There has been an educational establishment in Cork for over 1,200 years. The institution was founded in 1845 under the original name of Queen's College Cork. In 1908, under a charter from the Irish Universities Act, it became University College Cork.

The Dental School in Cork was established in 1913 through a partnership between University College Cork and the North Infirmary Hospital. The Dental School was intiitally staffed by local volunteer dentists, followed quickly by full-time staff. Over the following decades, The Dental School grew organically in size and scope.

In 1967, University College Cork assumed full operation of the Dental School, and subsequently moved it to the Cork University Hospital. The new location allowed the school to continue serving the community, educating dental care staff, while expanding its capacity for dental research.

Today, University College Cork is the principal university in the province of Munster, and the largest outside Dublin. UCC has over 12,000 students and an academic staff of over 1700.

About The Dental School

The Cork Dental School & Hospital is located in a ninety-chair facility on the campus of Cork University Hospital, the main hospital in the south of Ireland. Along with facilities on the nearby UCC campus, the Dental School is equipped to deliver each stage of the dental curriculum and to deliver specialised patient treatment.

The dental program is five-years in length.

The first one-and-a-half years of the course are spent mainly on the university campus studying basic medical sciences. Students benefit from building an academic foundation, from laboratory teaching to obtain an understanding of the biological processes, and from practising on simulation units to prepare for the delivery of clinical care.

The final three-and-a-half years are focused on clinical training at the Dental School and Hospital and the attached Cork University Hospital. Students enter dental settings in clinic and operating rooms, and gain first-hand experience in treating their own patients under the supervision of well-trained staff. The UCC dental program has a highly favourable ratio of dental staff to students, ensuring that all students receive individual mentorship.

The dental program encompasses training in the full range of dental disciplines, such as: dental surgery, oral medicine, oral radiology, dental public health, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, periodontology, prosthodontics, gerodontology and endodontics.

Students graduate with a Bachelor of Dental Science degree and the knowledge, skills and experience to enter independent practice as competent dental professionals.

university college cork www.ucc.ie
ucc school of dentistry www.ucc.ie/en/dentalschool