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Dentistry is a course under which the students go on to make a career in the branch of health care focusing on the maintenance of teeth, gums, and the issues related to it. Dental studies is a branch that is vital in the present times as it has many great career options too. This branch usually comprises practices related to the oral cavity. It is carried out in order to prevent oral diseases. Dentists have the training to diagnose and treat dental problems. They also provide suggestions on how to improve one’s oral hygiene. In order to study dentistry, the students must qualify for an entrance examination. There are different types of dental examinations that students can sit for. In this blog, we will try to discuss the details of these examinations.
Table of Contents
- 1 What is a Dental Examination?
- 2 Top Dental Examination in India
- 2.1 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)
- 2.2 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test MDS
- 2.3 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) PG
- 2.4 Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) PG
- 2.5 Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER)
- 3 Application Process
- 4 Eligibility Criteria
- 5 Top Dental Courses in India
- 6 Job Opportunities After Studying Dental Courses in India
- 7 FAQs
What is a Dental Examination?
In case a student wants to pursue Dentistry, he or she will have to first clear all the eligibility criteria. One of these eligibility criteria also includes for the student to clear an entrance examination. Thus, the student will have to take an entrance exam to be eligible to apply for the bachelor’s or master’s degree in dentistry. There are types of dental examinations for both postgraduate and undergraduate that the student must take. Let us look at some of the top exams.
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Top Dental Examination in India
There are many types of dental examinations that students can take in case they want to study dentistry. Here are a few of them.
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)
NEET, a national-level entrance examination, is one of the types of dental examinations that are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for BDS admissions. The exam is held in pen and paper mode and all students will have to qualify for this examination in order to get admission into BDS courses.
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test MDS
NEET MDS is conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) in order to provide admissions to eligible candidates. Students who want to take the exam must meet the eligibility criteria, only then will they be able to attempt the entrance examination. The allotment of seats is done on the basis of the merit of the candidate. One of the criteria is that the students must have a qualified Bachelor of Dental Surgery in order to be eligible for this exam.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) PG
One of the types of dental examination is also named AIIMS PG which is conducted for admissions into MDS courses. Moreover, this exam is conducted online mode. If the students want to take this entrance exam then he/she should possess a BDS degree. The degree should be conferred by a recognized institution by the Dental Council of India. The admissions to the candidates will be given on the basis of their performance in the entrance examination as well as the fulfillment of eligibility criteria.
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Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) PG
Apart from these exams, the students can try to give JIPMER PG which is also a qualifying exam for admissions into MDS courses that are particularly offered by the institute. This entrance examination is held online mode. The candidates must also meet the required eligibility criteria along with a valid score received in the entrance examination.
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER)
The students who want to pursue dentistry from PGI, Chandigarh will have to attempt and qualify for the entrance examination conducted by them. The entrance exam should be qualified in order to get admission under the 18 seats available for admission through PGIMER. For this, the students will have to attempt a one-and-a-half-hour-long entrance examination. The exam will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions.
Application Process
We already know that the students who want to pursue dentistry and make their careers in the dental healthcare field will have to clear an entrance exam in order to be able to apply to dentistry colleges. To apply for these entrance exams, you will have to fill up an application form and provide an application fee. You must take care that you do not miss the last date of filling out the application form. If you do so, you will not be able to sit for the examination and will have to wait till next year to apply for the same. There are different types of dental examinations that you can opt for, so it will be best if you choose the exam according to your needs and purpose.
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Eligibility Criteria
There are several eligibility criteria that you must fulfill in order to pursue a course in dentistry. Here are a few of them
- Students should have completed 10+2 (or equivalent) examinations
- The student must have studied Chemistry, Physics, and Biology as their compulsory subjects
- The student must have gotten at least 50% (or equivalent) in the 10+2 examination
- Lastly, the students must qualify NEET entrance examination
Top Dental Courses in India
Some of the top courses that you can pursue as a bachelor’s and master’s are as follows:
- Bachelor of Dental Surgery
- Bachelor of Dental Science
- Bachelor of Dentistry
- Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry
- Bachelor of Oral Health
- BDS Honors Dentistry
- BSc Hons Advanced Dental Nursing
- Master of Dentistry
- Master of Dental Science
- MSc Clinical Dentistry
- MSc in Dental Technology
- Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry
- Masters in Dental Surgery
- MDS Endodontics
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Job Opportunities After Studying Dental Courses in India
After completing a bachelor’s degree in Dental Surgery, graduates have to get licensed by the State Dental Council. The students must also make sure that they complete their undergraduate program at a college recognized by the Dental Council of India. They must have also completed the full 1-year internship period. After you are done with your licensing stage, you will be able to start your practice as a dentist. Here are the popular job opportunities after Dental Courses in India:
- Dentist
- Pediatric Dentist
- Endodontist
- Orthodontist
FAQs
Ans: Unlike master’s which has types of dental examinations that students can opt for, NEET is the only dental entrance examination for granting undergraduate dental admission in India. Hence, a BDS degree can be conferred only on the basis of NEET scores.
Ans: If you want to get admission to a bachelor’s degree from the government medical college, your score should at least be 400 in the general category. Similarly, for the reserved category, the scores can come down to 350.
Ans: Pursuing the BDS course can be very challenging, hence it is important that you have a hard-working attitude and enthusiasm to study this course.
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This was all about the “Types of Competitive Exams for Dental Courses in India”. For more such informative blogs, check out our NEET Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.