As the government's major NHS dentistry reforms, announced last month, begin to expand access to urgent care, the University of Portsmouth has taken a significant step towards opening the first dental school in the South-East of England.
Its current Dental Academy , which trains dental nurses, dental hygienists, and dental therapists, has been granted Dental Authority Status (DAS) by the Department of Health and Social Care - a mandatory requirement for all UK institutions that want to provide a degree in dentistry.
The announcement builds on December's transformative reforms to NHS dentistry, which will prioritise patients with urgent and complex needs while expanding access to local dental appointments. The University's dental school ambition will help train the next generation of dentists needed to deliver on these reforms for Portsmouth and the wider region.
Portsmouth faces a critical shortage of NHS dental services, with the city having the lowest headcount of NHS dentists per 100,000 people in the region.
The University's dental school ambition is backed by several MPs, including Amanda Martin MP for Portsmouth North, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP for Gosport, and Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South.
What now?
The University is now awaiting the government's decision on how many additional dentistry students will be funded across the UK. Once this is confirmed, the Office for Students (OfS) will allocate places to dental schools through a competitive process.
If successful in securing an allocation, Portsmouth will be able to welcome its first dental students as early as September this year. Not only could this mean the first dental school for the region, but also one of the first to open in the UK in 20 years.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, Professor Graham Galbraith CBE , said: "Achieving Dental Authority Status is a landmark moment for the University and the communities we serve. Portsmouth and the wider South-East region desperately need more NHS dentists, and we are ready to train the next generation of dental professionals right here in the heart of one of the country's most underserved areas."
Portsmouth has been identified as a "dental desert" with poor NHS dental service provision. Today's announcement comes during January, traditionally the busiest period for dental practices as people return to the usual routine after the festive season.
The University's Dental Academy opened in 2005 and was upgraded in 2023 with state-of-the-art facilities , featuring haptic virtual reality simulation units, modern phantom head simulation equipment, intra-oral scanners, CBCT X-ray equipment and CAD/CAM milling technology. It currently trains dental nurses, dental hygienists, and dental therapists and is well placed to develop into a dental school.
Modern phantom head simulation equipment in the University of Portsmouth's Dental Academy
Staff and students regularly take part in outreach activities, including offering free dental health services to the public and delivering the Brush Up programme in schools in Portsmouth, to help improve children's oral health.
"Our school is equipped with cutting-edge technology and simulation facilities that will provide students with an exceptional learning experience," said Professor Chris Louca , Director of Dentistry at the University. "We are already deeply embedded in the community, with students delivering supervised free dental health services to the public and gaining valuable professional experience in the process. We're ready to start training the next generation of dental professionals who will help tackle the critical shortage of NHS dentists in our region."
If granted UK student allocations, the new dental school would integrate undergraduate training for dental therapists and dentists, with a strong focus on team-based training within primary care and community settings.
With 97 per cent of dentistry and medicine graduates from Portsmouth entering high-skilled employment when they graduate - higher than the national average - the University aims to recruit students locally to ensure graduates stay in the region and contribute to the local NHS workforce. It will also consider applicants' backgrounds and circumstances.
We're committed to widening participation in the dental sector by welcoming new students to the dental school, whilst also creating pathways for our existing dental nursing, hygiene, and therapy students to advance their careers and train as dentists through our integrated curriculum."
Professor Chris Louca, Director of Dentistry at the University
Professor Louca added: "We're committed to widening participation in the dental sector by welcoming new students to the dental school, whilst also creating pathways for our existing dental nursing, hygiene, and therapy students to advance their careers and train as dentists through our integrated curriculum."
The dental school is within the Faculty of Science and Health at the University of Portsmouth. Last year, the faculty officially launched the Centre for Integrated Health and Wellbeing (CiH-Well) , a research hub dedicated to tackling complex health challenges that affect people from childhood through to older age - including dental and oral health.
The faculty is also home to the UK's first branch medical degree in partnership with King's College London, training the next generation of doctors to address the severe GP shortage in the city and surrounding areas.
Commenting on the dental school plans, University Provost Professor Sherria Hoskins , said: "The addition of a dental school represents a transformative moment for our university and the communities we serve. Together we are building a comprehensive health education and research ecosystem right here in Portsmouth. Our vision is to train healthcare professionals across multiple disciplines who will work together to address the pressing health challenges facing our region - from the GP shortage to the dental crisis. This integrated approach to health education and community service is what sets us apart."
University of Portsmouth Dental Academy dental surgery
Backing from local MPs
Commenting on the University of Portsmouth's ambitions to open a dental school, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said: "Last month's announcement of major NHS dentistry reforms marked a turning point for Portsmouth residents who have suffered under a dental desert for too long. The statistics speak for themselves - 24% of patients in the South- East who tried to see an NHS dentist in the previous two years were unable to do so. The government's commitment to expanding urgent care and prioritising patients with complex needs is exactly what our city needs.
"The University of Portsmouth's achievement of Dental Authority Status is the perfect complement to these national reforms. Training our own dentists here in Portsmouth means we can build a sustainable NHS dental workforce that understands and serves our community's needs."
Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, said: "Portsmouth has been a dental desert for far too long, with families struggling to get the NHS care they deserve. Since coming into office, I've secured 30,000 extra emergency dental appointments for our city, but we all know that sticking-plaster fixes aren't enough. Portsmouth is one of the worst affected areas in the country, and people feel the impact every day.
"That's why today's progress from the University of Portsmouth is so important. A dental school here in Portsmouth would be a game-changer, training and retaining home-grown dentists who will stay and serve local people. This is how we build a sustainable NHS workforce for our city and our region, and I'm proud to back these plans every step of the way."
Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, said: "I welcome the news that the University of Portsmouth's Dental Academy has been granted dental authority status as it means we are one step closer to being able to train dentists in our region, for our region. As I raised with the Minister responsible for dentistry last month, the next step is for the government to allocate dental school places and the associated funding to the University's new dental school."
