Dental Courses: Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Placements

Surobhi Chatterjee

, Feb 28, 2023

Dental courses in India are primarily a branch of medical sciences, dealing with oral health. In dental courses, aspirants explore the study of teeth, gums, as well as various mouth organs. The Dental course duration for the students depends on the type of course that the aspiring dentist applies for. The Dental degree courses are medical courses that have many specialisations under them. Students pursuing these courses can apply for different specialisations such as Dental Implant Courses, Dental Nurse Course, Dental Ceramic Assistant Course, Dental Cosmetology Courses. 

The Dental course details for the students are not fixed and can vary depending on the type of course that the student applies. Hence, students need to ensure that they research all the course details. BDS, MDS and Diploma courses in Dental Science are popular Dental Courses After 12th. 

Table Of Contents:

• Dental Courses List
• Eligibility for Dental Courses
• Dental Courses Admission
• Dental Courses Entrance Exams
• Dental Course Syllabus and Subjects
• Top Dental Colleges in India
• Dental Course Jobs and Salaries
• Scope of Dental Course in India
• Top Recruiters
• Skills Required For Dental Courses In India

Dental Courses List

The subjects in the Dental course are not fixed and can depend on the type of course that the students are applying for. There are different types of Dental courses that the students can choose from. Diploma and UG are dental courses after the 10th and 12th. Whereas, PG and Doctoral courses are the ones that can be pursued after completion of UG.

Given below are different types of Dental courses that the students can pursue:

• Undergraduate Dental Courses
• Postgraduate Dental Courses
• Diploma Dental Courses
• Certificate Dental Courses
• Doctorate Dental Courses

Undergraduate Dental Courses

Students should opt for undergraduate dental courses as they can help the students learn about concepts in detail. It is a great opportunity for students to learn about their specialised field by getting an introduction to all the vital concepts.

BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is an undergraduate program and the only approved professional dental course in India. BDS is one of the most popular and designated degrees for dentists (doctors). Generally, the duration of a BDS course tends to be five years. This is the only educational and professional programme of dental surgery in India. It is equivalent to the MBBS and owes the “Dr” domain.

Postgraduate Dental Courses

After the completion of the undergraduate course, many students may choose to opt for a postgraduate degree. Dental PG courses aim to introduce students to all the key aspects of dental science while giving them more detailed knowledge of their specialisation.

Due to the detailed nature of these Dental courses, after graduation students are presented with a wide range of career paths. 

• MDS
• MDS Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
• MDS Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
• MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology
• MDS Prosthodontics
• MDS Periodontics
• MDS Endodontics
• MSc Clinical Dentistry
• MSc in Dental Technology
• Masters in Dental Surgery
• Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry.

Diploma Dental Courses

Along with the undergraduate courses, students can also pursue Dental Diploma courses to gain an introduction to the dental sciences. Diploma courses tend to be short, career-focused courses that help the students enhance their knowledge in the field. 

Diploma in Dental Hygiene: Candidates who want to become dental hygienists can enrol in a graduate-level programme called the Diploma in Dental Hygienist. After clearing their intermediate exams, applicants can pursue a 2-year diploma.

The programme emphasises fundamental restorations, oral hygiene, dental radiography, periodontal treatment, preventative dentistry, and the extraction of deciduous teeth, among other topics.

Certificate Dental Courses

There are many Dental certificate courses that the students can enrol in. The primary purpose of a certificate course is to help the students gain in-depth knowledge in a specialised field in a short period of time. The certificate courses are often provided by industry-relevant employers or educational institutions. Given below are some of the top certificate courses in Dental that the students can take:

Introduction to Dental Medicine: This course starts from basic concepts and proceeds to review trends in current research and technology. They offer scientific background, some skills for patient evaluation and interview, and some suggestions for further learning for those interested in or involved in dental education.

Doctorate Dental Courses

Students seeking careers in research and education can choose from among the several PhD or Doctorate programmes offered by universities. Doctoral programs are research-oriented courses that enable students to learn about the existing research in a field and then further develop in the same field.

PhD in Dental Surgery: This degree provides students with a high level of education in the field of dental surgery, including both common and unusual dental procedures. Participants may study paediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontists, or even dental anesthesiology.

Eligibility for Dental Courses

When deciding to pursue a Dental course, students must ensure that they are aware of the Dental course eligibility criteria. They can research and find out the exact requirements by going to the official website of the colleges to they are interested in applying for.

Hence for Dental course admission, it is vital that the students research about the eligibility criteria from a reliable source. Almost all Dental courses require students to give entrance examinations to get admitted to top colleges.

• BDS: Candidates must have passed class 10+2 from a recognized board and studied Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Biology, and English subjects. Students must also give the required entrance exam.
• MDS: Candidates who have a BDS degree with minimum qualifying marks as required from a recognised college. Students must also give the required entrance exam.
• PhD in Dental: Candidates must have completed higher education from any recognized college and studied MDS. Students must also give the required entrance exam.

Dental Courses Admission

There are many dental bridge courses that the students can get admission to. For admission to a Dental college of their choice, students must ensure that they are aware of the eligibility criteria. Students would also be required to give entrance exams for admission, hence the aspirants must research about the syllabus for the same.

The students can avail themselves of admissions through both online and offline methods.

For the online method, students must enquire at the official website of the colleges they are applying to. For offline means, they would be required to visit the college's admission office in person.

Dental Courses Entrance Exams

When applying for the Dental course, it is vital that the aspirants research the entrance exams that are conducted. Entrance exams play an important role in the final merit list that is released by the students.

These Dental course entrance exams are a screening process through which the colleges can determine if the students would be a right fit for the course. Most entrance exams syllabus may differ according to the type of course, but the exam conducting authorities don’t change.

Given below are some of the top exams that are conducted for admissions to the different Dental courses in India:

Undergraduate

• NEET
• JIPMER
• PGIMER

Postgraduate

• NEET PG

Dental Course Syllabus and Subjects

The Dental course syllabus is designed to ensure that the students gain all the vital knowledge they need to get to build a rewarding career path for themselves. Although the detailed syllabus of every pharmacy course will vary a bit as they are of different duration and value, they all contain important Dental course subjects.

The curriculum integrates a variety of Dental Hygienist Course, Dental Technician Course, Dental Assistant Course, Dental Mechanic Course, Dental Lab Technician Course that will enable the students to learn about concepts in detail.

Given below are some of the generic topics that the students may be taught during their Dental course education:

• General Pathology
• General Surgery
• General Medicine
• Oral Pathology
• Oral Microbiology
• General and Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Biochemistry
• General Human Anatomy
• Dental Anatomy, Embryology and Oral Histology
• Pre-Clinical Prosthodontics
• Public Health & Dentistry
• Periodontology
• Radiology

Top Dental Colleges in India

There are many colleges that provide the best Dental courses in India. Given below are the top colleges along with their Dental course fees in India:

Dental Course Jobs and Salaries

The Dental course job opportunities in India are very rewarding and promising for the students. There is a high demand for dentists in the country and since the education provided to the students is very industry-relevant, the Dental course salary is also very attractive for aspiring Dentists.

Listed below are some of the popular job roles along with their average salaries:

Scope of Dental Course in India

The Dental course scope is very attractive and promising in India. In the private sector, they can work in hospitals, clinics, and pharma companies on different profiles. They can also work in government sectors as Dental Surgeon in hospitals, Army Dental Corps, Territorial Officer in Indian Army, Dentist in Railways, and Dental Officer in the Indian Navy and Indian Air force.

Dental is a popular career option in India that provides aspirants with the opportunity to work in a wide number of fields including research labs, pharmacy stores, hospitals, armed forces, government hospitals, and pharmaceuticals industries.

Top Recruiters

Dental courses in India provide students with ample job opportunities with a very bright future. Listed below are some of the top recruiters in India.

• Clove Dental
• Apollo Hospitals
• Practo
• MAX Hospitals
• Sabka Dentist
• Dentistry Clinics
• Smiles Dental Care
• Fortis Hospitals

Skills Required For Dental Courses In India

Given below are some top skills that would help the students ace the Dental courses in India:

• Empathy
• Communication Skills
• Teamwork
• Work Ethic
• Stress Management
• Positive Attitude
• Flexibility
• Time Management