I’d recommend Sheffield for those considering doing a masters in Dental Public Health

“I chose the University of Sheffield for my master’s for a number of reasons. These included wanting to study sociology and ethics, which were unique to this dental public health programme. My specialty training was based in Yorkshire; studying in Sheffield allowed me to develop academic connections in my region of work. The range of modules offered by Sheffield also allowed me to meet both specialty trainees in other dental specialties, and those seeking to develop their careers in general public health.  

“My dissertation was a scoping review looking at barriers and facilitators to accessing oral healthcare for older people in the UK. I plan to publish my dissertation. The findings of this work are likely to inform further project work during my specialty training.  

Doing the master’s in Dental Public Health helped me to develop various skills which have helped not only my specialty training but also my personal development.

Anna Beaven

"These included critical appraisal skills, understanding dental public health data and intelligence, the efficacy of different interventions, the principles of oral health promotion, and statistical analysis.

“The opportunity to learn about sociology, health promotion and social justice in an academic setting has given me a deeper insight into the analysis of public health policy. The research methods and statistics modules further gave me a strong foundation to be able to develop and evaluate dental public health activities moving forwards. In the long-term, I hope to take my master's learning forwards into a public health related PhD.

“Overall, I’d recommend Sheffield for those considering doing a master’s in Dental Public Health. I lived in a neighbouring county during my master's. The course, library and teaching team were supportive of this and I was able to seek help where I needed.”