MDS Syllabus & Subjects 2026: Download Semester-wise PDF, Important Books

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

Parul ThapaAssistant Manager

Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) is a master’s program. It is related to the anatomy of teeth and mouth. Students studying the Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS) can apply for the program. The program focuses on managing oral and dental hygiene and care and provides training for handling such issues. Students wishing to take the BDS course should be at least 17 years of age with 10+2.

Syllabus: Important Facts for MDS

  • The duration of the MDS program is 3 years and is a full-time course that can be pursued through several colleges in India. However, students with a post-graduate diploma in dentistry can complete the course in 2 years.

  • The MDS program offers specialisations such as Periodontology, Prosthodontics, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Radiology, Orthodontics, and Oral Medicine.

  • In India, there are more than 200 colleges that offer MDS programs to aspiring students and conduct entrance examinations.

  • The BDS students need to qualify the competitive examinations like NEET MDS or AIIMS PG to be admitted to the MDS program.

  • MDS syllabus in Government Dental College and Hospital. The Government Dental College and Hospital is one of the best institutes for studying the MDS program in India.

  • MDS syllabus in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi

List of Subjects in MDS

The students who aspire to study Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) must clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance test- Master of Dental Surgery (NEET-MDS). The National Board of Examinations (NBE) conducts the examination every year to test the ability of the aspiring candidates. The NBE was founded in 1975 and is regulated as an autonomous body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Typical Core Subjects for MDS

MDS syllabus are huge. Before you think further about whether to pursue MDS as a career option, study the typical core subjects for MDS that you can expect.

Subject Title

Subject Details

Applied Anatomy and Histology

Applied Anatomy and Histology is the study of living things. Histology is the study of the area of cell structure and discussion of the basic tissue of musculoskeletal anatomy and mammalian biology.

 

Its syllabus includes the following:

  • TemporoMandibular Joint

  • Muscles of Mastication

  • Muscles of Facial expression

  • Salivary glands

  • Tongue

  • Branchial arches

  • Muscles of Facial expression

  • Trigeminal, Facial, Glossopharyngeal and Hypoglossal nerve.

  • Lateral wall of nose

  • Paranasal sinuses

  • Anterior and posterior triangles

  • Hard and Soft palate

  • Pharynx and Larynx

 

Oral Histology

The microscopic study of Oral Mucosa is known as Oral Histology. Oral Histology also includes mechanisms of keratinisation, structure variation concerning functional requirements, clinical parts of the gingiva, Dentogingival & Mucocutaneous junctions & lingual papillae.

 

Its syllabus includes the following:

  • Oral Mucous Membrane in health and disease

  • Periodontium

  • Occlusion and contract areas

  • Pulp periodontal complex

  • Shedding and Eruption

  • Eruption of Teeth

  • Role of Epithelium in development in tooth

  • Innervation of dentin

 

 

Applied Oralanatomy

Studying about the mouth is known as applied oral anatomy. It is also called the buccal cavity or oral cavity. The boundaries of a mouth are defined by its lips, cheeks, soft and hard palates, and glottis.

 

Its syllabus includes the following:

  • Anatomy of local anaesthesia

  • Structure and relations of the alveolar process and edentulous mouth

  • Development and Growth of Jaw bones

  • Propagation of dental infections

  • Anatomy of local anaesthesia

  • Development of Teeth and Supporting structures

Applied General and Oral Physiology and Biochemistry

Applied oral physiology in its broad term means the mastication process, the role of phosphorus and calcium for normal growth and development of the teeth and the necessity of saliva for keeping the oral cavity moist.

In its syllabus includes the following:

  • Saliva

  • Mastication and deglutition

  • Metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins

  • Food and nutrition

  • Pain, Pathway and mechanism

  • Fluid and electrolyte balance

  • Blood : Clotting mechanism, Haemorrhage

  • Blood : Composition and functions

  • Pain, Pathway and mechanism

  • Cardiovascular homeostasis, Heart sounds

  • Dynamics of blood flow

  • Endocrine regulation of blood sugar Biochemistry of Oral tissues

Applied Pharmacology

Applied Pharmacology is a hard topic. It needs memorisation. It has hard components of maths.

In its syllabus includes the following:

  • Definition of Pharmacology

  • Scope of Pharmacology

  • Its relation to other branches of medicine.

  • Chemotherapy of Bacterial Infections: Antibiotics, Sulfonamides

  • Anaesthetics: Hypnotic, Tranquillisers and antipyretics, Local and General Analgesics.

 

Detailed Syllabus for MDS

The MDS program is divided into 6 semesters that are spread over 3 years. The semester-wise and year-wise breakup of the syllabus is mentioned below:

Semester

Core/ ELective

Subject Title

Subject Details

1. Etiopathogenesis Of Periodontal Diseases, Applied Basic Sciences

Diagnosis, Treatment, Preventive Periodontology, and Implantology (Elective)

Recent Advances in Periodontics

 

The most important etiological cause for periodontal disease is the bacteria. These bacteria are capable of activating the immune response including the inflammatory response.

2. The branch I Oral and Maxillo-

facial Surgery,

Minor Oral Surgery and Trauma

Maxillofacial Surgery (Core), Recent Advances in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Core)

Recent Advances in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The oral and Maxillo-

Facial Surgery is a part of surgery that focuses on the reconstructive surgery of the oral cavity, the face, facial trauma, mouth, head and neck, jaws and the facial cosmetic surgery.

3. Oral Pathology, Oral Microbiology & Forensic Odontology, Laboratory And Histopathological Techniques

Applied Basic Sciences (Core)

Recent Advances in Oral Pathology

It is a branch of dental science where aspirants need to study the diagnosis of mouth and jaw diseases, which is also known as the oral cavity.

4. Endodontics, Conservative Dentistry, including Preventive dentistry and Dental Materials

Applied Basic Sciences (Core)

Recent Advances in Conservative Dentistry

This specialised branch of Dentistry deals with the diagnosis and management of injured, defective, infected and decayed teeth for smoothing teeth functions.

5. Growth and Development, Basics in orthodontics, Diagnosis & Radiology, Bio-Mechanic & various Orthodontics Tissue Changes, Techniques & Treatment Planning, Submission of Dissertation Thesis, Models, Radiographs, and Photographs

 

Applied Basic Sciences (Core)

 

Recent Advances in Orthodontics

 

In this branch, aspirants need to learn about the stability of the results of orthodontics as well as orthodontic treatment for its development and growth.

6. Didactic Lectures, Seminars, Weekly Journal Clubs

 

Structured Lecture Programs (Elective)

Clinical Case Conference

An explanation is given on scientific information on oral delivery in an organised and systematic manner by an expert in this field. This is considered the most popular and oldest method of teaching.

Specialisations offered in MD

The students aspiring to take up a Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) as a career choice can choose from different specialisations such as

Specialisation

Subjects

Details

Oral Pathology and Microbiology

 

  • Applied Anatomy and Histology

  • Applied Oralanotomy

  • Oral Histology

  • Oral Physiology and Biochemistry

  • Applied Pharmacology

  • Applied General and Oral Pathology and Microbiology

The students opting for this particular specialisation would learn the principle behind the routine and special techniques used for histopathology. The specialisation teaches the principles of histochemistry and Immunochemistry. The program also teaches the study of applied and special pathology of oral tissues.

Periodontology

  • Oral Anatomy

  • Orthodontics

  • Pedodontics

  • Orthodontics

  • Oral Medicine and Radiology

  • Pharmacology

  • Dental materials

  • Oral surgery

  • Conservative surgery

The specialisation teaches the treatment and management of diseases concerning the structure of teeth, including diseases of gums, periodontal membranes, cementum, and aloe vera bone.

Oral Medicine and Radiology

 

  • Oral Medicine

  • Clinical pathology

  • Fusospirochetal infections

  • Gingival enlargements

  • Diseases of salivary glands

  • History of Radiology

  • Forensic Odontology

The students opt for Oral Medicine and Radiology specialisation study and learn to identify and manage the complex diseases affecting the mouth and the jaws. The students learn the use of Radiology in the diagnosis of the disease using advanced imaging methods and equipment.

Prosthodontics

  • Applied Anatomy and Histology

  • Embryology

  • Applied Oral Anatomy

  • Oral Histology

  • Applied General and Oral Physiology and Biochemistry

  • Applied Pharmacology

  • Removable Prosthodontics

The students aiming for Prosthodontics as a specialisation learn the process of designing, manufacturing, and fitting artificial teeth, dentures, dental implants, and dental crowns. The specialisation teaches the students the management and care of the patients who require surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy for head or neck cancer

Preventive Dentistry

  • Applied Anatomy

  • Preventive Dentistry

  • Community Dentistry

  • Epidemiology

  • Clinical Paediatric Dentistry

  • Dental Plaque

The specialisation enables the students to understand the importance of good oral health. It includes the benefit of regular visits to the dentist for oral examination and to develop healthy habits like brushing and flossing.

Conservative Dentistry

  • Applied Anatomy of Head and Neck

  • Development of Teeth

  • Applied Physiology

  • Pharmacology

  • Biostatistics

  • Conservative Dentistry

The specialisation is also known as operative dentistry. It covers the development and composition of enamel.

Periodontics

  • Applied Anatomy

  • Applied Physiology

  • Biology of Periodontal tissues

  • Etiopathogenesis of Periodontal diseases

  • Therapy and Implantology

  • Preventive Periodontics

The students aiming for Periodontics will learn about the structure and function of alveolar bone and gums. It also trains the students to manage tooth decay, and oral hygiene

Oral and Maxillofacial surgery

  • Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge

  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

  • Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics

  • Public Health Dentistry

The specialisation prepares the students for a branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis and surgical treatment of a disease. It covers the defects, injuries, and diseases of the hard and soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial area.

Orthodontics and Dentofacial surgery

  • Orthodontic History

  • Concepts of Occlusion and Esthetics

  • Etiology and classification of Malocclusion

  • Cephalometrics

  • Myofunctional orthodontics

  • Cleft lip and palate rehabilitation

  • Biology of tooth movement

The specialisation provides training to aspiring students in the field of orthodontics and Dentofacial surgery. It includes topics such as putting on braces and moulding teeth, invis-aligning of teeth, and removing retainers.

Books and Authors related to MDS

Many books are available in the market that covers the MDS syllabus. But among them, the name of the best books, along with their authors’ names, are mentioned below:

Subject

Book Title

Author

Description

Dentistry Entrance examination

Dental Byte

Dr. Gowrishankar

The book is a must-have for students preparing to clear the MDS entrance Examination. It has around 20 solved question papers with detailed and explanatory answers that would benefit students preparing for the examination.

Oral Medicine and Radiology

TextBook of Oral Medicine

Ghom Anil Govindrao

The book explains the correlation between radiology and the clinical treatment of diseases. It covers many crucial topics, such as non-surgical management of temporomandibular joint disorder and dental treatment using general anaesthesia.

Oral and Maxillofacial

surgery

Peterson’s Principles of Maxillofacial Surgery

Miloro

The book discusses the topic of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The language of the book is easy to understand, and the topic is well explained

Paediatric or Pedonotics

Mcdonald and Avery- Dentistry for the Child & Adolescent

Shanthala

The book explains the concept of dental care for children, pre-teens, and teenagers. It explains the techniques to manage and care for children and adolescent dental problems.

Periodontics

Eley and Manson’s- Outline of Periodontics

J.D Manson, Barry M. Eley

The book explains the topic of periodontics. The book is an important book for undergraduates

Entrance Exams for MDS

The National Testing Agency conducts NEET MDS 2022 examination. MDS exam is conducted to pursue admission in the graduate and undergraduate medical courses in different medical institutions. The application process for NEET 2022 is conducted in two phases. Before the exam, the first phase is conducted. On the other hand, the registration for the second phase is conducted after the exam as well as before the declaration of the NEET result.

The entrance examinations for Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) have around 300 questions with multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The students need to clear the examination to become eligible for pursuing the MDS program. There are many examinations for MDS, some of which are:

  • All India Post Graduate Medical/ Dental Entrance Examination: This exam is conducted every year for the aspirants who want to pursue MDS courses in the colleges located in India. The syllabus covered in this examination is Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Prosthodontics, Preventive Dentistry, Conservative Dentistry, and Periodontics. The competition is very hard as lakhs of aspirants appear in this exam yearly.

  • All India Institute of Medical Science Entrance Exam: This is also a very hard entrance exam conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi, for the MDS aspirants. The syllabus covered in this examination are Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Prosthodontics, Preventive Dentistry, Conservative Dentistry, Periodontics, etc.

  • Annamalai University MDS Entrance Exam: For pursuing an MDS degree from Annamalai University aspirants need to appear in the Annamalai University MDS Entrance exam. They also accept TANCET and NEET scores for pursuing MDS courses. This entrance exam is of a moderate level. The revised syllabus for this entrance exam includes Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Prosthodontics, Preventive Dentistry, Conservative Dentistry, Periodontics etc.

  • Bangalore University MDS Entrance Exam: Appearing in Bangalore University MDS entrance exam is necessary for pursuing MDS course from Bangalore University. This University also follows the same syllabus as other MDS entrance exam syllabi. And the level of entrance exam is of moderate level.

  • Delhi University MDS Entrance Exam: Delhi University also conducts an MDS entrance exam for pursuing admission in dental PG courses. This examination is hard as the competition level is very high. In its syllabus, topics like Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Prosthodontics, Preventive Dentistry, Conservative Dentistry, and Periodontics, etc., are included.

Table of contents
  • Popular MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India
  • Popular Private MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India
  • Popular MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Specializations
  • Most Popular Courses

Popular MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India

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

#1 NIRF

101 Courses
300 - 1.41 L
4.34 - 12.09 LPA

#3 NIRF

109 Courses
7.11 K - 19.5 L
9 - 18 LPA

#2 NIRF

48 K - 2.14 L
12 - 16 LPA

#8 NIRF

5 Courses
10.38 L - 25.85 L
16.15 - 17 LPA

Popular Private MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Colleges in India

2.84 L - 27.12 L
3.15 LPA

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open. Apply Now

20 K - 30.38 L
4.1

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open. Apply Now

9 Courses
80 K
7 Courses
1.6 L - 5 L
4.0
21 Courses
2 L - 15 L
2.45 - 4.16 LPA
7 Courses
3 L - 8.08 L
7.5 LPA

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open. Apply Now

Popular MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Specializations

Following are the most popular MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Popular Specializations

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Answered 3 days ago

The MUHS Nashik NEET MDS cutoff 2025 was published for admission to the MDS course specialisations for multiple categories under the All India quota. 

For the General AI category, the last round cutoff rank fell between the ranges of 604 and 37, wherein the top two the hardest courses for admission w

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

DY Patil Pune NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS courses for all rounds. The cutoff was released in the form of opening and closing ranks for students belonging to the All India quota. 

Going by the last round cutoff for the General AI category, the ranks fell between 4598 and

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

The Utkal University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS course and its various specialisations for all rounds and categories under the All India category. For the General AI category, the cutoff ranged from 39 to 268, according to the first and last round closing ranks. Among

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The DU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories under the AI quota for admission to the MDS courses. For the OBC AI quota, the cutoff ranged 33 in the first round to 423 in the last round. Students can refer to the table below to know the first and last round closing ranks for various MD

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

Th HPU NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for all categories under the All India quota. For the OBC AI quota, the closing cutoff ranged from 333 to 524 in the last round. Among all the MDS course specialisations, the hardest was MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with a cutoff rank of 333 for thi

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

The Bharati Vidyapeeth NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MDS courses for all categories under the All India quota. The top two most competitve courses were MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with the cutoff in the last round being 2795. In 2024, the cutoff for the same cours

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

The Bharati Vidyapeeth NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to the MDS programme. According to the cutoff in 2025, the last round closing ranks were between 2795 and 19481 for the General category candidates under the All India quota. The hardest course for admission in the last roun

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The Manipal University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 has been published branch and round-wise for admission to the MDS course. For the General AI category, the last round cuotff ranged from 2623 to 16716 rank, wherein, MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was the toughest course for admission, and the easie

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The CCSU UP NEET PG Cutoff 2025 is applicable for admission to the MDS, MD programme. Students who are aiming for admission at CCSU for the aforementioned courses have to qualify as per the UP NEET PG Cutoff rank. According to the CCSU UP NEET PG Cutoff in the year 2022, admission to MD in Community

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The Gujarat University NEET MDS Cutoff 2025 was published for all categories and rounds under the All India category. According to the NEET MDS Cutoff 2025, for the General AI category, the cutoff range was 38 to 530, wherein the most competitive specialisation was MDS in Conservative Dentistry and

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The Gujarat University accepts the NEET PG cutoff ranks, followed by Gujarat NEET PG Counselling process for admission to various PG level courses. The university offers these courses through the affiliated colleges. The cutoff was released for various categories under the Home State quota.

As per th

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Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The NIMS University Rajasthan NEET PG Cutoff 2022 ranged from 40 to 4393 in the first and last round closing cutoff ranks for the General AI category. Among all the course specialisations, MD in General Medicine faced the toughest competition according to the last round closing ranks.  NIMS Universi

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Neerja Rohatgi

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