National Dental Core Training Recruitment
Recruitment to Dental Core Training (DCT) posts in 2026 will be through a national selection process led by NHS England working across the South West Region.
Applicants can apply to one of three DCT levels: DCT1, DCT2 or DCT3. Each level has its own Person Specification.
2 Year DCT posts:
Applicants can apply to one of three DCT levels: DCT1, DCT2 or DCT3. Each level has its own Person Specification. A number of these posts maybe 2 year run through posts. This was in response to feedback from our trainees that would like more stability and certainty around where they will be for longer than 12 months at a time. This would also reduce the burden of applying each year for their next post, thus being able to focus on training and career progression.
Commitment to 2 years
We ask that if you preference a 2 year post that you are doing so in the knowledge that you are committing to this post for 2 years. Dropping out of a 2 year post has implications for many others in not being able to have the opportunity of a training place and also for the host trust being left with a gap to be filled. Please take this into account when you make this choice. We do understand that circumstance change. If your circumstances do change, we would ask that you inform us as soon as possible if you do not wish to continue in the post for the second year of training. In this way, the unfilled post can be entered into National Recruitment.
Applications and offers will be made through Oriel, the national recruitment system. This system enables the national coordination of the application and offer processes and will allow applicants to accept only one post across the UK. The application window can be seen on the national recruitment timeline below. Applications must apply via Oriel (www.oriel.nhs.uk).
Geographic Areas
Bath
Bournemouth
Bristol
Cheltenham
Cornwall
Exeter
Gloucester
North Devon
Plymouth
Swindon