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Bachelor of Dental Surgery, which is commonly known as BDS, is an undergraduate course in the field of dentistry. The program covers various aspects of dental related problems and issues and dental surgeries. BDS helps aspirants to become a dental surgeon or dentist in the future. The study of BDS consists of 5 years duration, 4 years of academic studies followed by 1-year compulsory internship. Successful completion of BDS will open various opportunities in government as well as private medical sectors. BDS is one of the most sought-after courses after MBBS in the field of medical science. In completion of BDS, one can even open their own dental clinic or work for the medical sector as a dentist and dental surgeon.
Individuals pursuing this course study a wide range of subjects, such as human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, nutrition and dietetics, dental anatomy, dental material, oral surgery, orthodontics, and much more. It provides an in-depth knowledge of dental-related topics to its students and prepares them as a future dentist and dental surgeons.
There is a wide range of colleges that offer BDS in India, in different zones, i.e. south zone, east zone, west zone, and north zone. Information of the college is given along with the list of top BDS colleges in India.
Top Dental Colleges in India - Overview
Particulars | Details |
Number of dental colleges | 357 |
Number of private colleges | 289 |
Number of government colleges | 68 |
Admissions through entrance exams | NEET UG |
Top courses | BDS |
BDS Colleges in India: Specializations Available
BDS is entirely based on specialized subjects and topics which are included in the course. Students with a medical science background usually pursue this course of study to gain expertise and knowledge for better future scope. The job profiles range from dental surgeons to orthodontists. This course offers a lot of future scope in different specialisations. The course offers more than 10 specialisations in the field of the medical profession for students to choose from. Some of the popular specializations in BDS are: -
5. Orthodontics
6. Pedodontics
BDS Colleges in India: Top Colleges in North Zone
India is a large, populated country, consisting of different colleges at different locations of the north, south, east, and west zones. There are several top colleges in the north zone of India, and many students in this region are seeking admissions for medical-related admissions. To make their search easier and more convenient, a list of top colleges for BDS in North India is given below, along with rankings and admission requirements.
Name of the College | NIRF Ranking | Careers360 Rating | Accepted Entrance Exam |
1 | - | NEET | |
15 | - | NEET | |
19 | AAAA | NEET | |
18 | _ | NEET | |
25 | _ | NEET | |
28 | _ | NEET | |
_ | _ | NEET | |
Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | 30 | 6th Rank | NEET |
BDS Colleges in India: Top Colleges in East Zone
The East zone of India offers good educational courses to students seeking admission in various course degrees. In states like West Bengal and Odisha, there are many medical and engineering colleges in the states. The states are filled with a mix of different cultures and traditions, with a lot of aspirants in various fields of studies. Let us take about some of the top BDS colleges in the east zone that offer BDS courses.
Name of the College | NIRF Ranking | Careers360 Rating | Accepted Entrance Exam |
12 | AAAA | NEET | |
17 | AAAA | NEET | |
_ | _ | NEET |
BDS Colleges in India: Top Colleges in South Zone
The love for the medical field for course studies in the South region in India has helped in the emergence of prestigious medical colleges in the country. Many students who cannot get into other medical fields consider pursuing BDS since it offers a lot of scope in the future. Doing BDS from reputed colleges with good facilities is the educational desire of most aspirants. Below is a list of top BDS colleges in the south zone of India.
Name of the College | NIRF Ranking | Careers360 Rating | Accepted Entrance Exam |
2 | _ | NEET | |
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 4 | AAA | NEET |
6 | _ | NEET | |
Sri Ramchandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 7 | _ | NEET |
10 | _ | NEET | |
MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka | 11 | AAA | NEET |
13 | AAAA+ | NEET | |
16 | _ | NEET | |
23 | _ | Cut-off |
BDS Colleges in India: Top Colleges in West Zone
West Zone in India consists of one of the top metropolitan cities in the country; thereby, importance is given to medical studies of all courses. There are many universities in this region that offer BDS and dental courses in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Gujarat and much more. As one of the most developed zones of India, the west region is known for giving importance to educational course degrees, and thereby a lot of colleges are available for many aspirants of different fields of studies. Here are the top BDS colleges in West Zone: -
Name of the College | NIRF Ranking | Careers360 Rating | Accepted Entrance Exam |
3 | AAA+ | NEET | |
8 | _ | NEET | |
Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Science, Wardha, Maharashtra | 14 | AAA+ | NEET |
22 | _ | NEET | |
_ | _ | NEET | |
_ | _ | NEET |
BDS Colleges in India: Admission Process
There are various entrance exams conducted at the national, state and university level for admission to an undergraduate degree in dental surgery. The medical field of studies usually requires entrance exams for both UG and PG degree admissions since there are not many colleges available in India to enrol lakhs and lakhs of aspirants. Entrance exams are held and made compulsory by universities to choose potential students that will successfully complete the course study. Some of the most popular entrance exams for BDS are given below.
1. NEET
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a national-level entrance test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to BDS/MBBS courses, and other undergraduate medical courses approved and recognized by colleges and institutes in India. It is conducted once every year in an offline mode of the exam with 3 hours 20 minutes exam duration. NEET is the most accepted entrance exam for BDS across the country in different colleges.
BDS Colleges in India: Eligibility Criteria
There are not many BDS colleges in India due to the limited seats provided by colleges. There are around 300 colleges providing BDS courses in India, which is less compared to the thousands of colleges available for other course studies. In India, there are fewer medical colleges available to aspirants, which is why many students opt to pursue medical studies abroad. Various eligibility criteria are required by different colleges for admissions in BDS course study in India. Let us look at the eligibility criteria for various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in dental studies.
For Undergraduate degree
1. Candidates must have scored a minimum mark 50% in class 12.
2. Individuals must have completed the previous course study in the science stream with physics, chemistry, and biology.
3. The admission process is based on merit or an entrance exam as per the need of the college.
Q1. What is the importance of having a BDS degree?
Ans. BDS in dentistry refers to an undergraduate degree in dental surgery, i.e. Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).
Q2. Is MBBS more difficult than BDS?
Ans. BDS and MBBS are equally difficult since they both deal with different fields of medical studies, and in both courses, the difficulty level is different since they focus on totally different subjects.
Q3. What is the duration of the BDS course?
Ans. BDS consists of 5 years duration, with 4 years as academic duration, and one-year compulsory internship.
Q4. Is it worth pursuing BDS?
Ans. For those aspirants in the field of medical and precisely dentistry, can pursue BDS course study. This course offers a wide range of future scope and the one-year compulsory internship during the course study is advantageous for various opportunities. Therefore, the study of BDS courses is never a waste, and it is worth it for aspirants.
Q5. What are the subjects studied in the BDS course?
Ans. Various subjects in the field of medicine are studied in BDS. Physiology, biochemistry, dental pharmacology, periodontics, pedodontics, orthodontics, dentistry, microbiology, etc. are the core subjects of study in BDS.
6. What are the fees of BDS?
Ans. The fee structure of BDS differs from institution to institution and colleges to colleges depending on the facilities provided to its students. However, the medical field of studies is usually expensive, and the fee structure of BDS typically ranges from Rs. 50,000 to 9 lakhs.
Q7. What is the career scope of BDS?
Ans. With a BDS degree, one can become an orthodontist, dentist, dental surgeon, dental pharmacologist, and they can even open their own private dental clinic. They can also opt to work abroad in various medical sectors.
Q8. Which entrance test is the most common for admissions to BDS courses?
Ans. There are various national, state, and university level entrance exams conducted for admissions to BDS courses in various colleges across India. Among all the entrance exams, NEET is the most accepted entrance test score for admissions to BDS courses of different colleges in India.
Q9. Which are the best colleges in India for BDS?
Ans. There are 300 BDS colleges in India, and only a few standouts to be the most prestigious college that offers BDS courses. Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Science Delhi, Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth Pune, Manipal College of Dental Science, are one of the best colleges to pursue BDS in India as per NIRF ranking.
Q10. What is the average salary with a BDS degree?
Ans. The salary of an individual may differ with the level of degree, experience, knowledge, skills, and expertise in the field of work. For individuals in the completion of BDS degree, the average annual salary ranges from Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 8 lakhs. The salary may also differ between dental surgeon and dentist, to private dental clinic owners.