Admission in BDS
Last updated: April 20, 2026

Dental-related diseases are spreading fast in the country, but the proportion of dentists needed to keep teeth and gums healthy is not. Even today, dentists are mainly available in large cities and towns. If you become a dentist, it can be a profitable and rewarding career. This is a great option for youth interested in the medical field. In today's competition to look beautiful and healthy, people want beautiful faces and shiny teeth.
What is Dentistry?
Dentistry is the branch of Health Services related to the shape, functioning, protection, and improvement of teeth, the inner part of the mouth, and the interconnection of these organs with the body. All mouth-related diseases, oral diseases, wounds, defects, repair of teeth damaged by diseases or accidents, and artificial teeth come under this. The field of dental treatment is almost as big as eye or skin therapy. Its social importance and the opportunity to serve are also high. The dentist's profession is independently organized and is an important department of health services. For the art and science of dentistry, proper knowledge of the structure of the mouth, the origin of teeth, their development and functioning, and other organs and tissues inside them is necessary. Medicinal, surgical, and mechanical treatment knowledge is also required. Only then can you succeed in this field.
History of Dentistry in India
The first dental clinic in India opened in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1920. A second clinic opened in Karachi in 1926. Nair Dental School opened in 1933. Regular education for the BDS degree began at the Day College of Dentistry in Lahore. Studies for the MDS Degree began in 1945. In 1949, a dental school in Uttar Pradesh opened in Lucknow, affiliated with King George Medical College.
Eligibility to Become a Dentist
To become a dentist, you should have at least 50 percent marks in 12th grade with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. You can then get admission to a dental course based on an Entrance Test. Expertise can be achieved by doing different courses in this field too. After specializing in dental care, doors to employment in the government or private sector open.
Selection Process
To get admission in MBBS and BDS, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is organized by the Central Board of Secondary Education. The test has 180 objective-type questions from Botany, Zoology, Physics, and Chemistry. Only after success in this examination does a candidate get the opportunity for admission to a Dental College for the four-year BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). This course and its entrance examination are accredited by the Dental Council of India. At the state level, admission can be found in BDS through state-level examinations. After completing the degree program, a one-year internship is held in the fifth year. This is an essential part of the course.
Fees
The fees for doing BDS courses in government dental colleges are about Rs 1 lakh, but the problem is that the number of dental colleges in the country is very few. Four years' fees in private colleges are above Rs 10 Lacs. MDS course fees are also very low in government colleges, but private colleges differ across various specialized departments. It starts at 12 Lacs and goes up to 20 lacs rupees. For poor students who come on merit, government medical colleges have scholarship arrangements.
