ORCID

Abstract

IntroductionAccess to National Health Service (NHS) dental care in the UK, particularly in rural and coastal regions such as the South West, remains a significant concern. Increasing socio-economic diversity in the dental workforce has previously been reported to improve access to care in underserved areas. Widening Participation (WP) initiatives aim to address this by encouraging applications from underrepresented groups.MethodsThis study analysed admissions data from the University of Plymouth's Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme for cohorts between 2014 and 2021. Metrics included entry qualifications, age, gender, ethnicity, disability and socio-economic markers. Statistical analyses included chi-squared tests and ANOVA to identify demographic shifts over time.ResultsData from 512 students revealed significant changes in entry profile (p < 0.001), gender distribution (p = 0.003), school type (p = 0.003) and age at entry (p < 0.001). The proportion of students applying with predicted grades increased, while graduate applicants declined. Socio-economic diversity remained limited, with most students from areas of high participation in higher education and low deprivation.ConclusionOver the study period, the demographic profile of dental students remained largely unchanged, even though this period coincided with enhancements to widening participation initiatives. Without greater representation from diverse backgrounds, the dental workforce may struggle to meet the needs of underserved communities.

Publication Date

2026-03-10

Publication Title

European Journal of Dental Education

ISSN

1396-5883

Acceptance Date

2026-02-25

Deposit Date

2026-03-11

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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