BDS full form is Bachelor of Dental Surgery is a professional undergraduate degree in dentistry. BDS degree duration is 5 years, of which four years will be for theory, while one year will be for a rotatory internship. In 2024, there are 28,088 BDS seats available in more than 320 government, private, and deemed universities in India.
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Candidates can apply for the course after completing their 10+2 in Science stream from a recognised board of India. BDS curriculum is regulated by the Dental Council of India (DCI). Candidates who wish to advance their careers in healthcare and dental surgery can get all the BDS course details from this article.
BDS full form is Bachelor of Dental Surgery, it is a five-year undergraduate programme. Candidates who want to pursue a career as a Dental surgeon can opt for this course. Students should have PCB in their 10+2 to be eligible for the degree programme. Many higher education institutes offer BDS courses. In this article, we will be discussing the BDS subjects year-wise.
Particular | Value |
|---|---|
Name of Degree | Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) |
Level | Undergraduate |
BDS Course Duration | Five years |
Semester/Yearly | Semester |
BDS Admission Process | Entrance test followed by counselling by the authorities. |
BDS Eligibility Criteria | Should have completed 10+2 in PCB from a recognised institute/board |
BDS Course Fee | Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,200,000 |
BDS Top Recruiters | Dental Clinics, Government hospitals, Dental Institutions, Pharmaceutical Companies, Dental Products Manufactures, Private Practice |
BDS Career Options | Dental Technician, Prosthodontist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Consultant, Dentist |
The BDS course duration is five years, which is divided into four years of theory and one year of rotatory internship programme. BDS fees vary depending on the medical college or university in which students take admission. Before enrolling in any particular BDS college, students should check the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) fee structure. BDS fee in both the private and government colleges is Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,200,000 lakhs.
Pursuing BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) offers students rewarding career opportunities. BDS graduates provide medical assistance on people’s oral health, by offering them essential dental care. This course offers a stable career with wide opportunities in the private and government or public sector. Graduates can also join the academics as professors or lecturers in medical colleges.
BDS graduates with the required certification perform anaesthesia to calm the patient and avoid extreme pain during the extraction of the tooth. Graduates of Bachelor of Dental Surgery usually get the opportunity to work in dental clinics and perform all such tasks. They can work full-time in a hospital or can practice in their personal dental clinics. BDS graduates can opt for numerous careers such as dental technician, prosthodontist, dental hygienist, dental consultant and numerous other roles.
Aspiring applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for admission in the BDS course. They need to be aware of the basic BDS eligibility criteria required for pursuing a bachelor's degree in bachelor of dental surgery, including the course understanding. These are the necessary eligibility requirements that the students must follow to obtain admission to the degree programme. The eligibility criteria for as per NEET are given below.
Candidates who want to pursue a BDS degree programme must possess certain skills. After earning a BDS degree programme, students need the following skill sets to advance in their career:
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NEET is the only entrance examination that offers admission to the BDS course in the country. Admission to this degree will be done only on the basis of NEET scores. In order to pursue a BDS degree, aspirants are required to appear and qualify for the National Eligibility Entrance Test. The admission process for the BDS degree comprises filling out the application form for NEET, followed by admit card, conducting the exam, results, and counselling.
NEET is the entrance examination that is required for admission to the BDS course programmes. NEET is the national-level entrance examination for the MBBS and BDS degrees in India.
Exam Name | Level | Conducting Body | Exam Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
National | National Testing Agency |
Bachelor of Dental Surgery or BDS cut-off is required to determine the student's merit for admission in the BDS degree programme in various medical colleges in India. For BDS degree programmes, the NEET cut-off is the main criteria that every medical college accepts for the BDS admission process. BDS cutoff is based on the number of students appearing for the NEET examination, the previous year’s cutoff, NEET question paper.
Candidates can go through the below-mentioned syllabus of the BDS degree, which an aspirant has to go through while completing the degree. In the table below, we have mentioned BDS subjects year-wise. In the tables below, we have mentioned the syllabus of Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education.
In the first year of BDS, students study subjects relating to Anatomy, Dental Materials, prosthodontics, and Physiology. These subjects form the foundation of the BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) course.
| General Human Anatomy Including Embryology and Histology | General Human Physiology and Biochemistry, Nutrition and Dietetics |
| Dental Anatomy Embryology and Oral Histology | Dental Materials |
| Pre-clinical Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge | - |
Some of the subjects covered in the second year of BDS are Pre-clinical Prosthodontics, Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology, and Preclinical Conservative Dentistry.
| General Pathology and Microbiology | General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics |
| Dental Materials | Preclinical Conservative Dentistry |
| Pre-clinical Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge | Oral Pathology & Oral Microbiology |
BDS 3rd Year Syllabus
In the third year of BDS, students study subjects such as General Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology, Maxillofacial Surgery, and Orthodontics. Listed below is the 3rd year syllabus of BDS.
| General Medicine | General Surgery |
| Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology | Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics |
| Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery | Oral Medicine and Radiology |
| Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics | Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry Periodontology |
| Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge | - |
BDS 4th Year Syllabus
In the fourth year of BDS, some of the subjects included are Periodontology, Oral Medicine & Radiology, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, and Public Health Dentistry. In the table below, we have mentioned the fourth-year syllabus of BDS.
| Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics | Oral Medicine & Radiology |
| Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry | Periodontology |
| Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery | Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge |
| Conservative Dentistry | Public Health Dentistry |
After passing the examination, all candidates are required to do a one-year mandatory rotating internship programme in all the departments for the duration indicated against each department as given below:
BDS Internships Department and Period of Posting:
Department | Period of Posting |
|---|---|
Oral Medicine & Radiology | 1 month |
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery | 1 and a half month |
Prosthodontics | 1 and a half month |
Periodontics | 1 month |
Conservative Dentist | 1 month |
Pedodontics | 1 month |
Oral Pathology & Microbiology | 15 days |
Orthodontics | 1 month |
Community Dentist/Rural Service | 3 months |
Elective | 15 days |
Total | 12 months |
Note: Any student who does not clear the BDS course in all the subjects within a period of nine years, including a year mandatory rotatory paid internship from the date of admission shall be disqualified from the BDS course.
BDS specialisations are available for dentists to choose the area in which they would like to mark their career. They have a choice of nine specialisations to choose from while pursuing their masters as given below.
Nowadays, oral health is one of the primary concerns for everyone. The scope of BDS in India and abroad is very wide. Many people visit the dentist for their oral checkup in a month or two. The scope of the course in India is vast and is increasing at a rapid speed day by day. It depends on the respective aspirant's skills, knowledge, calibres and place they are practising.
Clinical Practice: After completing BDS, dentists can create their clinics or work in hospitals. This enables them to treat patients and obtain practical experience in the field.
Higher Studies: MDS programmes allow students to specialise in fields such as orthodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery after graduation. Specialisation allows them to focus on advanced treatments and gain experience in a particular field of dentistry. Dentists can also pursue a management course like MHA (Masters in Hospital Administration) or MPH (Masters in Public Health). This will allow them to step into the management side of health organisations or hospital chains.
Teaching Profession: BDS graduates can pursue a career as lecturers in dental colleges. This enables them to train future dentists and contribute to dental education.
Research and Public Health: Students can contribute to research and public health organisations by raising awareness and improving dental care policy.
A plethora of career options are available after the BDS degree programme. A career as a dentist is the most sought-after career option available after the BDS course. However, that in itself has choices of where for whom, and as what. An important point is that students must register with the Dental Council of India to be able to practice as a dentist. Some of the career options are mentioned below:
Dentist: Dentists are doctors who diagnose and treat teeth diseases and oral cavities. Dentists recognise and then treat the diseases of teeth, gum, and other oral diseases and make dentures. They guide the patients by providing information on how to maintain healthy teeth and gums and how to take care of oral hygiene.
Lecturer: Lecturers in medical colleges are senior doctors who have completed their MD degree and have work experience. Mostly the doctors attached to the Govt hospitals also work as consulting professors to the students at the attached colleges. However, teaching is an option for dentists who incline it, after gaining some experience working as a dentist.
Some of the top recruiters that hire BDS graduates are mentioned below:
The salary of dental graduates depends upon their calibre and experience. Aspirants can earn a handsome salary both in the private and government sectors. Below, we have mentioned the salary after BDS degree:
Job Profiles | Average Salary |
|---|---|
Dentist | Rs. 3 LPA |
Lecturer | Rs. 6 LPA |
BDS graduates can join hospitals, other healthcare facilities, and universities. Students who have pursued BDS or Bachelor of Dental Surgery can also practise individually. Some of the employment areas after graduating from BDS are mentioned below
In India, there are a number of private BDS colleges. Private university education is significantly more expensive than public university education. Some of the greatest private BDS colleges and also BDS fees are discussed below:
| Colleges | Fees |
|---|---|
Rs. 18.25 Lakhs | |
Rs. 25 Lakhs | |
Rs. 2.55 Lakhs | |
Rs. 11.60 Lakhs | |
| - | |
Rs. 27.60 Lakhs | |
Rs. 22.75 Lakhs | |
Rs. 18.02 Lakhs | |
Rs. 13.80 Lakhs | |
Rs. 12.12 Lakhs |
Attending a government-run college is less expensive than attending a private college. These colleges are well known for their high academic standards throughout India. The following are some of the best government BDS colleges and also BDS fees:
| Colleges | Fees |
|---|---|
Rs. 2.18 Lakhs | |
Rs. 6.14 Lakhs | |
Rs. 2.73 Lakhs | |
| - | |
Himachal Pradesh Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla | Rs. 1.60 Lakhs |
| - | |
Rs. 14.12 Lakhs | |
Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | Rs. 1.49 Lakhs |
Rs. 20.80 Lakhs | |
Rs. 17.10 Lakhs |
BDS is a popular undergraduate degree in dental which provides knowledge on dental anatomy, embryology oral histology and dental materials. After completing four years of studying, candidates need to complete one year of a rotatory internship programme.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, only NEET qualified candidates will be considered for admission to the BDS course, apart from the MBBS course. Please note that the qualifying percentile and marks will be different for different categories.
The cutoff marks depend on various factors like the category of the candidate, sanctioned seats, the performance of candidates in the exam. Also, the cutoff varies from one year to another.
The curriculum of BDS is being regulated by the Dental Council of India.
In today's world, where oral health is one of the primary concerns for everyone, the scope of BDS in India and abroad is very high.
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is an undergraduate course for five years duration. Under this degree duration, four years will be for theory and one year will be for a rotatory internship. Dental Council of India (DCI) regulates Dental education in the country.
On Question asked by student community
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Yes, a BDS student can pursue an MD in Physiology, but it depends on the eligibility rules of each university.
In most medical colleges in India, MD Physiology is offered mainly to MBBS graduates because it is a clinical/para-clinical postgraduate degree under the MD/MS system. However, some universities and institutes
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