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Online Manikin

ORE Part 2 · Dental Manikin (DM)

Prepare for the ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin exam

A video course built around the DM component of ORE Part 2: how the exam runs, every exercise category in the official guidance, and how examiners grade your work. Learn at your own pace with Core, or add expert feedback on your own work with Pro.

The DM exam at a glance

The Dental Manikin is one of the four ORE Part 2 components, alongside the OSCE, DTP and Medical Emergencies. It tests your clinical skills on a phantom head under simulated clinical conditions.

One timed session
3 hoursOne timed session
Two major, one minor
3 exercisesTwo major, one minor
Exceeds · Meets · Below · Well Below
4 gradesExceeds · Meets · Below · Well Below
Exercises and Safe Practice, separately
2 passesExercises and Safe Practice, separately

On the day

  • A briefing from the Lead Examiner, then a practice session to get used to the manikin, equipment and teeth.
  • All equipment is provided. Books, phones, smart devices and watches aren't allowed.
  • The instruction sheet tells you which teeth and preparations to do. They aren't fixed in advance.
  • Treat the manikin as a real patient throughout. Most exercises are on the upper arch, using a mirror.
  • Discuss each exercise with the examiners before you start. They assess it before you move on to the next, and that conversation counts too.

How you're marked

  • Each examiner grades every exercise independently against the desirable and undesirable criteria for that exercise.
  • Major exercises carry twice the weight of the minor one. A strong major can offset a weaker exercise, but a strong minor can't make up for a weak major.
  • Exercises and Safe Practice are each classed as Pass, Borderline or Fail. Borderline work is reviewed by all the examiners. You must pass both.
  • Professionalism is also recorded.

Safe Practice: assessed throughout

Examiners watch you for the whole session. Repeated breaches, even after warnings, can fail this section on its own.

Operating position
Sitting upright and supported, the manikin flat, working between the 10:30 and 1:30 positions.
Indirect vision
Using the mirror for upper-arch work, as you would on a patient.
Finger rests
A pencil grip, with a rest on the same arch and same side as the tooth you're working on.
Infection control
Standard procedures throughout. Ask a nurse or examiner before you pick up a dropped instrument.

Summarised from the ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin (DM) Guidance v2.0, effective 1 March 2026. Always check the latest official guidance documents. Online Manikin is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the GDC or the exam provider.

Curriculum

Organised by the exercise categories in the official DM guidance. Each lesson covers the exercise end to end on video, what examiners look for (desirable and undesirable features), the common faults, and a self-check list.

Available now (7) Planned

  1. Module 00

    Safe practice & exam set-up

    • Operating position and manikin set-up (planned)
    • Indirect vision with a mirror (planned)
    • Finger rests and handpiece grip (planned)
    • Infection control and planning your three hours (planned)

  2. Module 01

    Amalgam

  3. Module 02

    Composite

  4. Module 03

    Crown preparation

  5. Module 04

    Root canal therapy

    • Access cavity preparation (planned)

  6. Module 05

    Labial veneer

    • Veneer preparation on an upper anterior tooth (planned)

  7. Module 06

    Temporary crown

    • Temporary crown on a prepared tooth (planned)

  8. Module 07

    Impressions

    • Full-arch impression (planned)

  9. Module 08

    Rubber dam

    • Rubber dam placement (planned)

  10. Module 09

    Partial denture

    • Rest seat preparation (planned)
    • Partial denture design drawing (planned)

The exam's list of exercises isn't exhaustive, and the teeth are set on the day, so the course teaches principles that carry across teeth. Read the free station guides.

How to use the course

A study plan that builds up to exam conditions.

  1. 01

    Read the official guidance

    Start with the DM guidance, so you know the format and the criteria each exercise is judged on.

  2. 02

    Set up safely first

    Work through the safe practice module before any cutting. Safe Practice is passed or failed on its own.

  3. 03

    Watch one exercise end to end

    See the whole exercise before you practise it: instruments, sequence, and what to check at each stage.

  4. 04

    Practise on your own manikin

    Repeat it on a phantom head or typodont, pausing and rewatching any step as often as you need.

  5. 05

    Check your work against the criteria

    Use the lesson's self-check list (desirable vs. undesirable) and the common faults. With Pro, send it to us for feedback.

  6. 06

    Run a timed mock

    Do two major exercises and one minor in three hours, including the stops to have each one checked.

Choose your track

Core and Pro are separate purchases, so pick the one that fits. You don't need Core first to take Pro. Prices will be published here when enrolment opens. Core is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.

Self-paced

Core

The full library of pre-recorded ORE Part 2 clinical exercise videos, ready whenever you are.

  • Full pre-recorded video library, station by station
  • One-time purchase, 2 months of access
  • Revisit any station as many times as you like
  • Mobile app access (coming soon)

Pricing announced soon

Join the Core waitlist
Most supportGuided

Pro

For candidates who want expert eyes on their technique, not just a video library.

  • Everything in Core — the full pre-recorded video library
  • Submit your completed exercises for review
  • Personalised feedback and improvement suggestions from GDC-registered instructors
  • Priority support while you prepare

Pricing announced soon

Join the Pro waitlist

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