Your Child Wants to Become a Dentist: A Comprehensive Guide

Your child wants to become a dentist. Before you dive into researching universities, there’s something crucial to know: dentistry is offered at only a handful of universities in South Africa. This realization can significantly change how you approach the application process.

With medicine, students have several institutions to consider. However, with dentistry, the options are limited. Missing a deadline, not meeting subject requirements at one university, or misunderstanding how a particular institution selects its students can cost your child more than just a place. It can cost them an entire year.

Fewer Universities, Higher Stakes

Only a small number of South African universities offer a full Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BChD/BDS) degree. Institutions include UP, Wits, UWC, and SMU, each with very different entry requirements. This limited availability means the margin for error is much smaller than families often expect.

A student applying for medicine has more institutions to consider if one application does not succeed. In contrast, a student applying for dentistry does not have that safety net. Understanding each institution individually—beyond just the minimum APS—is essential. This knowledge is the foundation of a realistic application strategy.

Is Dentistry Harder to Get Into Than Medicine?

This is a common question families ask. The honest answer is: it depends on the university. However, dentistry is at least as competitive as medicine and, in some respects, more challenging to navigate.

Medicine is offered at more universities, giving applicants more options. Dentistry has fewer institutions and places available. Some universities even have additional selection requirements beyond academic results that many families are unaware of until it’s too late. If your child is considering both fields, they must understand that the application strategies for medicine and dentistry are not the same. Each requires a unique approach.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Dentist?

The BChD/BDS degree is a five-year undergraduate program. After completing the degree, graduates must complete one year of compulsory community service before they can register independently with the HPCSA. This means a minimum of six years from starting university to independent practice.

Dentists who wish to specialize in areas such as orthodontics, oral surgery, or pediatric dentistry will need to pursue postgraduate qualifications, adding further years of study and training.

What is an APS Score?

APS stands for Admission Point Score. It is the number South African universities use to assess whether a matric student qualifies for a specific program. Your APS is calculated from your final matric results, typically your best six subjects, excluding Life Orientation.

Each subject is given a point value based on the percentage achieved:

• 80–100% = 7 points

• 70–79% = 6 points

• 60–69% = 5 points

• 50–59% = 4 points

• 40–49% = 3 points

• 30–39% = 2 points

• 0–29% = 1 point

  
  

Add up your six best subject scores, and that is your APS. Simple in theory. However, not every university calculates or uses APS the same way. With so few institutions to choose from, understanding these differences matters more than ever.

Why the Minimum APS Is Not the Whole Story

Dentistry is highly competitive. At every university that offers it, simply meeting the minimum APS is not enough. Universities receive far more applications than they have places, meaning the actual entry score is always higher than the published minimum.

A published minimum APS is merely the floor—the point below which your application will not even be considered. It does not guarantee entry. With so few dental schools in the country, the competition for each available place is intense.

What are the University Entrance Requirements for Dentistry?

Each university offering dentistry has its own selection process, and they differ more than most families realize. Some use a standard APS calculation, while others employ their own points systems that are not directly comparable to the standard APS scale. Additionally, some have extra selection requirements beyond academic results.

Because there are so few options, your child cannot afford to misunderstand how any one of them works. A score that looks competitive at one institution may not be relevant at another.

What Subjects Does Your Child Need?

A high APS score alone is not sufficient if your child has not taken the right subjects. Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences are required at most dental schools. The required performance level in each subject varies by institution, and some universities set these requirements at a higher level than most families expect.

A student who achieves an excellent overall APS but does not take the right subjects or does not meet the required level in them will not be considered, regardless of their total score. This is why subject choices made in Grade 9 and Grade 10 have consequences that reach all the way to university admission.

The National Benchmark Tests

NBT requirements differ by institution. Some universities require the NBTs as part of the dentistry selection process, while others do not. When applying to a small number of universities, it is especially important to know which ones require the NBT, how they use the results, and when registration deadlines fall.

Missing an NBT deadline at even one institution significantly narrows your child’s already limited options.

What This Means for Your Child

The path to studying dentistry in South Africa requires:

• The right subjects chosen at the right time

• Strong performance across all of them, often at higher levels than other health sciences degrees

• A clear understanding of how each university calculates and uses your score

• Awareness of any additional selection requirements beyond academic results

• NBT preparation and registration at the right time where required

• Applications submitted before deadlines that are earlier than most families expect

  
  

With fewer universities to apply to, each of these steps carries more weight than it does for almost any other health sciences degree.

Common Questions About Getting Into Dentistry

Can my child improve their APS after matric?

Yes, it is possible to rewrite matric subjects to improve results. However, universities differ in how they treat upgraded results, and some have specific policies on this. It is worth checking the admissions policy of each target university before assuming an upgrade will change the outcome.

Can my child transfer into dentistry from another degree?

This is less straightforward than most families expect. Some universities offer an alternative entry route for students who have completed a relevant undergraduate degree, but this is not available at every institution, and the requirements are specific. It is not a guaranteed back door into the program.

What if my child does not get into dentistry?

A rejection is not the end of the road. There are other health sciences careers that are equally rewarding and in high demand in South Africa. Understanding which careers align with your child’s strengths and interests is worth exploring properly, not just as a backup but as a genuine first choice.

What does a dentist earn in South Africa?

Most qualified dentists work in private practice, where earnings vary depending on location, specialization, and practice size. Dentistry offers strong earning potential, particularly for those who build their own practice or specialize further.

Where to Get the Full Picture

The information in this article provides a solid foundation. However, with only a handful of universities offering dentistry in South Africa, the details matter more than they do for almost any other health sciences degree. University-specific admission requirements, realistic competitive scores, subject prerequisites, NBT requirements, additional selection criteria, and application deadlines for each institution are covered in A Complete Guide to Health Sciences in South Africa, written by a Registered Psychometrist with years of experience guiding South African families through this process.

If your child is considering dentistry or any other health sciences career, this is the resource we wish every family had access to from the start.

www.mycareerplan.co.za

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