Dentistry Work Experience Year 10: Free Dental School Work Experience for Year 10’s - Are You a Future Dentist?
At 14-15 years old (Year 10), formal dental placements are rare because most clinics require students to be 16 or older. However, early exploration is still valuable. You can learn a lot by observing and volunteering in related roles now. For example, watch a dentist’s check-ups, attend health careers events, or try free online dental workshops by The Medic Life.
Dental schools appreciate the effort: showing even small steps toward understanding dentistry demonstrates motivation.
Understanding Roles: Year 10 is a great time to see what dental professionals do. Notice how dentists, hygienists, and nurses work together and how they talk to patients.
Short Placements: Aim for short stints (3–5 days) if you can arrange them. Even one week in a practice or hospital clinic (under supervision) will give you insight into tools and procedures. Any official placement will likely require you to be 16, but some practices allow younger visitors for a day or two. Always have an adult accompany you!
Join The Medic Life free Dentist Work Experience Workshop and Webinar - it’s a perfect introduction to what you’ll see and do. We’ll show you exactly where to look for placements (and answer your FAQs!). Spots are limited, so register early to secure your place.
Dentistry Work Experience Year 10: How to Get Dentistry Experience in Year 10?
Finding experience at 14–15 takes creativity and persistence:
Ask Around: Email or phone your own dentist to ask if they have any observer spots for Year 10s. Also contact local dental clinics and orthodontists. Explain you’re a Year 10 student interested in dentistry. Some practices offer mini work experience for younger students, especially during holidays.
Volunteer in Healthcare: If clinical shadowing is not possible, volunteer in caring environments. Helping at a care home or as a young volunteer (for example, hospital cadets at 14) shows responsibility and caring skills. Dental schools value these experiences too.
Career Workshops: Join free dentistry events geared to school students. The Medic Life offers free workshops (e.g., our KCL dental workshop) that cover basic procedures and patient communication. These events let you handle dental models or meet professionals safely, and they often provide certificates you can mention.
Online & Alternative Experience: Utilise online courses and virtual programs. For example, the Discover Dentistry MOOC from Sheffield University is free and introduces dental topics. YouTube videos or virtual reality dental games can also teach about tools and hygiene. Any activity where you watch a dentist or study dentistry basics can count as learning.
Preparing for Year 10 Work Experience: Dentistry Work Experience Year 10!
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Use The Medic Life: Think of The Medic Life as your mentor. We run free Dental School Work Experience Workshops (e.g. Feb 2026 at King’s College London) with talks from Dentists so you can learn about different roles and how to reflect on what you see. Read our guides and ask our team questions to prepare.
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Dress and Act Professionally: If you do a placement, wear neat, dark clothing or scrubs if provided. Arrive on time, introduce yourself to staff, and follow all instructions. First impressions count.
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Ask Good Questions: Observe carefully, and when appropriate (and after obtaining permission), ask questions like “What is this tool used for?” or “How do you help nervous patients?”. This shows genuine interest.
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Reflect Daily: Keep a short diary or notes of what you learn each day: new terms, procedures you saw, or how the dentist managed a situation. Reflections are key content for personal statements later.
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Highlight Soft Skills: Think about any teamwork or patient-focused tasks you do (school clubs, customer service, etc.). Even as a Year 10, mentioning communication and empathy skills in your CV or statement will strengthen your application.
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Your mentor: The Medic Life guides you through every step of your dental school application journey – so that you too can LIVE THE MEDIC LIFE!
PS: Don't forget about The Medic Life Dentistry Work Experience Opportunities!
The Medic Life's Expert Support with Dentistry Work Experience for Year 10's
We make your journey easier with expert guidance and free resources. Our Work Experience Workshops (online and in-person) pack in lots of value: dentists from different specialties explain what they do and how to shadow them, and we teach you how to reflect on your placements for your dental school personal statement. In fact, our last workshop had over 3,000 applicants for only 340 spots – they sold out in 60 seconds! We also run Q&A webinars where Dr Bakhtar and team will cover “How to get work experience and use it”.
Beyond events, The Medic Life offers one-on-one mentoring: you can get advice from senior medical students who have been through this process. We provide reflection journals and checklists so you don’t miss key learning points during your placement. All of these are free – we want every interested 16-year-old to have a chance.
Sign up now to secure your place in the next free workshop and start charting your path into dentistry! (Spaces fill fast – our events are hugely popular.)
Dentistry Work Experience Year 10: The Medic Life’s FREE Work Experience Opportunities for Aspiring Dentists!
About The Medic Life Free Dentistry Work Experience Workshop for Year 10 Students
Following on from the success of The Medic Life Work Experience Workshops over the last 6 years, and especially due to the HUGE demand this year. We are very excited to announce the FREE Dentistry Work Experience Workshop on 22nd February 2026.
This will be a day packed full of talks from Dentists across various specialties, explaining what their roles consist of. You’ll gain an understanding of the variety of experiences they go through, along with the pros and cons of working in the medical field. We will also guide you on how to reflect on your medical work experience and use it effectively in your personal statements and interviews.
Last year, over 3000 students wanted to attend The Medical Life Work Experience Workshop on 27th April at King's College London, but with only 340 spaces available in the lecture theatre, free tickets were given out on a first come, first serve basis - and sold out within 60 seconds!
HOW DO I SECURE MY SPOT?
To support your application to Medical and Dental School, we’re offering GUARANTEED spaces to anyone who books onto our 2-day LIVE Online UCAT course this summer. Priority will be given to iIf any tickets remain, they’ll be released 1 week before the event. Please register NOW to join the ticket release list.
FAQs - Free Dentistry Work Experience Year 10
Can Year 10 students do dental work experience?
Year 10s are too young for unsupervised clinical work in dentistry (most placements require 16+). However, you can still observe, volunteer, and learn. Many schools and clinics allow short visits or open days for younger students. Focus on gaining understanding now and preparing for more formal work experience at 16.
What if I can’t shadow a dentist at 15?
No problem. Use Year 10 to build related experience. Attend health career fairs, volunteer in a care setting, or take The Medic Life online dental workshops (Part of The Medic Life FREE Dentistry Work Experience Programme, which consist of mulitple free events leading up to your dentistry career). These activities demonstrate empathy and initiative, which dental schools look for. When you do turn 16, you’ll have a head start.
How do I find local work experience?
Search online and check NHS trust websites for youth programs. Also ask your school’s careers adviser. Remember, at 14-15 your options will likely be non-clinical or observational. Ask The Medic Life’s founder, Dr. Bakhtar Ahmad about free dental work experience opportunities near your region. Consider community healthcare roles or school science clubs related to health.
How long should a Year 10 placement be?
A week (5 days) is ideal, but even 2-3 days can be beneficial. Aim for a placement long enough to see multiple procedures (e.g., fillings, cleanings) and learn how a day runs. Later, you can always add more experience. Reflect more on what you do than worry about total hours.
Can I do hospital volunteering at 15?
Most NHS volunteer programs start at 16, but look out for junior schemes (like NHS Cadets from age 14). These schemes involve non-clinical roles (helping patients, admin tasks) which still show caring and teamwork. Hospitals may also have special Year 10 open days or short courses – keep an eye on their websites.
What are people’s experiences with year 10 work experience?
Many students report that Year 10 experience in healthcare gave them clarity about their future studies. Even if it’s just a week of shadowing or volunteering, you’ll learn a lot about patient care and decide if you really want dentistry. Use every experience to reinforce your passion for the career.