Dental Surgery

Our Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BChD) course integrates clinical dentistry, science and professional development. You will graduate from Leeds as a highly qualified, well-equipped and insightful dental professional, who can think critically and work independently. You will be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to practise as a General Dental Council defined Safe Practitioner Dentist.

You will engage in clinical learning from an early stage so that you can apply your academic theoretical knowledge to the clinical environment. Your time on the course will develop your reasoning, communication, leadership skills, operative skills, and your ability to work as part of a dental team. You will develop your skills using the latest simulation technology, and gain experience on real patients within a range of clinical environments.

Your learning will integrate key cultural and societal themes such as equality, diversity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability. You will learn about how to be a socially accountable practitioner with an understanding of population needs, including inequalities in the provision of dental care. You will also explore how research and service development advance our understanding of dental science and the improvement of patient care by undertaking a Capstone Project as a senior student. By engaging in these areas, you will help to develop future innovations within the profession.

Becoming an effective and ethical professional is a key part of your experience on the course. You will learn to become resilient and adaptable, and to better identify your ongoing development needs. As a dental student you will be expected to demonstrate the highest standards of professional behaviours that will continue into your career.

Course highlights

The School of Dentistry, in partnership with Leeds Dental Institute, is one of a few dental schools in the UK where the whole dental team (dentists, dental therapists, hygienists, technicians and dental nurses) are educated together.

The first two years of the BChD Dental Surgery course are co-taught with the first two years of the BSc Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy course. This encourages a community of learning and will prepare you to work as a member of the dental team, sharing experiences and sharing the care of patients.

You will benefit from early clinical experiences from the first year onwards. Throughout your course, you will have access to our recently refurbished School of Dentistry Clinical Skills Classroom and Dental Haptic Simulator Classroom. We use the latest digital scanning and printing technology to give you high-fidelity simulated learning experiences. You’ll also be able to experience the School’s Medical Emergency simulation room, where you will learn (with video feedback) and be assessed on the management of simulated dental emergencies.

We integrate our simulated clinical skills teaching with your experience in the real patient environment. You will learn to manage the comprehensive dental care of child and adult patients in a range of environments, both within the Leeds Dental Institute and at our outreach centres. You will have access to a diversity of patient populations with varied dental care needs.

The School is also at the forefront of scientific and clinical research, which directly benefits our patients and informs our research-led teaching. We are active in oral biological science, dental public health, digital dentistry and translational clinical science, as well as educational research. Students are encouraged to explore their areas of interest and work with leading researchers and clinicians in the School as part of their Capstone project.