Medical & Health Sciences
ug
Full Time
BDS
Bachelor of Dental Surgery
5 Years
15 Colleges
BDS Syllabus 2026
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) syllabus covers a structured programme spanning 5 Years designed to build both foundational knowledge and specialised expertise. Below is the detailed semester-wise subject breakdown and programme structure.
BDS Semester-wise Subjects
BDS Syllabus & Subjects
BDS covers 4 years of academic study followed by a 1-year compulsory rotating internship. The curriculum is set by NDC (formerly DCI) and covers basic medical sciences alongside dental sciences in the early years, progressing to clinical dental subjects.
| Year | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | General Anatomy (including Embryology & Histology), General Physiology, General Biochemistry, Dental Anatomy, Embryology & Oral Histology, Dental Materials |
| Year 2 | General Pathology & Microbiology, General & Dental Pharmacology, Pre-clinical Prosthodontics, Pre-clinical Conservative Dentistry |
| Year 3 | General Medicine, General Surgery, Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Oral Medicine & Radiology |
| Year 4 | Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Prosthodontics & Crown and Bridge, Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Periodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Paediatric & Preventive Dentistry, Public Health Dentistry |
| Internship | Compulsory rotating clinical postings across all dental departments, community dental camps, rural posting |
Practical & Clinical Components
- Phantom head exercises: Pre-clinical training on dental mannequins before treating real patients
- Clinical postings: Begin in Year 3 with increasing patient contact and hands-on procedures
- Dental lab work: Prosthodontic lab procedures, dental casting, model work
- Community outreach: Dental camps, school screening programmes, oral health education
BDS Programme Structure & Credit Distribution
BDS Year-Wise Curriculum
Year 1 - Basic Sciences & Dental Anatomy
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Theory | Human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry - same foundational sciences as MBBS first year |
| Dental Anatomy | Dental anatomy, embryology & oral histology - tooth morphology, development, and oral tissue structure |
| Practical | Dissection (anatomy), physiology experiments, biochemistry lab work, tooth carving |
| Dental Materials | Properties and handling of dental cements, impression materials, alloys, ceramics |
Year 2 - Pre-Clinical Dental
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Theory | General pathology & microbiology, general & dental pharmacology |
| Pre-Clinical Lab | Phantom head exercises for conservative dentistry and prosthodontics - practising procedures on mannequins |
| Dental Lab | Wax carving, model preparation, denture base fabrication |
Year 3 - Clinical Transition
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Medical Subjects | General medicine and general surgery - understanding systemic diseases relevant to dental practice |
| Clinical Postings | First patient contact, oral diagnosis, treatment planning, supervised dental procedures |
| Oral Pathology | Disease identification through histopathology, cytology, and clinical correlation |
Year 4 - Full Clinical Training
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Clinical Departments | Rotations through all 7 clinical dental departments - performing procedures under supervision |
| Procedures | Extractions, fillings, scaling, root canal treatment, removable prosthesis, orthodontic wire bending |
| Case Requirement | Minimum case requirements in each department must be completed for examination eligibility |
Internship (Year 5) - Compulsory Rotating
12-month compulsory internship with rotations through all dental departments, community dental camps, rural posting, and exposure to hospital-based dental care. Mandatory for State Dental Council registration.
Skills Developed in BDS
Skills Developed During BDS
Clinical Dental Skills
- Oral examination & diagnosis: Patient history, clinical examination, radiographic assessment, treatment planning
- Dental radiography: Intraoral periapical (IOPA), occlusal, OPG interpretation
- Restorative procedures: Tooth-coloured fillings (composite), amalgam restorations, GIC restorations
- Extractions: Simple and surgical tooth extractions, forcep and elevator techniques
- Scaling & prophylaxis: Supragingival and subgingival scaling, polishing, oral hygiene instructions
Basic Procedural Skills
- Root canal treatment: Basic RCT technique (access opening, cleaning, shaping, obturation)
- Removable prosthetics: Complete and partial denture fabrication, impression techniques
- Local anaesthesia: Nerve block and infiltration techniques for pain-free dental procedures
- Suturing: Basic suturing techniques for minor oral surgical procedures
Professional Skills
- Patient communication and consent processes
- Infection control and sterilisation protocols
- Dental materials handling and selection
- Practice management basics - scheduling, record-keeping, referral protocols
- Community dental health education and preventive programme planning