Dental Sciences is a fascinating field and an essential part of Medical Sciences. Candidates should have interest along with aptitude to excel in this career. The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) is the most popular course one need to pursue to enter into the field. The BDS basically deals with problems pertaining to teeth and jaws of humans. Education and training related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all dental diseases is an important component of the dental science courses. Candidates should have passed in 10+2 / Intermediate with required percentage of marks / grades to be eligible for the study of BDS in any recognised college. Other eligibility conditions and fee particulars for different colleges may vary based on the reputation and affiliation of the college.
It may not possible to reach the heights of the career in dental field if you stop with just BDS. It always pays if you go for an MDS will a good specialisation in a reputed college. An MDS from an abroad university can add much more value to your career. There are continuing programs as well for practicing dental professionals. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), in collaboration with the Dental Council of India is offering following two programmes:
1) PG Certificate in Endodontics
2) PG Certificate in Oral Implantology
There are plenty of other institutions across the world offering short term courses with various specialisations. You can also opt for super specialisations such as implants, paediatric dentistry or cosmetic dentistry etc. You can also enter into the most sought after field of education and research. Apart from all these, there are number of opportunities available for BDS degree holders in Government hospitals, teaching, armed forces and of course, personal practice is most sought out area.
Selection of a good college remains a crucial aspect of career for aspirants of Dental Sciences. There are good number of Government and Private Dental Colleges in India and Abroad. Following are some of the Dental Colleges. This is an indicative list only.
Top 10 Indian Dental Colleges:
1) Mahatma Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Government of Puducherry, Puducherry
2) Dental College and Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
3) Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
4) Tamil Nadu Government Dental College, Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai
5) Government Dental College, University of Kerala, Kottayam
6) The North Bengal Dental College, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Sushratangar, Dist. Darjeeling
7) Government Dental College and Hospital, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
8. Faculty of Dental Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
9) Faculty of Dental Sciences, U.P. K.G. University of Dental Sciences, Lucknow
10) Dr. Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Punjab University, Chandigarh
11) Army College of Dental Sciences, Secundrabad, Andhra Pradesh
12) King George Medical College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Top 10 International Dental Colleges:
1) University of Sydney, Australia
2) New York University, USA
3) University of Queensland, Australia
4) Boston University, USA
5) University of Southern California, USA
6) Queen Mary, University of London, United Kingdom
7) University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
8. University of Michigan, USA
9) University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
10) King’s College London, United Kingdom