Bachelor of Dental Science
at Charles Sturt University, New South Wales.
A five-year ADC-accredited dentistry degree taught at the Orange campus with a strong rural-health orientation. Includes substantial clinical placement in regional and rural NSW dental clinics through CSUs Three Rivers Department of Rural Health.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Charles Sturt University Bachelor of Dental Science. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official UAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
CSU runs the Bachelor of Dental Science as a five-year Australian Dental Council accredited program leading to AHPRA Dental Board of Australia registration as a Dentist. Year one builds biomedical foundations: anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, oral biology and introductory dental science. Year two layers dental anatomy, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology and preclinical operative dentistry in simulation labs. Year three carries the clinical transition - clinical operative dentistry, periodontology, oral pathology, dental radiology - with patients in the university dental clinic. Year four runs advanced clinical practice: endodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics introduction. Year five carries final-year clinical rotations across general dentistry, oral surgery, special-needs dentistry and a rural placement block. ADC accreditation requires extensive supervised clinical hours culminating in independent supervised patient care.
Example first-year subjects
- Human Anatomy and Histology for Dentistry
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology
- Physiology for Dentistry
- Introduction to Oral Biology
- Professional Practice and Ethics in Dentistry
- Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety
How you will be assessed
- Clinical placement supervisor evaluation
- OSCE practical exams in simulation and live clinical settings
- Mid-semester tests and final exams in biomedical sciences
- Preclinical operative skills assessments
- Group case-based projects in dental public health
- Final-year clinical competency portfolio
Placement and industry experience
Australian Dental Council accreditation requires extensive structured clinical placement. CSU operates a teaching dental clinic where students treat real patients from year three onwards under close clinical supervision. Final-year rotations include rural placement blocks in NSW Health public dental services. Students cover their own NSW Working with Children Check, AHPRA student registration, immunisations and police checks. Clinical placements are unpaid for credit but build the supervised hours required for graduation and AHPRA registration.
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as registered dentists in regional and rural NSW private practices, public dental services and community health centres after AHPRA registration.
- Common first roles include rural dentist positions, Country Health Service graduate programs and CSU partner public dental clinics in Orange, Wagga Wagga and Dubbo.
- Many alumni continue to specialty registration (orthodontics, periodontics, paediatric dentistry) through three-year postgraduate doctoral training.
Professional accreditation
- Australian Dental Council
- AHPRA Dental Board of Australia registration eligible
Typical first jobs
- General dentist in private practice
- General dentist in NSW Health public dental clinics
- Rural dentist with NSW Health rural pathways
- Defence Force dental officer (with ADF sponsorship)
- Dental researcher with PhD pathway
- Specialist dental trainee (after three to five years general practice)
Graduate starting salary
$100,000 - $130,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/jobs/dentists. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Graduates apply for AHPRA registration through the Dental Board of Australia and start as general dentists in public or private practice. Postgraduate specialty options (three to four years of additional training) include Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics or Oral Medicine. Other pathways include Master of Public Health (dental public health), academic dentistry via PhD, and corporate or franchise practice ownership.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students with strong biological-science foundations and manual dexterity
- Those comfortable with close hands-on patient work
- People with strong concentration for fine clinical procedures
- Students prepared for a five-year highly structured pathway
- Those willing to work in public dental services and rural placements
It is probably not for you if
- Students uncomfortable with fine motor work in confined spaces (the mouth)
- Those unwilling to work on real patients early in the degree
- Anyone uncomfortable with the high accreditation and registration burden
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Dental Science as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at CSU
Sources
- https://study.csu.edu.au/courses/dentistry-oral-health/bachelor-dental-science
- https://www.uac.edu.au/
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Charles Sturt University handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/csu/bachelor-of-dental-science.