Is Dentistry hopeless?

Around aged 15, I missed the last few years of my secondary school education due to illness and ended up with no GCSEs or alevels. I decided to do an access course when I was 19 to make it onto a degree. The access course was pretty useless but at the time I just really wanted to 'catch up' with my peers so I took the route that was faster than A levels.I am now on a forensic science degree about to enter my final year. I believe that I could get a first or at least a 2:1 and I had decided to pay to take my A levels this year to apply for Dentistry. I have even done the required work experience with two dentists so far, however, I've recently been thrown by this statement on the admissions requirements of some of the courses I've looked at so far:'Graduates are required to have obtained a First/2:1 pass in the first degree. In addition to this a minimum of BBB at A-level, including Biology and Chemistry, from before the first degree started and GCSE B grades in English Language, Maths and Physics are also required.'The A level had to have been completed BEFORE my degree. Why?? I'm so confused about this and don't understand how this is fair if I manage to gain good A Level results. Does anyone have advice about this? I honestly feel so depressed that it seems there's literally nothing that I could do since I cannot turn back time. There are so few dentistry courses as it is... What are my options in this case? I simply cannot study dentistry in the UK??
Any advice appreciated. Thank you

No, you are hopeless.

X

I've took the GCSE maths and english along with my access course which I paid for. I have to pay for the alevels too which is fine. The cost doesn't bother me if there is actually a chance.

Honestly your best bet is to call all the Dentistry Universities and talk to their admissions departments regarding your specific situation as there are probably other people going through the same thing. For instance I think Bristol and Manchester have an access course to dentistry which is 6 years in length instead of 5 which you maybe eligible for, but it's in your interest to call them first to find out what you need to do. Good luck

Thank you. I have contacted Manchester and was told to consider an access course, the problem is that you can't be accepted on the access course if you've studied higher than A levels. It's pretty ridiculous. I have joint residency in the US too so I'm considering my opinions of maybe studying there instead however I guess I'm just really disappointed at how the system in the UK seems so unforgiving to any educational history that is not perfect.

Thanks for the advice. I will update with the different universities responses for anyone interested or in the same situation.

No problem. I thought you hadn't done any A'levels yet and was going to pay to do them this year, or am I just misunderstanding your previous post. Wouldn't it be way more exp in the US though; have you considered universities in Europe e.g. Hungary which maybe cheaper?