A nasty toothache, an ominous trench mouth, or the embarrassment of smiling through crooked teeth can be just as bad as living through a nightmare. In such situations, dentists as medical professionals often come as welcome relief with their expertise in oral problems.
This article aims at giving an overview of a career in dentistry. Keep reading!
An Overview Of Dentistry
Dentistry is a promising medical field with numerous possibilities as a career. Modern living comes with the cost of an unhealthy lifestyle that compromises oral health to a great extent. This has created a massive cesspool of patients for the medical community, particularly for dentists. Besides oral health, dental allied sciences can correct the aesthetic and oro- maxillary deficits surgically or non-surgically.
Courses & Eligibility
The first step to a successful career as a Dentist in India is a 5-year undergraduate degree called Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). The eligibility criteria include securing an appropriate rank in the all-India level examination of NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test).
The candidate should be a student of physics, chemistry, and biology in (10+2) to be able to sit in NEET with a minimum of 50% marks in each of these subjects.
Scope of BDS in India
A Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) is a lucrative degree with rewarding opportunities even without specialization. The employment areas of the graduates have expanded to include:
A qualified dentist can choose to acquire the ownership of a small clinic. This may require a small investment in the beginning but the returns are rewarding in the longer run. Private practice does not only refer to the sole practice of an individual dentist but it could mean a corporate dental clinic.
- Government and Public Sector
The government sector also offers several opportunities for a professional trained in this field such as Dental Surgeons in hospitals, Army Dental Corps, Territorial Officers in the Indian Army, Dentists in Railways, and Dental Officers in the Indian Navy and Indian Air force.
Some dentistry graduates also choose to make a career in research. Institutes like ICMR, AIIMS, National Institute of Epidemiology, and Dental and Medical Institutes look for dentists to work as research assistants or associates. BDS candidates can also adopt the teaching profession as a lecturer in any private or government dental institutes or colleges. Generally, fresh graduates who have a knack for teaching pursue careers in academics. They can also join state government colleges as teaching faculty.
Dentists can also teach undergraduates in government and private medical colleges as lecturers. The demonstration of the clinical execution of dental sciences as a part of learning objectives is also demonstrated by a seasoned dentist to students. Teaching involves lesser working hours, a better work-life balance, and sufficient monetary benefits.
- Dental product manufacturer
The dental prosthetics and implants are designed and approved by dentists. They can work in association with a large-scale private company as a consultant or subject-matter expert or as an independent unit linked to any hospital.
Dentists can join any pharmaceutical company for medical writing, pharmacovigilance, business, and development. However, this requires extra skills not covered under the BDS undergraduate degree. The aspirant looking for job opportunities in this field may have to upgrade their skill quotient with a management diploma or masters in business administration.
Colleges offering BDS
The top medical colleges offering BDS courses are enlisted as follows:
College name |
City |
Annual Fees INR |
Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University |
Ahmedabad |
14.4 LPA |
Amrita School Of Dentistry |
Kochi |
20 LPA |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences |
New Delhi |
16, 480 |
Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre |
Bhopal |
8.8 LPA |
Army College of Dental Sciences |
Secunderabad |
3.63 LPA |
DMIMSU - Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences |
Wardha |
17.5 LPA |
Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital |
Pune |
22 LPA |
College of Dental Sciences |
Davangere |
18.75 LPA |
Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal |
Mangalore |
28 LPA |
School of Dental Sciences (SDS), Sharda University |
Greater Noida |
13.6 LPA |
Internship After Completing Bachelor’s Degree
After the completion of the four years of study, the student has to complete at least a year of internship. During the internship, the student uses the knowledge and the skills acquired in treating the patients. Students can work under a senior dentist to acquire practical skills and gain confidence in implementing his or her existing knowledge.
Opting For Higher Studies
The potential of this field can be explored further after the completion of the undergraduate degree of 4 years and an internship of one year. There are various avenues through which students can gain further expertise and mastery in the field which include:
Masters In Dental Surgery
After BDS, candidates can do a master's course. The admission is provided based on the scores in the NEET MDS exam conducted by NBE. Those who clear the entrance exam get admission to different MDS specialisation courses. Some of the specialty areas of dentistry include Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, and Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology.
Masters In Public Health
This is another course that students can opt for after their undergraduate in dentistry. Those who do not wish to choose a traditional field can go for this course which makes them learn the skill to manage public health and work in public institutions. After the course, these candidates are recruited in various roles of administration or management, policy, community practice, and research.
Masters In Business Administration
This is another professional course that provides an alternative career option to students. Students learn the professional skills of management and administration which helps them get recruited by medical institutes, hospitals, nursing homes, and NGOs operating in the health sector. An MBA opens the door for a candidate to a plethora of roles or even a change in careers if the candidate does not wish to pursue dentistry in the long term.
Apart from the aforementioned courses, there are certain diploma courses available as well, enlisted below:
Course name |
Type of programme |
Duration |
Diploma in Dental Hygienist |
Diploma programme |
2 years |
Diploma in Dental Ceramic Technology |
Diploma programme |
3-year |
Diploma in Dental Mechanic and Hygienist |
Diploma programme |
2 years |
Course in Aesthetic Dentistry |
Certificate programme |
1 year |
Course in Implantology |
Certificate programme |
1 year |
MDS Periodontics & Implantology |
Post-graduate programme |
2 years |
MDS In Pedodontics |
Post-graduate programme |
2 years |
PG Diploma in Laser Dentistry |
Post-graduate programme |
2 years |
Earning Prospects In Dentistry
The profession of dentistry is a lucrative one. It offers a steady remuneration as an outcome of all the invested hard work, time, and experience. After BDS, students get employed in different job profiles including dentist, dental surgeon, dental hygienist, dental assistant, and oral pathologist. These graduates are also recruited by foreign companies which hold Indian talent in high esteem. The salary for a fresher may range from Rs 15,000 to 30,000 in India and it comes with a high degree of responsibility.
With MDS and other higher education degrees, their salary increases with experience. Some of the job profiles and their average salary have been mentioned in the table given below:
Job Profile |
Average salary INR |
Dentist |
3.5 LPA |
Dental Hygienist |
3 LPA |
Oral Pathologist |
4 LPA |
Dental Surgeon |
5-7 LPA |
Dental Scientist |
6-8 LPA |
Lecturer |
4-5 LPA |
Needless to say, the income of a dental professional will increase over time with the increase in expertise and years of experience.
Recruiting Hospitals
Thousands of hospitals and clinics across the country have dental departments that actively recruit new dentists and support staff from time to time. Below we have mentioned a few major healthcare operators in different parts of the country:
-
Aspen Dental
-
Clovia Dental clinic
-
Practo
-
Max
-
Apollo Hospitals
-
Fortis
-
Artemis
Conclusion
Dental science is always in a dynamic state. Dentistry in recent times offers rewarding career opportunities. Dental disorders have become a common problem among all sections of society. With advancements in science and technologies, treatment procedures have become specialised. Thus, the profession is both demanding and remunerative, creating new prospects for the profession.
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