BDS Syllabus [Semester-Wise]

BDS ( Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is a 5-year undergraduate program in India. It is the most popular course sought after MBBS ( Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery). Further, BDS is the only dental course to become a dentist in a private or government hospital or start your clinic. Also, similar to MBBS, admission in BDS colleges/institutes occur based on the NEET exam. Likewise, it comprises four years of classroom education and one year of internship in the end. BDS syllabus introduces students to dental and oral sciences and gradually to oral surgery.

Further, the course is regulated by the Dental Council of India (DCI). Hence students need to register with the Dental Council of India (DCI) to practice their profession. Thus, as per the eligibility criteria, the candidate should have an aggregate of 85% and above score in 12th. Also, it is essential to qualify for the NEET exam.

Minimum marks required in NEET for admission in a government college

Thus, the internship at the end of the course has a stipend of Rs.15000 to Rs.30000 per month. While working as a dentist, job titles include lecturer in dental colleges and dental research scientists. Hence, the average salary of the professions mentioned above is usually Rs.4 to 10 Lakh per annum. In contrast, a reputed dental college’s average fee is Rs.2 to 4 Lakh per year. So you see, the ROI of a dentist is outstanding.

BDS syllabus

The curriculum is designed to maximise the knowledge base of the students and enhance their skills. Also, the syllabus includes topics on structure and function of the teeth, mouth, jaw and associated tissues, clinical disciplines, anomalies, lesions and diseases of the teeth, mouth, and jaw, diagnosis, prevention and therapy, biological function and behaviour of a person in health as well as sickness, etc.

Further, the BDS syllabus is targeted towards developing the following skills required for dentists, diagnosis and management of common dental problems, general dental practice, prevention and management of complications during surgeries, interpretation of laboratory findings, prevention of oral diseases, promoting oral healthcare and hygiene, control pain and anxiety among patients, etc.

ITI Scholarship- Eligibility, Deadline, and more

BDS Year 1 (Sem I and Sem II)

• General human anatomy- head and neck ( embryology, histology, and osteology )
• General human physiology and nutrition, biochemistry and dietetics
• Dental anatomy, histology, and embryology

Recommended books

• Textbook of Embryology by Inderbir Singh
• Textbook of Histology by Inderbir Singh
• Human Anatomy by B.D.Chaurasia-Head and Neck Anatomy
• Textbook of physiology for Dental Students by A.K.Jain
• Textbook of biochemistry for Dental Students by Vasudevan

BDS Year II (Sem III and Sem IV)

• Pre-clinical Prosthodontics and crown bridge
• Dental materials
• Pre-clinical conservative dentistry
• General pathology and microbiology
• Pharmacology

Recommended books

• K.D. Tripathi – Essentials of Pharmacology For Dentistry
• Textbook of Pathology – Harsh Mohan
• Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews Microbiology
• Phillip’s Science of Dental Materials

BDS Year III (Sem V and Sem VI)

• General surgery
• Oral pathology and oral microbiology
• General medicine

Recommended books

• Shafer’s-Main book
• Davidson-Main book
• SRB’s surgery
• Mind Maps for medical students by Olivia Smith
• Mastering by Hemant Gupta

BDS Year IV (Sem VII and Sem VIII)

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Conservative dentistry and endodontics
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics
• Oral medicine and radiology
• Prosthodontics and Crown and bridge
• Pediatric and preventive dentistry
• Public health dentistry
• Periodontology

Recommended books

• Removable partial dentures- McCracken
• Oral Surgery- Peterson or Neelima Anil Malik
• Oral Radiology- White and Pharoah
• Periodontics- Carranza or Shantipriya reddy
• Oral Medicine- Burkett or Ghoms
• Prosthodontics- Complete Dentures
• Conservative dentistry – Sturdevants or Ramya Raghu

BDS Year V (Internship)

Finally, in the internship year, work is assigned in each of the departments mentioned below.

Department of:

• Orthodontics clinical postings
• Oral medicine and radiology clinical postings
• Oral maxillofacial surgery clinical postings
• Endodontics clinical postings
• Prosthodontics clinical postings
• Periodontics clinical postings
• Public health dentistry clinical postings
• Pedodontics clinical postings

Examination pattern In BDS

Papers	Mark per paper	Marks
Four Theory papers	75	300
Four Practical papers	50	200
Viva voce	25	100
Total		600

To pass the semester, the student should have a 50% aggregate in theory (150) and practical papers ( 100 ), i.e. a total of 250-300 marks.

To prepare for BDS exams, read the recommended books mentioned in the section BDS syllabus above. Along with that, also make sure to go through the previous years papers and questions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, BDS has a lot of scope for jobs in both the government and private sectors. Additionally, all the jobs are lucrative and high paid. Also, the return of Income of a dentist is high. Though there are entrance examinations for getting hired in government hospitals, their high salary is worth it. Additionally, if nothing works out, then you can surely start your clinic in the neighbourhood.

Hence, all these factors make BDS the best option for medical aspirants. It is not as competitive as MBBS in terms of admission as well as jobs. Hence, if you are passionate enough, you can secure a seat and own a coat in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How many semesters does BDS have?

Ans. BDS or Bachelor of Dental Surgery is the dental field’s undergraduate level degree. After MBBS, BDS is among the most looked degrees. The education lasts 5 years, including a year of internship.

Q2. Is BDS simpler to learn than MBBS?

Ans. Both BDS and MBBS are equally demanding and simple. MBBS is an abbreviation for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. BDS, on the other hand, refers to Bachelor of Dental Surgery. BDS is concerned with dental requirements, which implies that a candidate will become a Dentist doctor.

Q3. Can BDS perform surgery?

Ans. Yes. A person can become a cosmetic surgeon by completing a postgraduate program in dental surgery followed by a super-specialization degree in cosmetic operations. 

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