ID004 Keele University Dental Institute

The Idea

“With rising demand for dental professionals and growing regional disparities in access to care, the UK is facing a critical shortfall in meeting its dental needs. Expanding training capacity is a crucial step to securing the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry” (Dental Schools Council, 2026¹). There is an urgent need to expand the number of UK Dental, Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy training places². For 2025–26, Dentistry remains one of the top 10 most-applied-for courses, requiring UCAT scores (~1940 mean), interviews and typical A*AA–AAA A-level grades. For 2025 entry, Manchester³ had 730 home applications, 351 interviews and 126 offers, while Liverpool had 1,377 applications, 402 interviews and 89 offers.

There is also a geographical gap (described by the DSC as “Dental Deserts”) with regional inequalities in dental education⁴. There are currently only 16 dental schools in the UK, plus two postgraduate schools⁵. The closest dental schools to Keele University are in Manchester and Birmingham.

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

In 2023, over 10,000 applicants competed for just 940 dentistry places in UK dental schools¹, demonstrating significant interest among prospective students. There are also separate Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy programmes, where places are even more competitive (DSC, 2026). Dentistry is supported by strong professional regulation through the General Dental Council (GDC)⁶.

There would be guaranteed national demand for places. Anecdotally, local schools and FE colleges operate Medical, Veterinary and Dental (MVD) study groups for high-achieving students. The DSC has recommended expanding Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy places in England and establishing regional training hubs in dental deserts⁷.

Stoke-on-Trent has significantly poorer average dental health than comparable socio-economic communities in Birmingham. Graduate dentists frequently work in the region where they study, building networks with local practices, hospital clinics and dental teams during their five-year degree and subsequent Foundation Training year. A dental school would therefore have a positive impact on local dental services.

Strategically, this aligns with a mission to improve health outcomes and service provision across the region. It would expand Keele’s socially responsible portfolio of courses while contributing to the health and wellbeing of local populations. Keele also previously hosted an NHS dental practice on campus, which provided a valuable service to staff and students and could potentially be re-established to support clinical placements, similar to the current on-campus pharmacy model.

How We Would Implement This Idea

Undergraduate medical and dental training in England is jointly funded through Office for Students (OfS) high-cost subject funding, NHS England clinical placement funding and student tuition fees. High-cost funding is allocated annually based on the number of medical and dental students studying at each provider⁸. Dental schools set their own admissions criteria, while standards are regulated by the GDC⁹.

The UK Government, through the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan¹⁰, aims to increase undergraduate dental training places by up to 40% (more than 1,100 places annually) by 2031/32. This strategy focuses on expanding capacity, improving regional distribution to address dental deserts and increasing training opportunities for dental therapists.

Keele could establish a Dentistry Institute delivering Dentistry, Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy programmes, supported by placement partnerships with local practices. This could also include the re-establishment of an on-campus dental practice for staff and students, creating additional clinical placement opportunities.

Recent New UK Dental Schools and Institutes

• University of East Anglia (UEA)¹¹ – First BSc Dentistry cohort begins in 2026/27.
  • Funded with 50 new places annually and a £3 million centre extension jointly funded by UEA and Norfolk councils to address a regional dental desert.
• University of Lincoln¹² – First Dental Hygiene and Therapy cohort begins in 2026/27.
  • Funded with 30 new places annually and a £1.5 million institute supported through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Future plans include expansion into a full dental school.
• University of Portsmouth – First dental degrees planned for 2026/27.
  • The existing Dental Academy already trains dental nurses, hygienists and therapists and received Dental Authority Status in 2026 to support expansion into dental degree provision¹³.
• Bangor University and Aberystwyth University are pursuing a joint proposal to establish a dental school in Wales, subject to Welsh Government funding¹⁴.
• University of Plymouth opened the Peninsula Dental School in 2006 and recently launched a £5 million Dental Education Practice serving local patients while training students¹⁵.

Typical Structure of a UK Five-Year Dentistry Degree

UK five-year Dentistry degrees typically include pre-clinical years focused on foundational sciences and simulation training, followed by clinical years involving direct patient care. Years 1 and 2 could potentially share elements with existing medical education provision, subject to adaptation of simulation facilities. A typical structure¹⁶ is outlined below.

Year 1: Foundations of Dentistry

• Focus: Basic medical sciences including head and neck anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and oral biology.
• Clinical: Introduction to clinical environments, shadowing, dental materials and communication skills.

Year 2: Intermediate Sciences and Pre-clinical Skills

• Focus: Pharmacology, microbiology, immunology and oral pathology.
• Clinical: Simulation training using phantom heads to practise restorative techniques and radiology.

Year 3: Introduction to Clinical Patient Care

• Focus: Oral medicine and comprehensive treatment planning.
• Clinical: Supervised patient management, including treatment of gum disease and simple restorative procedures.

Year 4: Clinical Practice and Specialities

• Focus: Paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery and advanced restorative care.
• Clinical: Increased clinical exposure and management of more complex patient cases.

Year 5: Advanced Clinical Practice and Transition to Foundation Training

• Focus: Comprehensive care, multidisciplinary treatment and preparation for Foundation Training.
• Clinical: Extensive patient care and community placements to prepare for independent practice.

Typical Structure of a UK Three-Year Dental Hygiene and Therapy Degree

• Year 1: Foundations of clinical practice, oral biology and basic sciences.
• Year 2: Development of clinical skills and introduction to restorative procedures.
• Year 3: Intensive clinical practice, management of diverse patient cases and preparation for professional practice.

What Success Would Look Like

1. Establishment of a Dental Institute or School at Keele University to complement existing medical and veterinary provision.
   • Potentially including training for dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, clinical dental technicians, dental technicians and orthodontic therapists. A broader portfolio may improve financial viability compared with dentistry provision alone.
   • Development of clinical skills environments and VR simulation suites.
   • Keele’s existing anatomy and clinical skills facilities could potentially be adapted, although capacity considerations would need assessment.
   • Creation of dedicated dental teaching suites with dental chairs, suction systems, cabinetry and clinical equipment.
   • Establishment of a dental laboratory with CAD, 3D printing and milling capabilities supported by technical staff.
2. Development of an appropriate clinical training model.
   • Many dental schools are affiliated with teaching hospitals, although newer models such as Lancashire¹⁷ and Plymouth^18,19 demonstrate alternative approaches through integrated dental practices.
   • Keele Medical School is already embedded within Royal Stoke University Hospital.
   • NHS community dentistry services currently provide general anaesthetic lists and operate a small dental laboratory within the hospital.
3. Re-establishment of a Keele University dental practice on campus.
4. Creation of local outreach placements and community clinics serving patients across a range of age groups and backgrounds.
   • Staffordshire Community Services already hosts Birmingham dental students, creating potential partnership opportunities.
   • Existing IV sedation and general anaesthetic services could broaden student clinical experience.

References

1. DSC is the authoritative voice of dental schools within universities across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
2. https://www.dentalschoolscouncil.ac.uk/news/dental-schools-urge-government-action-to-expand-training-places-amidst-workforce-crisis/
3. https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/dentistry/apply/statistics/
4. https://www.dentalschoolscouncil.ac.uk/news/dental-schools-council-report-sets-out-roadmap-to-tackle-regional-inequalities-in-dental-education/
5. https://www.bda.org/advice/career-hub/how-to-become-a-dentist/dental-schools/
6. https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/about-us/corporate-strategy-2025/gdc_strategy_2026_2028_final.pdf?sfvrsn=3ec0b80f_1
7. https://www.dentalschoolscouncil.ac.uk/news/dental-schools-urge-government-action-to-expand-training-places-amidst-workforce-crisis/
8. https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/finance-and-funding/medicine-and-dentistry-funding/
9. https://www.gdc-uk.org/education-cpd/dental-education
10. https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-workforce-plan/
11. https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/uea-welcomes-governments-new-dentistry-training-places-aimed-at-tackling-dental-deserts
12. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl5p5ej5z8o
13. https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/university-of-portsmouth-steps-closer-to-opening-first-dental-school-in-the-south-east
14. https://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/2025-11-03-joint-proposal-to-establish-new-dental-school-in-wales
15. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/new-city-centre-dental-clinic-welcomes-its-first-patients
16. https://sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/2026/dental-surgery-bds
17. https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/schools/medicine-dentistry
18. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/peninsula-school-of-dentistry
19. https://peninsuladental.org.uk/