayed by 4 weeks. Speak to them.

Acknowledge the inconvenience without over-apologising. Listen to the specific concern (pain, time off work, anxiety). Offer concrete next steps and a realistic timeframe. Don't over-promise.

How would you explain to a child what a filling is and why they need one?

Use age-appropriate language. Avoid words like "drill" or "needle". Use the "tell-show-do" technique. Acknowledge fear, offer control (hand-raise pause). Involve the parent.

A patient with capacity refuses a treatment you believe they need. What do you do?

Autonomy is paramount once capacity is established. Provide clear information about risks of refusal. Document. Offer to revisit. Reference GDC Standards.

Is it ethical for dentists to offer cosmetic treatments that are not clinically necessary?

Balance autonomy with non-maleficence. Discuss informed consent, ensuring patients understand risks vs aesthetic benefit. Reference GDC guidance on advertising and pressure-selling.

Describe a meaningful piece of dental work experience and what it taught you.

Pick one moment to go deep on rather than listing placements. Reflect on what you learned about the realities of dental practice — the pace, the patient interactions, the team dynamics.

What manual dexterity skills have you developed and how do you train them?

Concrete examples — model-making, embroidery, musical instruments, sketching. Reflect on how dexterity improves with deliberate practice, and how dentistry will continue that training.

Should NHS dental treatment be free for children and pensioners only, or for all patients?

Engage with the funding model (NHS dental charges since 1951), the access crisis in NHS dentistry, the equity arguments and the workforce implications. Show familiarity with the current dental access debate.

Tell me about a time you worked in a team and your role within it.

STAR framework. Focus on contribution and collaboration, not on being the leader. Reflect on what you learned about team dynamics.

What concerns you most about a career in dentistry?

NHS workforce crisis, the physical demands (posture-related back/neck issues), the emotional weight of anxious patients, the business pressures of practice ownership. Show informed self-awareness and coping strategies.

(Station may include a short graph or table on oral-health inequalities.) What does this data suggest and what would you do as a dentist working in this area?

Describe what you see before interpreting. Note correlations vs causation. Discuss preventative interventions — supervised toothbrushing, fluoride varnish, community outreach. Show systemic awareness.

A colleague at your work-experience placement makes a comment you find inappropriate. What do you do?

Don't escalate in front of patients. Address it privately and professionally. Escalate to a supervisor if it continues or is serious. Reference GDC fitness-to-practise expectations.

What do you understand about consent in dentistry, and how does it differ from medicine?

Same core principles (capacity, voluntariness, information). Dental nuances — cost discussion is part of consent, paediatric Gillick competence, treating patients who may be in pain.

Why prevention over treatment in modern dentistry?

Most dental disease (caries, periodontal disease) is preventable. Cost-effectiveness, quality-of-life impact, oral cancer screening, the shift from drill-and-fill to risk-assessed preventative care.