Updated on May 20, 2025 05:58 IST
Parul Thapa

Parul ThapaAssistant Manager

BDS course is an undergraduate degree programme. Candidates who want to make a career in Dentistry can pursue a BDS course. The course duration is 5-year including one year mandatory internship. BDS is one of the most sought after courses after MBBS. Due to rising dental issues, these professionals are in great demand in both private and government sectors. After finishing BDS course, candidates can easily get jobs in Dental clinics, government hospitals, Pharmaceutical companies etc. They can also start private practice after finishing a course in BDS.

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BDS Course Highlights

Particulars

Details

Course name

Bachelor of Dental Surgery

Knows as

BDS

Course level

Undergraduate

Course type

Degree programme

Course duration

5-year

Minimum qualification

10+2

Admission process

Entrance Exam (NEET)

Average course fee

INR 1-6 lakh

Average salary

INR 4-6 lakh

Top recruiters

Hospitals, Dental Clinics, Educational Institutes, Dental Product Manufacturers etc.

BDS Course Admission Process

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is the single exam which enables candidates to get admission to BDS courses. Institutes providing courses in BDS only accept NEET scores. Candidates will have to apply online for admission. The whole admission process involves online registration, application form submission, release of the admit card, appearing for offline entrance exam, result declaration and counselling for seat allocation. Candidates have to apply for the entrance test in the given deadline provided by the exam conducting body. Candidates should check their eligibility before applying for admission in the BDS course. After submission of application form, candidates get admit card and appear for the offline test. Those who score the minimum cutoff marks are declared qualified for the exam and they are eligible for counselling process for seat allotment in BDS course.

BDS Course: Top College and Fee Structure

There are a number of colleges offering BDS courses, including both government and private BDS colleges. While choosing college for the admission to the Bachelor programme in Dentistry, candidates consider a number of factors including the fee structure and the placement opportunities they provide. The government colleges generally charge a lesser fee than that of the private colleges. The table given below enlists some of the top colleges for BDS courses and the average course fee.

Name of the College

Average Course Fee

Faculty of Dental Sciences, IMS BHU, Varanasi

Around INR 1 lakh

Maulana Azad Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

INR 1 to 1.5 lakh

Faculty of Dental Sciences King George's Medical University, Lucknow

INR 1.5 to 2 lakh

Government Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai

INR 2 to 2.5 lakh

Dr R Ahmed Dental College and Hospital, Kolkata

Around INR 1 lakh

Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mengaluru

INR 25 to 30 lakh

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BDS Course Syllabus

Candidates have to study a number of subjects in 4-year BDS course (excluding internship). The course curriculum has been designed to make candidates learn all aspects of Dentistry. From Human Anatomy, Physiology to Oral surgery and pathology, all important facets are covered in the BDS syllabus. The table given below highlights a year-wise subject list for BDS courses.

First Year

 

Semester I

Semester II

General Human Anatomy including Embryology and Histology

Dental Materials

General Human Physiology and Biochemistry, Nutrition and Dietetics

Preclinical Prosthodontics and Crown and Bridge

Dental Anatomy, embryology, and Oral Histology

 

Second Year

 

Semester III

Semester IV

General Pathology and Microbiology

Preclinical Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge

General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Oral Pathology & Oral Microbiology

Preclinical Conservative Dentistry

 

Third Year

 

Semester V

Semester VI

General Medicine

Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery

General Surgery

Oral Medicine And Radiology

Oral Pathology & Microbiology

Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics

Conservative Dentistry And Endodontics

Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry

Fourth Year

 

Semester VII

Semester VIII

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral Medicine and Radiology

Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge

Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry

Conservative Dentistry And Endodontics

Periodontology

Conservative Dentistry And Endodontics

Popular Specialisations After BDS

  • Dental Mechanic
  • Prosthodontics
  • Periodontics
  • Conservative
  • Dentistry Surgery

Postgraduate Courses After BDS

Candidates have options to do a Master's course in different specialisations in dentistry after BDS. Some of the Master's courses after BDS are as follows:

  • Masters in Dental Surgery
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Endodontics and Conservative Dentistry
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Pediatric Dentistry
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Radiology and  Oral Medicine
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Pedodontia and Preventative Dentistry
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Preventive Community

Upcoming Trends in BDS

BDS is one of the evolving fields where technology and innovative practices have played a key role to provide better care to people. Computer-aided design and 3D Printer have given diagnosis and whole treatment aspect a giant leap. Some of teh upcoming trends have been enlisted below:

  • Structural implantations
  • Dental Aligners
  • 3D printing and scan
  • CAD, CAM machining systems

 

BDS Courses: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. How many subjects are taught in a BDS course?

A. Students of BDS have to study a range of subjects covering various aspects of Dentistry. They have to study around 15 subjects as part of the BDS course curriculum.

Q How many semesters are there in a 5-year BDS course?

A. The BDS is a 5-year bachelor course. A total of eight semesters are there in the BDS syllabus where different aspects of Dental issues and oral surgery are covered.

Q. What is the eligibility criteria for admission to a BDS course?

A. Candidates should have completed class 12th with Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Candidates have to appear for the NEET exam conducted by NTA and score the minimum cutoff score.

Q. Is BDS a good career move?

A. Yes, BDS is one of the most sought after courses after MBBS in the medical stream. After completing BDS course, candidates get employed easily at dental clinics, dental departments in the government hospitals. They can also do private practice.

Q. What are the career options after finishing a BDS course?

A. Candidates can work on different profiles after finishing the bachelor course in Dentistry. They can work as dental surgeons, dental assistants, and oral pathologist. They can also opt for teaching jobs in medical college.

Q. Is BDS equivalent to MBBS?

A. Yes. BDS is undergraduate degree programme in dental field while MBBS is undergraduate degree programme in medicine field. There are some common subjects which are taught in both MBBS and BDS courses.

Q Can BDS graduate do surgery?

A. Yes, BDS graduates can perform only dental surgery. 

Q. Is NEET requited for BDS?

A. Yes, candidates need to qualify NEET exam to get admission to BDS course.

Q. Is BDS undergraduate degree course?

A. Yes, BDS is an undergraduate degree course in Dentistry. The course duration is 5 years.

Q. How many marks are required in NEET for BDS admission?

A. The cutoff marks depends upon a number of factors such as difficulty level of teh exam, number of applicants, category etc. The cutoff for BDS varies from one year to another. Candidates have to score at least 450 marks in NEET exam for BDS admission.

Q. What is the average salary of BDS graduate?

A. The average salary of BDS graduates is INR 4 to 6 lakh. The salary goes up with the experience and job responsibilities. 
Table of contents
  • Popular BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India
  • Popular Private BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India
  • Most Popular Courses

Popular BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India

Following are the most popular BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India. Learn more about these BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.
116 Courses
1 K - 6.08 K
12 - 24 LPA

#1 NIRF

101 Courses
300 - 2.67 L
4.34 - 12.09 LPA

#3 NIRF

48 K - 2.14 L
8.5 - 16 LPA

#8 NIRF

109 Courses
7.11 K - 19.5 L
9 - 18 LPA

#2 NIRF

71 Courses
75 K - 63.21 L
9.5 - 15.8 LPA

#10 NIRF

Popular Private BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India

2.84 L - 27.12 L
3.15 LPA

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open. Apply Now

19 Courses
1.3 L - 3.95 L
2 LPA
7 Courses
1.47 L - 5.38 L
3.5

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open. Apply Now

10 K - 20.25 L
4.5 LPA
12 Courses
1.4 L - 6.4 L
4.2
3.6 L - 6.4 L
5.2 - 8.16 LPA

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open. Apply Now

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Student Forum

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Answered 6 days ago

NIMS University NEET UG cutoff 2024 was released for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses. The NIMS University BDS Cutoff 2024 was 766583 in the last round closing cutoff as per the NEET UG examination for the General Al quota. For the General HS quota, the last round closing rank was 572020 for BD

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N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

Listed below is the fee range of the top BDS colleges in Tamil Nadu -

Fee Range

Top BDS Colleges

INR 1-3 lakh2  (Vivekanandha Dental College For Women and Government Dental College Pudukkottai)
INR 5-7 lakh1  (Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital)
INR 7-10 lakh1  (Rajas Dental College and Hospital)
INR 10-15 lakh9  (Sri Ramakrishna Dental College and Hospital, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, etc.)
INR > 15 lakh12  (SIMTS Chennai, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram Campus, Chennai, SRM IST Kattankulathur, etc.)

T

Tasbiya Khan

Contributor-Level 10

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