Which dentistry foundation years can I apply to?
Dentistry foundation and gateway years
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Questions people ask
Which universities offer dentistry with a foundation year?
For UK school leavers, Bristol (Gateway to Dentistry, A208) and Plymouth (BDS with Integrated Foundation Year, A205). Leeds and Liverpool run foundation routes for mature applicants.
What grades do I need for a dentistry foundation year?
Bristol asks BBC with a B in Biology or Chemistry; Plymouth asks BBB with Biology plus Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology, all at B. Leeds' mature route asks CDD.
Do I need the UCAT for a dentistry foundation year?
Bristol's gateway needs the UCAT in the year you apply. Plymouth's foundation year and the Leeds and Liverpool mature routes do not.
Who can apply to Bristol's Gateway to Dentistry?
UK home students with a postcode in the most deprived 40% (IMD quintile 1 or 2), three months or more in care, or free school meals in secondary school. AAB or an A in Chemistry makes you ineligible.
Can international students do a foundation year in dentistry?
Yes, through international foundation programmes at Bristol, Cardiff and King's. Glasgow and Manchester take only government-sponsored students from partner countries.
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How we work this out
What it does
Tick what applies to you and add your A-levels. We check every UK foundation, gateway and Year 0 route into dentistry for 2027 entry.
Four routes into a UK dentistry degree for UK applicants (Bristol Gateway to Dentistry, Plymouth BDS with Integrated Foundation Year, Leeds and Liverpool mature routes) and five international foundation routes, for 2027 entry.
Method
- We read each university's own 2027 course and eligibility pages, UCAS and the Dental Schools Council on 5 October 2026, and two independent reviews re-checked every eligibility, offer and closure claim.
- Each route's eligibility is written as its published rule: one of a list at Bristol, five points at Plymouth, mature status at Leeds and Liverpool.
- Your A-levels are checked against the offer, the subjects and any ceiling (Bristol's gateway is closed to AAB or an A in Chemistry).
- A rule your answers cannot settle is a check, never a pass.