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School of Dentistry

Inspiring future dental professionals

Our vision is that all students, regardless of their background or personal experience, are inspired to consider a career in the dental professions.

Key priorities for our Dental School are widening participation in the dental professions and increasing interest in the professions in communities across Wales.

Dentistry taster days

Each year we run a Step Up Programme, designed to prepare college and sixth form students who've experienced educational disadvantage, for life at university.

To break down barriers that students may face when considering the dental professions as a career, we organise taster days, where students can:

  • learn more about a career in the dental professions
  • ask questions about the application process
  • experience a day in the life of a dental student
  • put their clinical skills to the test in our state-of-the-art phantom head suite
Student speaking to prospective applicants at an event
Students practicing clinical skills in the phantom head suite

Our goals for 2020-25

  • all students, regardless of their background or personal experience, are inspired to consider higher education
  • all students flourish and develop to become our professionals of tomorrow and future leaders of society

We hope to organise more taster days in future, taking them into the community, to outreach centres, schools and colleges, with the aim of increasing applications to the dental professions across Wales.
Dr Jennifer Galloway Senior Clinical Lecturer/Honorary Consultant in Orthodontics

What is the Step Up programme?

The Step Up Programme is a free, two-year, academic programme for college and sixth form students who identify with one of the following groups:

  • live in an area of socio-economic deprivation
  • first in family to attend higher education
  • asylum seeker
  • young people with Autism Spectrum Conditions
  • estranged students
  • experience of being in care
  • young people with caring responsibilities

The programme aims to equip students with the right skills and knowledge to successfully negotiate the application process and thrive at university.