Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) is an acronym for Bachelor of Dental Surgery course is a professional course that includes 4 years of study followed by one year of internship at the undergraduate level. It is considered one of the most popular courses among all medical courses. The candidates having BDS dental degree are known as the dental surgeon, they get the specialization in dentistry, the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity.
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BDS degree is awarded on the successful completion of the 4-year academic education only. The 1-year mandatory internship programme in dentistry education is provided leading to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree programme. After completing this degree once is eligible to practice as a dentist.
| Course | Duration | Eligibility | Career Prospects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) | 5 years | 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English as compulsory subjects | Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants, Prosthodontists, Endodontists, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, etc. |
What is the Eligibility Criteria for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)?
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The candidates seeking admission in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course have to fulfil the following requirements:
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- One should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board.
- At XII level must have Physics, Chemistry & Biology as main subjects with minimum 50% marks.
- NEET-UG score
See NEET 2022
Entrance Exam for BDS Admission
To pursue the course of BDS one should have a valid score of NEET-UG(National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate), a competitive exam which is held at the National level for all medical courses which is conducted by the NTA(National Testing Agency).
Few basic details of NEET-UG are given below in the table:
| Exam Name | NEET-UG(National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate) |
| Conducting body | NTA(National Testing Agency) |
| Exam Mode | Offline(Pen & Paper) mode |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs) |
| Educational qualification for NEET-UG | At 10+2 or equivalent level a candidate must have secured a minimum of 50% marks for unreserved categories, 45% marks for physically handicapped (PH) & 40% marks for SC/ST category candidates in PCB group. |
| Minimum & Maximum age required | Minimum age required is 17 years of age and the upper age limit for NEET (UG) is 25 years as on the date of examination with relaxation of 5 years for the applicants belonging to SC/ST/OBC. |
| NEET-UG 2024 cut-off | 50th percentile |
| Admission to medical colleges | 15% of All India Quota seats and State Quota Seats |
BDS is a 5-year undergraduate program
BDS is a 5-year undergraduate program that is offered by dental colleges in India. The course covers a wide range of topics, including:
- Anatomy
- Dentistry
- Oral Pathology
- Oral Medicine
- Orthodontics
- Periodontology
- Prosthodontics
- Endodontics
- Paedodontics
The admission criteria for BDS courses vary from college to college, but they typically require students to have a good score in the NEET-UG exam.
The career prospects for BDS graduates are good. Dentists can work in a variety of settings, including:
- Private dental clinics
- Government dental hospitals
- Armed forces
- Corporate hospitals
- Research institutes
Subjects of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Degree
The candidates can check the subjects of study under BDS degree:
First Year BDS Subjects
- General Human Anatomy including Embryology & Histology
- General Human Physiology and Biochemistry
- Dental Anatomy, Embryology and Oral Histology
- Dental Materials
- Pre-clinical Prosthodontics
Second Year BDS Subjects
- General Pathology and Microbiology
- General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Dental Materials
- Pre Clinical Conservative Dentistry
- Pre Clinical Prosthodontics
- Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
Third Year BDS Subjects
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
- Oral Medicine and Radiology
- Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry
- Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics
- Periodontology
- Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge
- Conservative Dentistry & Endodontic
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Public Health Dentistry
Fourth Year BDS Subjects
- Oral Medicine and Radiology
- Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry
- Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics
- Periodontology
- Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge
- Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Public Health Dentistry
Syllabus for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Degree
The BDS dental syllabus for 4-years duration is mentioned below:
First Year BDS Syllabus
- Anatomy
- Physiology + Biochemistry
- Dental Anatomy + Dental Histology
Second Year BDS Syllabus
- Prosthodontics
- Orthodontics
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology + Pathology
- Dental material
Third Year BDS Syllabus
- General Medicine
- General Surgery
- Oral Pathology
- Oral Microbiology
Fourth Year BDS Syllabus
- Oral Medicine and radiology
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Prosthodontics
- Periodontics
- Materials used in Dentistry
- Periodontology
- Human Oral Anatomy, Physiology, Histology and Tooth Morphology
- Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
- Orthodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Public health and community dentistry
- Conservative and endodontics
- Pedodontics
- Orthodontics
- Human Physiology
Dental Degree – BDS Colleges
Following are the few BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India.
- Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU
- Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences(MAIDS), New Delhi
- Rajasthan University of Health Sciences
- Dr R. Ahmed Dental College & Hospital
- Government Dental College, Bangalore
- Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Government Dental Hospital & College, Chennai
- Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research
- King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
- Nair Dental College, Mumbai
- Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal
- Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik
- Government Dental College, Kottayam
- AMC Dental College, Khokhra, Ahmedabad
- National Dental College, Dera Bassi
- Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Haryana
- Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Maharashtra
What after BDS?
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree holders can pursue their academic education in the below-mentioned degrees:
- MDS in Community Dentistry
- MDS in Oral Medicine & Radiology
- MDS in Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
- MDS in Pediatric Dentistry
- MDS in Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry
- MDS in Pedodontics
- MDS in Preventive Community Dentistry
- MDS in Prosthodontics
- Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Master of Dental Surgery in Conservative Dentistry
- MDS in Oral Pathology & Microbiology
- MDS in Oral Pathology
- MDS in Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
- MDS in Public Health Dentistry
- Master of Dental Surgery in Oral Medicine
- Master of Stomatology (MS)
- Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DSD)
- Doctor of Dentistry (DDent)
- Master of Dentistry (MD)
- MBA in Public Health
- MBA in Hospital Management
- Doctor of Philosophy in Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
- Doctor of Philosophy in Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
- Doctor of Philosophy in Oral Medicine and Radiology
- Doctor of Philosophy in Prosthodontic
- Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Dentistry
- Doctor of Philosophy in Orthodontics
- Doctor of Philosophy in Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry
- Doctor of Philosophy in Periodontics
How to Become a Dentist?
| Path | Stream | Graduation | After Graduation | After Post Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Path 1
|
Clear Class XII in Science with Biology stream | Graduation Program 5 years BDS (4 Years of study + 1 Year Internship) | Post Graduation Program 2 years MDS | Post Graduation Program 2-3 years PhD |
|
Path 2
|
Clear Class XII in Science with Biology stream | Graduation Program 5 years BDS (4 Years of study + 1 Year Internship) | Diploma/Post Graduation Diploma 1-2 years After BDS | Diploma/Post Graduation Diploma 1-2 years After MDS |
Job Profiles for BDS Graduates
And if not interested in pursuing further education then can join the job. A few Job opportunities after BDS are ad follows:
- Dentist
- Dental Surgeon
- Endodontics
- Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
- Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
- Oral Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
- Dental Officer
- Researcher
- Dental Public Health
Employment areas for BDS Graduates
Few employment areas for BDS graduates are listed below:
- Dental Clinics
- Private Practice
- Hospitals
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Dental Products Manufactures
- Army Dental Corps
- Indian Railways
- As a teaching faculty
- Research & Advisory departments under Indian Government
Scope of BDS Degree
With the increase in the number of dental patients, there is an increase in demand for a dentist in the country. So, there is a good scope for those pursuing BDS or higher education in Dental or are seeking for pursuing the same. The average salary of a dentist is Rs 3 lakh at the initial stage of the career.
For BDS pursuer, there is a bit low scope, but adding a pg degree to the ug degree will widen up the scope even at International level.
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