BDS Course Details – Duration, Salary, Scope, Future, Fees and More

Are you going to going to give your 12th exam or the NEET entrance exam? Or you have passed the exams? Now just made up your mind to join the BDS course and wanted to know more about the course?

If so, then you can get complete information about BDS from the best dental blog in India. 😀

Yes, I am having more than 10 years of experience in the dental industry and I am also a thorough researcher of the scope and variations in dentistry.

So here I will be giving you complete details about the BDS course and I would suggest you go through the complete article so that you can get to know in depth about BDS.

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BDS Course Overview

Full Form	Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Course Duration	5 Year – 4 Years + 1 Year Internship
Course Type	Dentistry
Level	Undergraduate
Field	Health and Science
Age Limit	Minimum age of 17 years
Eligibility	50% in 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology
Entrance Exam	NEET-UG
Average fees	Rs.6,000 to Rs.7 Lakhs/year
College Available	Govt and Private
Average Salary	Rs.20,000 to Rs.1 Lac/month

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What is BDS About?

As mentioned above BDS means Bachelor of Dental Surgery, but a general misconception is that dentists only treat the tooth. And that is a myth!

A dentist treats everything related to the oral cavity and the related parts of the head and the neck. For example, a dentist can diagnose and treat oral cancers or can even operate on a patient who has met with an accident and has a deformed face.

I will list down the major departments in dentistry and what they deal with. That will give you a clear picture of what a dentist can do!

So, the departments in dentistry are:

• Oral Medicine and Radiology: In this department, dentists can take X-rays or other scans and find the problem with the patient. For example, think of a patient who comes to a dentist, and it is the OMR department that finds out what the problem is with the patient and refers them for the best treatment. It is kind of a Radiologist.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery or OMFS: OMFS is the department where all the minor (even normal wisdom tooth removal) and major surgeries are performed. If you see in a hospital, the MDS in OMFS are the doctors who are operating on a patient coming with a jaw fracture or any deformities to the face.
• Prosthodontics: This is the department that deals with replacements of damaged or lost teeth. You might have seen your grandparents using removable dentures, right? Those come under the department of prosthodontics.
• Endodontics: This is the department in dentistry that deals with the famous RCT or Root Canal Treatments. Apart from RCT the department also deals with all the treatments related to aesthetics and cosmetic dentistry.
• Pedodontics: The department in dentistry that deals with the treatment of children up to the age of 14 years. Similar to pediatrics which you might know in the medical field.
• Periodontics: This is the department in dentistry that focuses on the health of your gums and jawbone.
• Orthodontics: This department focuses on the treatment of irregularities in the teeth alignment and jaw.
• Oral Pathology:  This department mainly is a branch of pathology that deals with the pathology of the Oral Cavity only.
• Preventive and Community Dentistry: This is the department that organizes community efforts for preventing disease and the spread of the disease.

So I think you got an idea of what all dentistry deals with right?

If we use what we learn during BDS properly we can have a great successful life as a dentist.

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BDS Course Duration

I know there is nothing much to be told about the duration of the BDS Course. But, there are a few really big updates that have come regarding the duration of the BDS course. Yes! And I will be explaining it in detail here.

BDS is a 5-year course that includes 4 years of academics and 1 year of compulsory internship.

The internship is when you will really have the best patient exposure and freedom to work on any patient if you are really interested in the clinical.

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Bachelor of Dental Surgery Eligibility

To be admitted to any private or government dental college in India, the candidate must meet the following eligibility criteria compulsorily.

• The candidate must have passed 10+2 with a minimum of 50% in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from a recognized board.
• The candidate must be at least 17 years of age by December 31st of the year of taking admission.
• Students must also qualify NEET-UG entrance exam of the same year of taking admission.

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BDS Admission Procedure

If you meet the eligibility criteria mentioned above, then you can surely take admission to both private and government dental colleges in India.

• Once you have qualified NEET-UG entrance exam, you have to attend the counselling conducted by the state or MCC, depending on the college you are interested in.
• Think you are from Bihar and want to take admission to UP or Karnataka, then you must attend the counselling conducted by the UP or Karnataka government. This is if you are interested in taking admissions to private colleges.
• If you want to be admitted for BDS in deemed dental colleges in India., then you must attend the counselling conducted by MCC Medical Counseling Committee.
• If you want to take admission to government dental colleges in other states, then you have to attend the counseling conducted by MCC.
• If you want to take admission to a government dental college in your own state, then you must attend state counseling.

Now, there might be a few questions in your mind. I will mention those questions below and answer them here.

Can we take admission without qualifying for NEET-UG?

No, you cannot take the BDS admission without qualifying NEET-UG entrance exam. Let it be management quota or NRI quota, you have to qualify NEET entrance exam.

Can we take admission without attending counselling?

No, you have to attend counseling depending on the college you are selecting without fail.

If you have any more queries, you can comment below, and I will try my best to revert ASAP.

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BDS Fee Structure

The fee structure for BDS differs in each college depending on many factors. So let me categorize dental colleges into 3 types:

• Government dental colleges.
• Private dental colleges.
• Deemed dental colleges.

The fee structure for each category of college differs. If you want in-depth information about the fees, then you can go through my detailed post about BDS course fees. I also wrote a detailed article about BDS payment seat fees.

Government Dental College Fees

The fees for BDS in government dental colleges range from Rs.6,000 to Rs.30,000, which excludes the examination and other fees. This is an average range of fees for BDS in GDC. If you want to get in-depth information, then you can go through my detailed post about BDS fees in government dental colleges.

Private Dental College Fees

The fees for BDS in private dental colleges range from 1.5 Lakhs to 7 lakhs per year, depending on each college. Now, you might be surprised that you are getting BDS colleges at very cheap fees. But that is not the scenario!

You must go for a decent college with an affordable fee structure. You can go through my detailed article about BDS course fees in private colleges and management quota fees for BDS.

Deemed Dental College Fees

The fee structure for BDS in deemed dental colleges ranges from Rs.4 lakhs to Rs.8 lakhs per annum. In my experience, most of the deemed dental colleges are good and there are very few deemed BDS colleges that are worst.

I have also written a few articles about the fee structure for BDS in different states. I am listing them below, and you can go through them if needed.

• BDS fee structure in Karnataka.
• BDS fees in Mangalore.
• BDS course fees in UP.
• BDS fee structure in Kerala private colleges.
• BDS fees for colleges in Delhi.

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BDS Course Syllabus

So rather than talking about subjects and making this article boring, I will list down the subjects in BDS and what all you have to do each year.

First Year Subjects

General Human Anatomy, Including Embryology, Osteology, and Histology

General Human Physiology and Biochemistry

Dental Anatomy and Histology

Second Year Subjects

General Pathology and Microbiology

General and Dental Pharmacology

Dental Materials

Preclinical Prosthodontics

Preclinical Conservative Dentistry

Third Year Subjects

Oral Pathology

General Surgery

General Medicine

Fourth Year

Oral Medicine and Radiology

Prosthodontics

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Orthodontics

Endodontics

Pedodontics

Periodontics

Preventive and Community Dentistry

Internship

You have to attend the internship for 365 days, and this is when you will be completely working on patients and learning new treatment techniques that you learned in your 3rd and 4th years.

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BDS Scope – Scope of Dentistry

I have heard many people, including working dentists, saying that there is scope in dentistry. And I will surely disagree with this. 😛

There are many opportunities in dentistry and I personally know dentists who are earning six to seven figures per month. Most of the fresher dentists will be joining a dental clinic or opening their clinics without proper research and knowledge.

In the coming 10 years, dentistry in India will standardize and boom like anything.

Here, I will just list down a few of the unique opportunities which you can’t find on any education blog.

Government Dental Jobs

You can apply for dental jobs in the army, navy, airforce, railways, NRHM, ECHS, and many central government institutions.

Own Dental Clinic

You can open your dental clinic and surely earn around 4-5 Lakhs per annum. I personally know fresher dentists who started to earn around this in India.

But you must do your proper research and knowledge about treatments, and dental marketing is very much needed to achieve the best.

Migrate to Gulf Countries

You can easily migrate to gulf countries and each at least Rs.2 lakhs to Rs.4 lakhs by working in corporate clinics. You need a minimum of 2 years of experience in India and have to clear a basic exam for the same.

Teaching

Teaching doesn’t mean just joining any dental college and being a lecturer and earning. You can start an academy and teach students how to do different treatments which you are a master of. You can even start your coaching center with the same and earn lakhs for sure.

Apart from these, you can also:

• Migrating to European or Western countries.
• You can go for pharmacovigilance.
• You can even do forensic odontology.

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BDS Salary in India

I personally know dentists who are earning Rs.10,000 per month and also dentists who are earning around Rs.10 lakhs per month. So if you are looking for a salary, then it completely depends on the sector.

If you are working in a small private dental clinic, you can expect a salary of around Rs.15,000 to Rs.30,000 per month.

If you are working in a corporate hospital or clinic, then you can expect a monthly salary of around Rs.35,000 to Rs.50,000.

And all these also depend on your knowledge and experience. You can also go through my detailed post about dentist salaries in India, for more information.

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Clearing a few Frequently Asked Questions

When was dental education started in India?

Dental education was started in India in the year 1920.

Which is the first dental college in India?

The first dental college in India is Dr.R.Ahmed Dental College and Hospital, Kolkata.

Is the dentist a doctor in India?

Yes, a dentist is a doctor in India.

Is dentistry saturated in India?

Dentistry is mildly saturated in India. But in coming years the number of seats for BDS will be reduced and quality of education will be high.

Is BDS better than MBBS?

Every course or profession have its own pros and cons. But if you are looking into the return on investment, I would say BDS is better than MBBS.

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Conclusion

I put my heart, soul, and experience into writing this article. I tried my best to include all the information related to dentistry and the BDS course.

All this information here is from my personal experience of more than 10 years in dentistry. If you found this article to be informative and interesting, please do share it with your friends and people in need.

Got any questions?

If you have any questions, you can comment below, and I will try my best to revert as soon as possible. Or you can even contact me on my number via call or WhatsApp at +91-8951242255.

If you are planning to join any dental college for BDS, then you can check the following articles, which will be helpful for you:

• Total BDS seats in India.
• BDS total seats in deemed universities.