BDS

Bachelor of Dental Science (B.D.S)

Also known as Bachelor of Dental Surgery. It is a Bachelor’s Degree course. Students who have passed 12th science with PCB subjects can apply for this course. The course is five years long. The academic program is for four years followed by a yearlong internship program resulting in the Bachelor of dental surgery degree. After completing your BDS, you're qualified to practice as a dentist.

Entrance exams

National level

• NEET - National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test
• AIIMS - All India Institute of Medical Sciences
• PGIMER - Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
• Dr. D.Y.Patil All India Common Entrance Test (AICET)

 

 State level

• KEAM - Kerala Engineering Agriculture Medical Degree
• CETPPMC - Common Entrance Test for Pondicherry Private Medical and Dental College 
• GPAT  - Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka
• GUJCET - Gujarat Common Entrance Test
• AP EAMCET - Andhra Pradesh engineering, agriculture, standard medical entrance test
• GCET - Goa Common Entrance Test

 

University level

• PIMS - Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences
• MGDCH JET - Mahatma Gandhi Dental College and Hospital - Joint Entrance Test
• DUMET - Delhi University Medical/Dental Entrance Test 

Best Institutes in India that offer BDS courses

1. Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences - New Delhi
2. Faculty of Dental Sciences King George's Medical University - Lucknow
3. Faculty of Dental Sciences IMS BHU Varanasi - Varanasi
4. Manipal College of Dental Science – Manipal
5. Nair Hospital Dental College - Mumbai

Future Scope

Careers after BDS

A wide range of career choices are available after BDS.

1. Set up private practice
2. Consultant: Working as a consultant with established hospitals is another option.
3. Teaching: After completing BDS degree in dental science you can also teach in dental colleges. This job requires knowledgeable doctors with experience who can clear doubts and teach well. Mostly the doctors attached to the government hospitals also work as consulting professors to the students at the attached colleges.
4. Government Job: Jobs such as Army Dental Corp, as a Territorial Officer in Indian Army/Navy and Air Force, Dentist in Railways, Dental Officer in Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, and state government jobs as a dentist. So, students can go for these jobs for job security.
5. Options Abroad: Many job opportunities are available for Indian dentists in foreign countries such as Australia, UK and US. For this, one needs to check the regulations of the country and fulfil them to start work or practice as a dentist.
6. Further Study: Another option would be to go in for Masters in Dental Surgery, PG degree programmes or research programme by pursuing Doctor of Philosophy. Dentists can even pursue a management course like MHA (Masters in Hospital Administration) or MPH (Masters in public Health).

Salary: The basic salary of a dentist after BDS, fresher, is around Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000 and an experienced dentist can earn anywhere between Rs.30,000 to Rs.45,000. In Gulf countries like Dubai the salary starts from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.2 Lakhs a month.