With the dream of becoming a doctor and living a life serving others, BDS is the option that comes handy and helps you in accomplishing your dreams. BDS is not only about uprooting teeth and correcting smiles, it also trains an individual not only to treat patients with oral disorders and malfunctions but also imparts them basic knowledge of a general physician and hence entitles them to treat and attend on general patients as well. Playing with wax blocks and carvers, making dentures, cavity cutting and a lot of adventurous yet interesting things makes this a good career option.

BDS or Bachelor of Dental Surgery is one of the most popular and designated degree of dentists (doctors). The BDS  is the only educational and professional courses of dental surgery in India. It is equivalent to MBBS and earns you the title of a ‘Doctor’. In the medical educational field, it is the second choice of the students after the MBBS course.

In this course, the students are taught about the denture, dental problems and surgery. It is also a good job oriented degree courses and various opportunities are available in the hospital, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing industries. The BDS degree is awarded on the successful completion of the four-year academic education and one year mandatory internship program in dentistry education leading to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree courses. After completing your BDS, you are qualified to practice as a dentist. The BDS is the degree given to a person who plays a vital role in the treatment of problems related to teeth. The dentist prevents, diagnoses and cures all dental and related diseases.

Aspirants who wish to pursue BDS must qualify the NEET exam scoring a minimum cut off percentile marks and scores in order to be eligible for admission in top colleges. Top colleges for pursuing BDS are:-

1.Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi

The institute located in the heart of New Delhi, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences enjoys the best of what Old and New Delhi has to offer. It aims to emerge as an institute of regional and global excellence in the field of dental education, patient care and research.

Fees- Rs-30,000 per annum

2. Manipal College Of Dental Sciences, Manipal

 This institute formerly known as the College of Dental Surgery, is the first self-financing dental college in the private sector of India. The undergraduate program of four years followed by a one-year internship leads to a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree.

Fees-Rs 26,40,000 (5 years)

 3. Government Dental College, Mumbai

One amongst the premiere dental colleges in India, Government Dental College and Hospital imparts dental education and services to the country as well as abroad. The institute, which was established in the year 1938, is affiliated to the prestigious Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik.

Fees-43,900 per annum

 4. Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai

 This institute is also affiliated to Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, (MUHS), Nashik. The college is approved by Dental Council of India (DCI), Ministry of Health and Government of Maharashtra.

Fees-70,900 per annum

5. Government Dental College, Bangalore

 This college, which was started in 1958, is one of the first few dental colleges in the country post independence and the first dental college in Karnataka. Within a very short period of time, Government Dental College gained a lot of importance with its service to humanity mainly by providing the best dental education to its students. It is also catering to the needs of the population in and around Karnataka through efficient oral health care delivery.

Fees-49,350 per annum

Subjects taught

The BDS course focuses on providing a student with an all round knowledge. From the basic about human anatomy to the depths of Dental anatomy and histology… This course enhances your knowledge and helps to Grove yourself into a successful doctor.

Subjects for first year 

• Human anatomy, embryology and histology
• Human physiology and Biochemistry
• Dental anatomy, embryology and histology : The most interesting yet the most annoying part of this subject includes carving tooth samples on wax block
• Pre-clinical prosthodontics : Not for evaluation. (A student is introduced to the basics of prosthodontics and hence faces a little difficulty handling the POP cubes and dental stone samples they have to make)

Subjects for second year

• General Pathology and Microbiology
• General and dental pharmacology and therapeutics
• Dental materials
• Pre clinical conservative dentistry : Not for evaluation
• Pre clinical prosthodontics : Not for evaluation

Subjects for third year

• General medicine
• General surgery
• Oral Pathology and oral Microbiology

Subjects for fourth year

• Oral medicine and radiology (OMR)
• Paediatric and preventive dentistry
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics
• Periodontology
• Prosthodontics
• Conservative dentistry and endodontics
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Public health dentistry

Career Options

After completion of the 5 year course of BDS one can go for following Career Options:

1. Join a PG Course After BDS to Pursue Higher Studies

2. MBA in Hospital Management

3. A career as a Dietitian

4. MPH after BDS: Masters in Public Health

5. Starting your own clinic

6. Work overseas

7.   Government job/ Army

8.  Clinical Researches

A report by Ayush Arya for IHOIK education desk.