BDS is known as the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). It is the only approved and recognized professional dental degree in India that comes up with a duration of 5 years. It is one of the most hankering courses in the health sector after MBBS. BDS course contains the foundational subjects like orthodontics, physiology & biochemistry, human anatomy, dental material, prosthodontics, microbiology, embryology & histology, periodontics, general & dental pharmacology and pathology, pedodontics, and dentistry.
Scope of BDS
Career in Dentistry is changing rapidly, creating many opportunities and challenges for job seekers. At present, there are 315 dental colleges in our country, so nearly 30000 graduates per year. With an increasing perception of oral health and the introduction of new fields like oral pathology, periodontics, and orthodontics have all enhanced the scope in this field.
BDS Syllabus
BDS course contains the foundational subjects like orthodontics, physiology & biochemistry, human anatomy, dental material, prosthodontics, microbiology, embryology & histology, periodontics, general & dental pharmacology and pathology, pedodontics, and dentistry. Minor deviations maybe noted in the curricula of certain colleges or universities but the core of the syllabus is maintained in most institutes, colleges, and universities throughout the nation.
Syllabus for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
BDS Syllabus | ||
Nutrition and Dietetics | General Human Anatomy including Embryology, Osteology and Histology | General Medicine |
Oral Pathology and Microbiology | General Surgery | Dental materials |
Microbiology | General Pathology | Orthodontics |
Pedodontics | Periodontics | General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics |
Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics | Oral and Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Histology | Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge |
Community Dentistry | Oral Surgery, Local Anesthesia, and General Anesthesia | Oral Medicine and Roentgenology |
General Human Physiology, Biochemistry |
BDS Eligibility Criteria
For admission in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS):
- Candidates must have passed a 10+2 exam or equivalent from a recognized board with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) as core subjects with a minimum aggregate marks criteria provided by the examining authority of government, universities/institutes, etc.
- There are added eligibility conditions as mentioned by the regulatory authorities for BDS, i.e., The Dental Council of India.
BDS Entrance Exams
For admission in the BDS course, almost every other institute or university in India select candidates according to the merit list prepared based on entrance exam scores and ranks. Formerly the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) and Pre-Medical Test (PMT) was an entrance examination in India for students who wish to study BDS degree in government or private medical and dental colleges in India. But now there is only a single entrance exam for admission in BDS colleges, i.e., NEET UG conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
NEET UG: National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG), is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is a single entrance exam for admissions to more than 66,000 MBBS and BDS seats across India. NEET-UG became a common all India entrance test for admissions to medical colleges in India including the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) which till yet conducted separate entrances.
Top Dental Colleges in India
- Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi
- Faculty of Dental Sciences King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
- Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak
- Nair Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai
- Faculty of Dental Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore
- Mahatma Gandhi PG Institute of Dental Sciences, Puducherry
- Government Dental College, Kottayam
- Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur
- Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital, Tamil Nadu