Why you need A-level chemistry to study dentistry

An image showing a tooth on a background comprising of hand-drawn chemical structures

Source: Tooth © Getty Images, Structures © Shutterstock

Understanding enamel, fillings and anaesthetics requires chemistry knowledge

Advances in chemistry have helped us develop effective pain relief, design more robust materials for fillings, and find better ways to repair and replace teeth. Because so much of dental science derives from chemistry, it is now a pre-requisite for dentistry courses at university. So, just which parts of school chemistry are relevant?

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