All about Bachelor of Dental Sciences (BDS) Course

What do you understand by dental science?

Dentistry or dental science is a branch medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of oral and dental cavity. The field of dentistry or dental science is not limited to teeth but includes other aspects of the craniofacial and temporomandibular joints. 

Few lines about Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS)

Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) is a 5-years undergraduate course that deals with the study of dental systems in the human body. The BDS course is done by the students who are interested to become professional dentists. The BDS course is the most popular pursued course pursued after MBBS by biology students.

The course deals with the study of subjects like dental histology, oral pathology, oral surgery, emergency medicine, public health dentistry and gain skills and training to practice dentistry.

Eligibility for BDS Course

The students who have completed their PUC/12th/or equivalent from the recognised board with 50 % aggregate marks in  PCB or CBZ as core subjects are eligible to apply for BDS course.  The students are also required to qualify the NEET UG exam for getting admission to BDS course.

Admission Process

The students who are interested to join BDS degree should mandatorily clear the NEET exams and undergo counselling to choose their desired colleges for merit seats. The medical college merit seats are allotted to the students according to their rankings and marks obtained by them in their PUC/12th/or equivalent.

There are two types of counselling for the BDS students

1. Merit Admission

2. Management Admission

Merit Admission

1. Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) Counselling

The students who are interested to join the government dental colleges and other dental colleges affiliated to the government should undergo the counselling procedures of Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA). 

The students who intend to join for the merit seats under government quota are required to complete the counselling procedures and join for the BDS programme in their chosen colleges. The dental colleges under the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) are affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).

2. Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) Counselling

The students who are interested to join the private dental colleges and deemed universities that are affiliated to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) are required to apply for the MCC counselling procedures. The students should qualify the MCC counselling procedures to get admission to their desired private dental colleges or deemed universities for BDS programmes. 

Management Admission

The students who have attended for NEET-UG exam can also take admission to BDS course under management quota. It is mandatory to participate in KEA and MCC Counselling, If any lap seats are available students can take admission through management (Direct Admission). The students can contact the educational counselling centres for more details about management admissions.

Course Curriculum for BDS Course

The students of BDS will be studying the following subjects during their course duration

Career & Scope

There are ample job opportunities available for BDS students. They are hired in government hospitals, private hospitals, clinics etc. They can even practice independently in their own clinics. There is a huge demand for BDS students across the healthcare sector.

Job Roles

Some of the job roles available for BDS students are:

• Dentists
• Government Dental Practitioner
• Private Dentist
• Dental Surgeon

Salary & Emoluments

The fresh BDS students will be earning around 6 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum. While the experienced dental doctors will be earning around 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs per annum.

Top Organisations hiring BDS students

Some of the top organisations hiring BDS students are:

• Apollo Hospitals
• HCG Global
• Sparsh Hospitals
• Manipal Hospitals
• Aster HealthCare

Final Lines

The BDS students are in huge demand in recent years, with a greater number of patients with dental problems there is a lot of scope and room for skilled dental doctors. The last decade saw a huge surge in demand for BDS doctors and continues to grow in the future. The BDS doctors can earn a handsome salary, and can even earn better if they practice independently. The students with a passion towards dental sciences can join this course.