Dental

After MBBS, one of the most desirable courses in the health sector is a Bachelor of Dental Surgery, commonly known as BDS. BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is the only professional programme on dental surgery in India. To have comprehensive knowledge and skills in Dental Surgical & Training, BDS is only an undergraduate approved and recognized degree in India. B.D.S. is an undergraduate course for five years duration, of which four years will be for theory, while one year will be for a rotatory internship. The curriculum of BDS is being regulated by the Dental Council of India (DCI). In order to get the admission to BDS course, it is mandatory for students to appear and qualify in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), for admission to a total of 26,949 BDS seats offered in 313 government, private, and deemed institutes of the nation. In India, BDS is regulated by the Dental Council of India where all dentists have to register to be able to practice after the completion of their study. In this course, the students are taught about the denture, dental problems and surgery. It is also a good job oriented degree programmes and various opportunities are available in the hospital, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing industries.

Benefits of Studying BDS Course

There are various reasons due to which the students opt for this course to build their career. Some of the advantages of the course have been listed below:

  • Due to the increased awareness about oral hygiene, the number of dental patients has increased too in the country. To treat these patients, one must possess a degree of BDS as it has been compulsory in India that dentistry can be practised only at the completion of BDS.
  • Students expect a rise in employment opportunities in the near future. The reason being that there has been a fast increase in the number of dental patients as well as doctors and the government aims at providing better job opportunities to dentists by increasing the employment opportunities.
  • During the period of a paid internship, the students may earn up to INR 15,000 – 40,000 (approx.) which increases with the increased expertise and experience.
  • Students can even practice their skills in countries like the US and Canada to earn an increased income compared to what they get in India. However, for this, they need to clear exams like NBDE or NDEB.
  • It is an incredible course for the students who desire to choose dentistry as their career.

BDS Eligibility Criteria

Being eligible for a course is a prerequisite for admission to a particular college and course. The basic eligibility criteria for admissions to BDS courses have been mentioned as follows:

  • The aspiring candidate must have passed the 10+2 qualifying exam or an equivalent degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate from a recognised institute.
  • They must have studied the subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology compulsorily in their 10+2.
  • In almost every college offering this course, the admissions are based on the result of NEET. The student must clear the cut-off of the exam to be eligible for admission.
  • If the students manage to qualify the entrance, they need to appear for the counselling sessions organised by the colleges.
  • There are generally three rounds of counselling sessions held.

BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Admissions

Since in India, NEET is the single dental entrance examination, no exam is conducted for granting undergraduate dental admission in the country. So, the admission to BDS 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 the National Eligibility Entrance Test. The admission process of the BDS degree comprises filling the application form of NEET, followed by admit card, conducting the exam, result, and counseling. Candidates are required to fill the NEET BDS application form by paying the requisite amount within the due dates. Successfully registered candidates will be issued the admit card for a BDS degree, that needs to be carried at the exam center for verification purposes.

After the conduction of the NEET BDS exam, authorities will release the results as per their schedule. The result of BDS will be released in online mode in the form of a scorecard. Aspirants can download the BDS result-cum-scorecard by logging in using the required credentials. Aspirants who will secure the BDS cutoff will only be considered qualified and eligible for the counselling process. Qualified candidates are required to participate in the counselling process by registering themselves for successful granting of BDS admission within the due dates.

Scope of BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)

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. People like to visit the dentist for their oral checkup in a month or two. The scope of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in India is very vast and increasing at a rapid speed day by day. It depends on the respective aspirant’s skills, knowledge, calibers, and the place they are practicing. The course of BDS is very career-oriented and serves society with its application. BDS graduates can easily earn a handsome salary by working in both private or government organizations. Some of the employment area after graduating from BDS are mentioned below

  • Dental Clinics
  • Government hospitals
  • Dental Institutions
  • Pharmaceutical Companies
  • Dental Products Manufactures
  • Private Practice

Careers opportunities after BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)

A plethora of career choices is open for students after BDS. The most obvious choice would be to practice as a dentist. 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:

  • Set up private practice:A common option followed by many dentists who have passed and registered themselves with the Dental Council of India. This will require some amount of funds and a good location. It also will take sometime before the dentists can establish themselves.
  • Consultant:In case setting up one’s own practice is not appealing, working as a consultant with established hospitals is another option. Here, one would be like an employee who is required to take on the patients who visit the hospital for their dental problems.
  • Teaching:Generally freshers are not taken in for teaching. The job requires experienced doctors who can answer queries and teach well. 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 have an inclination for it albeit after gaining some experience working as a dentist.
  • Government Job:Most Govt hospitals, organizations, PSUs require doctors including dentists. So students can go in for these jobs for job security.
  • Options Abroad:To work abroad or practice as a dentist, one needs to check the regulations of the country and fulfill them to start work.
  • Further Study:Another option would be to go in for a Masters in Dental Surgery. The specializations available allow the dentist to choose the area in which they would like to mark their career. They have a choice of 9 specializations to choose from while pursuing their masters as given below.
  1. Oral Medicine, Diagnosis, and Radiology
  2. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  3. Oral Pathology and Microbiology
  4. Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics
  5. Orthodontics
  6. Prosthodontics
  7. Periodontal Surgery and Oral Implantology
  8. Pedodontics
  9. Public Health Dentistry

MDS is not just the only option that is open for students. 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 organizations or hospital chains.