Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Whitechapel
- Fees
- Home: £27,500
Overseas: £42,250
EU/EEA/Swiss students
What you'll study
On this MSc, you’ll be taught:
- relevant basic sciences including anatomy, physiology, immunology, microbiology and molecular biology with respect to health and how these are altered by disease
- the patho-physiological and anatomical basis for clinical signs of oral and craniofacial health and disease
- the relationship between dental disease, population risk factors and prevention strategies.
You’ll discuss the science associated with pharmacology and therapeutics used in dentistry. You’ll also examine the science behind properties of dental materials and evaluate their clinical applications.
Practical laboratory-based sessions will give you advanced clinical skills. You’ll learn operative skills so that you can undertake skilled, competent and safe dental procedures such as cavity design. You’ll attend clinics to learn about current UK dental practice.
You’ll be introduced to decision-making processes leading to tooth loss and replacement and techniques for all stages of planned prosthodontic treatment (excluding bridges and implants).
The MSc’s research component consists of a structured literature review and clinical audit project. You’ll learn how to critically appraise and analyse scientific literature and evaluate the latest developments in dentistry.
You’ll also have the opportunity to attend development courses at the London Deanery, Royal Society of Medicine (Odontology Section) as well as internal Institute seminars.
Structure
- Five compulsory modules
- Clinical audit project
- Evidence-based clinical case report
- Dissertation and presentation based on your clinical audit
Compulsory/Core modules
This module is divided into two components: research process (including methods and ethics) and basic statistics. Students will learn about the research stages including conducting literature searches, setting research questions, selecting study designs and research methods, drafting research protocols and seeking ethical approval delivered in the form of lectures and practical seminars. The basic statistics component will introduce students to medical statistics and common statistical tests delivered in lectures.
This is an academic and practical module which introduces clinical concepts and approaches. Teaching will be delivered in the form of lectures/seminars, journal clubs and problem-based and critical reasoning sessions. Students will also be expected to engage in independent study and reflection. Topics covered will include: Patient examination and diagnosis; Treatment planning and patient management; Health promotion and disease prevention; Medical and dental emergencies; Anesthesia, sedation, pain & anxiety control; Periodontal therapy and management of soft tissues; Hard and soft tissue surgery; Non-surgical management of the hard and soft tissues of the head and neck; Management of the developing dentition; and Restoration and replacement of teeth.
This is an academic and practical module which provides students with hands-on experience which will include practice in taking radiographs using phantom heads. Teaching will be delivered in the clinical skills laboratory but there will also be seminars and small group discussions and problem based critical reasoning sessions. Students will have the opportunity to observe current UK dental practice via clinics in Oral Medicine, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontology, Paediatrics, Orthodontics, Sedation and General Anaesthesia. Topics covered will include: Infection control; Patient examination; Diagnostic tools and techniques and their interpretation; anesthesiology and sedation techniques, basic life support (BLS); Accurate measurement of periodontal indices according to current deadlines
This module is designed to ensure that students develop their management and leadership skills in the context of the ethical and legal framework within which a UK dental professional should practice. It will be conducted in the form of lectures and interactive sessions. Topics covered will include: Ethics, Law, Communication Skills and UK regulatory requirements.
This is an academic and core module which will provide students with hands on experience of undertaking dental procedures using typodont teeth set in a manikin head. This is a practically biased module that will cover intracoronal direct filling plastic restorations, extracoronal restorations, endodontics and removable prostheses. Teaching will be delivered using the dental phantom head facilities but there will also be seminars and small group discussions. Students will be expected to engage in independent study and reflection.
This is an academic module which will involve researching and analysing the literature pertinent and relevant to dental clinical sciences. Students will be expected to use library and on-line sources and will be supported and supervised by a dedicated teacher. Students will undertake and complete a clinical audit and present their findings and conclusions. Students will be familiarized with the principles of clinical governance and training will be provided in designing and implementing an audit project. Students will have dedicated support and supervision and access to clinical resources.
Assessment
- Multiple-choice and extended matching questions (EMQ) examinations.
- Professional Development Portfolio (see below)
- Final exam of two written papers, an OSCE and SCR exam
- A clinical case report
- A clinical audit project report and presentation
Dissertation
The dissertation forms a major component of your degree. You’ll be assessed on a 15,000-word literature review and clinical audit project.
—Dr Anoushka Saraf, MSc Dental Science for Clinical Practice 2021
Teaching
You'll be taught through a variety of methods, including lectures, seminars, tutorials and symposia. You'll also prepare a professional development portfolio based on evidence gathered over the course.
You'll develop your communication and IT skills by writing journal club reports and presentations on dental and clinical governance topics.
You'll also be tutored in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) and Structured Clinical Reasoning (SCR) exams, using the facilities in our state-of-the-art dental skills laboratory.
For every hour spent in class, you will be expected to complete further hours of independent study. Your individual study time could be spent preparing for, or following up on, formal study sessions, reading, producing written work, completing projects and revising for examinations.
You'll be assigned an Academic Adviser who will guide you in both academic and pastoral matters throughout your time at Queen Mary.
Where you'll learn
Facilities
New postgraduate study and research facilities are available in the state of the art Blizard building, as well as the Institute of Dentistry, and include:
- 11 dedicated seminar rooms and a student learning centre
- 92 production laboratory spaces
- Digital imaging and two cutting-edge cone beam CT machines
- A PC in every operatory with ‘slave screen’ on chair for viewing images and discussing results with patient
- Modern facial-scanning equipment
- Facilities and services for 72 ‘phantom’ heads
Campus
Your postgraduate learning experience is enhanced by our fantastic location in Whitechapel, in east London.
Not only are we in one of the capital’s most vibrant areas to live and work but we also serve a diverse local community, with 92 different languages spoken by the borough’s 300,000 residents. You will develop your clinical skills and knowledge while caring for this community. Moreover, the Institute offers you many exciting opportunities to develop an understanding of health and the treatment of disease in a global and international context.
About the Institute
Institute of Dentistry
If you study with us, you will join a dynamic, successful dental school with a first-class reputation: Queen Mary has consistently been ranked in the top 20 in the World for dentistry in the QS World University Rankings by Subject and we were ranked joint first in the country for research environment for dentistry in the most recent national assessment (REF 2021).
The Institute of Dentistry is a special place to undertake your postgraduate studies. We bring together a number of world-leading researchers in basic and clinical sciences who supervise research students in the fields of oral medicine, oral pathology, oral microbiology, oral epidemiology, oncology, dental biomaterials, dental biophysics, dental public health, dental education, periodontology, orthodontics, paediatric, prosthetic and conservative dentistry.
The Institute is based in Whitechapel and offers cutting-edge technology, a superb education and first-class research facilities.
The Institute of Dentistry is part of Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Queen Mary is part of the University of London and a member of the Russell Group.
Career paths
This MSc gives international dental professionals the skills and experience to practice in the UK. It is excellent preparation for the GDC’s Overseas Registration Exam.
You’ll also gain the research skills and experience necessary to pursue further academic research at PhD level.
- 100% of Dentistry postgraduate-taught students are in employment or further study (2020/21)
- 100% of Dentistry postgraduate-taught students are in highly skilled work or graduate study (2020/21)
Fees and funding
Full-time study
September 2025 | 1 year
- Home: £27,500
- Overseas: £42,250
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Conditional deposit
Home: £2000
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award
Funding
There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Postgraduate loans (UK students)
- Country-specific scholarships for international students
Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:
Entry requirements
UK
Degree requirements
Applicants must have a dental degree recognised by Queen Mary University of London and a minimum of 12 months post-qualification experience.
Additional information
Please note that in order for your application to be considered you must have obtained a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 at the point of submission of your application.
Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.
International
English language requirements
The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.
The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught and research programmes in the Institute of Dentistry fall within either English band 4 or English band 5. This programme requires the following English band:
Band 5: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking
We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.
Visas and immigration
Find out how to apply for a student visa.