Dentists sit OET Dentistry mainly for registration with a dental regulator, for example the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA, or for work and study in other countries that accept OET. Check that your regulator accepts OET, and which format, before you book.
In 2025 dentistry candidates averaged 308 Listening, 318 Reading, 327 Writing and 366 Speaking. Like nurses, most lose marks in Listening and Reading, which are the same papers every profession sits.
| Sub-test | For dentists |
|---|---|
| Listening (about 40 min) | Same test for all 12 professions |
| Reading (60 min) | Same test for all 12 professions |
| Writing (45 min) | A letter from dentistry case notes, usually to oral and maxillofacial surgeon, GP, periodontist |
| Speaking (about 20 min) | Two role-plays in settings like general dental practice, community dental clinic, hospital dental department; the interlocutor plays a patient or parent of a child patient |
On paper, OET Dentistry runs on alternate paper sessions in 2026. The computer test (at a venue or OET@Home) runs Monday to Saturday.
Sample OET Dentistry role-play card
Setting
Community dental clinic
Candidate
You are a dentist at a community dental clinic. Leo Okafor, aged 4, has been brought in by his parent for his first check-up. You have found early decay on four back teeth. Leo has fruit juice in a bottle at bedtime and his teeth are brushed 'when he lets us'. The parent is upset and asks whether the teeth will have to come out.
Task (interlocutor: parent)
- Find out about Leo's diet and drinks (bedtime bottle, snacks, sweet drinks)
- Explain how decay develops and why baby teeth still matter (eating, speech, space for adult teeth)
- Reassure the parent that early decay can often be treated without removing teeth
- Advise on daily care (fluoride toothpaste twice a day, an adult helping with brushing, water instead of juice at bedtime)
- Check that the parent agrees to a follow-up appointment for treatment
You get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. Two assessors mark the recording: four language criteria and five clinical communication criteria. This card is original, written for this site.
Sample OET Dentistry letter task
Urgent referral: a tongue lesion that has not healed. You are a general dentist. Mr Dennis Whitlock, 58, has a lesion on his tongue that has not healed after the likely cause was removed. You are referring him for urgent assessment.
Case notes (extract)
- Mr Dennis Whitlock, 58; truck driver
- Presented 24/09/26: sore area L lateral tongue, approx 3 wks
- Sharp cusp on lower L molar smoothed 24/09/26
- Review 15/10/26: lesion unchanged, 1.2 × 0.8 cm, red and white, firm edge
- No palpable neck lymph nodes
- Smoker 30 yrs (~20/day); alcohol 4–5 drinks most nights
- Medical hx: type 2 diabetes (metformin)
- Last dental visit 2019; generalised gingivitis
- Prefers appointments after 3 pm (work)
- Wife asked about a mouthguard for his snoring
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Dr Hamish Calder, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, requesting urgent assessment and biopsy of Mr Whitlock's tongue lesion.
What a strong letter leaves out
- Wife asked about a mouthguard for his snoring — an unrelated request that dilutes an urgent referral
- Last dental visit 2019; generalised gingivitis — background only; compress to one short phrase at most
Letter types dentists meet most:
Dentistry words to spell right
Listening Part A and your letter both lose marks for misspelt clinical words. Ten that dentists need:
| Word | Note |
|---|---|
| gingivitis | Gum inflammation; g-i-n-g-i-v-i-t-i-s. |
| periodontitis | Gum disease with bone loss; peri- plus odont- plus -itis. |
| caries | Tooth decay; same form in singular and plural. |
| mandible | Lower jaw; adjective mandibular. |
| maxilla | Upper jaw; adjective maxillary, with double l. |
| occlusion | How upper and lower teeth meet; double c. |
| abscess | Collection of pus; spelt a-b-s-c-e-s-s. |
| leukoplakia | White patch that will not rub off; needs monitoring. |
| bruxism | Grinding or clenching the teeth, often during sleep. |
| fissure sealant | Protective coating on back-tooth grooves; 'fissure' has double s. |
Practise hearing and spelling them: medical spelling dictation.
How dentists scored in 2025
OET publishes average scores by profession. For dentists in 2025:
| Sub-test | Average | Grade | Against 350 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 308 | C+ | 42 below 350 |
| Reading | 318 | C+ | 32 below 350 |
| Writing | 327 | C+ | 23 below 350 |
| Speaking | 366 | B | at or above 350 |
Averages hide a wide spread, but they show where dentists most often lose marks. Listening and Reading are the same test for every profession, so free Listening practice counts for you too.
Score lines for dentists
| Regulator | Country | L | R | W | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHPRA (all National Boards) | Australia | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 |
AHPRA's English standard covers every National Board (including the dentistry board) and needs 350 / 360 / 350 / 360 for tests from 23 April 2026.
Combining sittings, OET@Home and validity for every regulator: OET score requirements by regulator.
Tips for OET Dentistry
- Dental letters often go to doctors or specialists who do not use dental charting codes. Write 'lower left first molar' rather than a tooth number the reader may not recognise.
- For urgent referrals, say 'urgent' and why in the first two sentences. Give the size, appearance and duration of the problem; reduce routine dental history to one short phrase.
- Many dental role-plays involve fear of treatment or worry about cost. Acknowledge the worry, explain what will happen step by step, and offer choices such as numbing or shorter visits.
- With parents, avoid blame. Say 'many children have juice at bedtime' before explaining the risk, then agree on one or two realistic changes.
Questions candidates ask
Is OET Dentistry harder than OET Nursing?
No. Listening and Reading are exactly the same for both, and Writing and Speaking follow the same format and criteria with dental content. In 2025 dentistry and nursing candidates scored similarly: 308 against 313 in Listening, and 318 against 303 in Reading.
Which letter types come up in OET Dentistry?
Expect mostly referral letters, for example to an oral surgeon, periodontist or orthodontist, or to a patient's GP when a medical issue affects treatment. Update and advice letters also appear. The format is the same as for every profession: 5 minutes reading, 40 minutes writing, about 180 to 200 words.
Can dentists take OET on paper?
Yes, but less often. In 2026 Dentistry appears only at alternate paper sessions, while nursing and medicine run at every one. The computer test, at a venue or with OET@Home, runs Monday to Saturday. Check whether your regulator accepts OET@Home before booking.
What score do dentists need for OET?
It depends on the regulator. In Australia, AHPRA and its national boards, including the Dental Board, ask for 350 Listening, 360 Reading, 350 Writing and 360 Speaking for tests from 23 April 2026, and do not accept OET@Home. For other countries, see the score lines page.
Other professions: Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Optometry, Podiatry, Radiography, Speech Pathology, Veterinary Science.
Sources
- OET Test Handbook 2026
- OET: 2025 test statistics, candidate performance
- OET: Book a test (2026 schedule)
- OET sample tests for Dentistry
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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