Chances are when applying to Dentistry you will want to know more about the vast subject, but where do you start? Luckily, I’m coming to the rescue by providing you with four books to add to your Dentistry reading list to strengthen your application.
A great time to get started with your reading list is over the summer prior to your application to give you inspiration for your personal statements. It is also worth doing some reading prior to interviews so that you can show of your knowledge of the subject.
The Top Dentistry Reading List for a Successful Dentistry Application
1. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Dentistry – Laura Mitchell and David A. Mitchell
This is a concise handbook that outlines all the essential aspects of Dentistry that is needed for clinical practice. The book is written in an easy to understand style and covers a range of specialities within Dentistry.
It is worth reading to gain an insight into Dentistry as a profession as it covers key skills such as professionalism, communication as well as law and ethics. Key areas that are useful to know are dental materials, preventative and community Dentistry.
2. The British Dental Journal
The British Dental Journal (BDJ) is a peer review journal relating to all aspects of Dentistry. It includes current issues in Dentistry and the latest advancements in the field.
Some articles may be heavy in technical knowledge so try to focus on the news, summaries and practice sections. Aim to get an overall view of the issues affecting Dentistry currently and a few areas of research as these are useful to discuss at interview.
3. Delivering Better Oral Health: An Evidence-Based Toolkit for Prevention – Public Health England
This document is a guide that Public Health England put together from a variety of research relating to aspects that impact oral health in patients.
Sometimes when thinking about Dentistry it is easy just to focus on filling teeth or applying braces but really there are many simple changes that patients can be encouraged to make to change their overall oral health. For example, the guide outlines the benefits of fluoridation and at what concentration it is required.
In addition to this, the impact of a high sugar diet is discussed along with how alcohol impacts oral health. All of these make great discussion topics for interviews as well as thoughts to consider in a personal statement.
4. The Medic Portal Weekly News Summary
At the start of every week The Medic Portal uploads a summary of the key news stories relating to health and medicine. To access these pieces, visit the blogs page of the website and filter by ‘Medical News’.
With every Dentistry application it is vital to keep up to date with the news and what is impacting health care. Interviewers will often ask you to discuss something you have read in the news that could impact Dentistry. Rather than reading multiple news sites all of the key information can be found once a week over on the weekly News Summary blog.
The overall idea is to get an overview of Dentistry as a career, gain some knowledge of the main concepts and understand what skills are needed of a Dentist. Try not to get stuck in the technical aspects as these will be taught at Dental School.
Uploaded by Joelle on 6 July, 2016
