If you had difficulty with your hand skills during preclinical lab work in our program, how would you proceed to improve your skills?

Tell your interviewers that you would remain motivated to master any skills required in their dental program, even if it takes some extra work on your part. Talk about your willingness to put in extra hours in the lab setting waxing up teeth and drilling into simulated plastic teeth. You can also talk about using manual dexterity building tactics like wood carving, sewing, or painting.

"While I am confident that I have the fine motor skills necessary to successfully work in a patient's mouth, I wouldn't hesitate to put in the extra time needed to fine-tune my skills. I realize that I will be learning and mastering the full scope of dental procedures during my training, and I know that they won't all come easily. If needed, I wouldn't hesitate to ask for some mentoring from a senior student or faculty member to go along with my hands-on training in the lab setting."