Orthodontics DClinDent, MClinDent

Courses and attendance

The programme consists of 13 courses. All courses are compulsory, assessed and credit-bearing.

You will spend 20 hours a week - 50% of your time - treating personal patients under supervision.

Attendance is required on weekdays for 42 weeks each year.

In addition, you are expected to attend multidisciplinary clinics with maxillofacial surgery, paediatric dentistry, and restorative dentistry on a rotating basis. You are also expected to attend at least one new patient clinic per week.

What will I learn?

The degree programme begins with an introductory period of core topics.

Following this, you will spend time in the laboratory to familiarise yourself with the facilities and the basics of:

• wire-bending skills
• appliance design
• appliance construction and mechanics

This is followed by structured semesters of theoretical seminars and tutorials. Seminars are run on a Scotland-wide basis with contributions from staff in all four training institutions:

• Glasgow Dental School
• Edinburgh Dental Institute (EDI)
• Dundee Dental School
• Aberdeen Dental School

Teaching takes place in the Dundee and Glasgow Dental Schools, as well as in the EDI. This allows the students to meet for teaching and for personal and peer interaction.

The Scotland-Wide Orthodontic Programme (SWOP) of lectures, seminars and tutorials takes place every Friday in term time and continues throughout the year.

Occupational health clearance

All students are required to successfully complete occupational health clearance to undergo exposure prone procedures, prior to treating patients.

On completion of the DClinDent, you will be able to demonstrate the following:

• diagnose anomalies of the dentition
• detect deviations in the development of the dentition, of facial growth and the possession of functional abnormalities
• evaluate the need for orthodontic treatment
• formulate a treatment plan and predict its course
• carry out interceptive orthodontic measures
• carry out orthodontic treatment procedures using fixed, functional and removable appliances
• evaluate orthodontic progress and treatment outcomes
• possess an overview of the multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of dentally and medically compromised patients
• be able to acquire and interpret research information and data
• be able to prepare oral and written clinical and research findings
• the ability to design and organise a Systematic Review
• clinical competence at the level of a specialist for an appropriate range of treatment techniques
• competence in the selection, planning, implementation, interpretation and dissemination of clinical audit

Examples of career paths chosen by our past graduates include:

• specialist practice (in the UK and overseas).
• working as a speciality dentist, specialist or consultant in secondary care.
• programme directors
• lecturers
• other roles within dental school infrastructure

We strongly encourage you to confirm how the DClinDent and MOrth awards are recognised in your country. This can be confirmed through regulatory bodies in your country of origin.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A primary dental qualification (such as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery), or its international equivalent, plus a minimum of two years' post-qualification experience.

In addition to the above minimum entry requirements, the following attributes are desirable:

1. Possession of one or both parts of the of the MFDS, MFD, or MJDF examinations or part 1 of the M.Orth examination, of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of the UK and Ireland,

2. Experience of at least TWO different areas of dental practice (children's dentistry, oral surgery, restorative dentistry, etc),

3. Experience of clinical audit

4. Experience of research

5. Presentations at conferences (posters or verbal)

6. Publications in peer-reviewed journals - either as main author or co-author

7. Teaching experience

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

Protecting Vulnerable Groups

All successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme before starting the programme. In addition, all applicants who don't live in the UK, or who have spent more than a year abroad, will need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant national authority.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Deposit

Successful applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit before an unconditional offer can be made.

• £2,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

Find out more about tuition fee deposits:

• Tuition fee deposits

Tuition fee deposits can be paid using the University's online payment facility, ePay:

• Pay a tuition fee deposit

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

• Tuition fees

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding