Career in Dentistry – How to Become A Dentist?

The health sector is a lucrative sector for jobs. It is full of possibilities, and it offers a stable career. The health sector has a wide range of professions, and the need for qualified experts is constant in this sector. Dentistry is one of the branches of the health sector. Career in dentistry brings various chances to grow. 

In career counselling, if you find your genuine interest in dentistry, then you must know about it in detail. A dentist is the professional that treat our teeth, gums and oral cavity. Dentist are to keep our smiles a-beautiful and teeth healthy. The profession of a dentist is challenging, and a student has to invest the right amount of time in study to become a dentist.    

Rotten teeth and cavity issues have become a common problem. The oral health issue affects both kids and adults. Dentists are the professionals that are trained to handle this kind of problem. The oral health issues are increasing nowadays due to our eating habits and other generic issues. So the demand for well-qualified dentists is high. If you want to have a career in dentistry, then it is the best time for this. The aspiring dentists will get detailed information about a career in dentistry from this page. So scroll down to know more about this profession and the courses required to be a dentist.  

What is Dentistry? 

• Our smile is one of the most attractive features of our looks, and a dentist is the one that keeps our smile beautiful. The other thing for which we should be helpful in dentistry is the treatment of teeth. Can you imagine you taste your favourite pizzas and burgers without teeth? It is next to impossible to eat everything without teeth. Our teeth structure gives a proper shape to the face. So to look beautiful, you must have fine teeth.
• Dentistry is a professional that deals with oral issues like rotten teeth, cavity and gum problem. 
• Here the professionals remove or replace the rotten teeth, offered other oral treatments like a root canal, and treated oral issues. A dentist provides many other services to his patients like laser surgery, implants, tissue grafts, Porcelain Veneers and many others. 
• The career profile of dentists has changed rapidly in the last decade. Earlier they used to be the dentist, but now other professions have also merged in dentistry like periodontics, orthodontics and oral pathologists. The new technology has enhanced the range and career scope in dentistry.
• India has become a medical hub for people from other countries. India is the perfect destination for medical travellers, where they can get world-class medical services at less fee. This factor has brought a boom in the dentistry sector.
• Earlier people used to visit a dentist for oral health issues, but now they also see a dentist to make their smile attractive. Dentists also perform works like whitening the teeth and give a right shape to the uneven teeth.
• People become more concerned about their look and smile, so dentists get the patients who are not satisfied with their smile. The career opportunities present in dentistry have made it one of the most desirable career option. It offers good payout with flexible working hours. The dental care industry is increasing. Upon completing the dentistry course, you also get an opportunity to have your dental clinic and be your boss. 

How to be a Dentist? 

You cannot find someone quickly who never had any dental problem. For oral health-related issues, people have to visit a professional dentist because the pain is unbearable in these kinds of problems. So the profession offers good earning to the dentists. 

The present lifestyle has made dental and oral health-related problems common in people from different society and eating habits. The country needs more professionals to handle oral health-related issues. Here is the stepwise process to get an entry into dentistry. 

• Step 1: To be a dentist, you must have studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology in 10+2. So the first step to being a dentist is to choose PCB after 10th. 
• Step 2: Your minimum marks should be 50% in 12th standard with PCB.  
• Step 3: You will have to participate in the entrance tests conducted by CBSE for BDS. Various dental colleges also conduct their entrance test for admission in BDS. 
• Step 4: Approach the colleges for admission based on their cut-off marks. 
• Step 5: You can get admission in both private and government dental colleges according to their cut-off marks and your rank in entrance exam for admission. Here you will get admission to the BDS (UG) course, a five-year degree course; 4 years curse, and a one-year internship.
• Step 6: Most of the students prefer government colleges over private due to the fee difference in both colleges. If you get admission to a private college, it must be approved by the Dental Council of India. 
• Step 7: On completion of Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) degree programme of four years, you will have to enroll for a one-year internship. After the internship period, you will get registered with the Dental Council of India. Now you can start your practice. 
• Step 8: Only BDS is not sufficient to be a well-known dentist. You can pick for MDS programme for more qualification. 

So you can be a dentist by following above given steps. The career as a dentist is secure, but you will have to stay updated with all new technology changes. On completion of BDS and MDS, you become a dentist, but they are not the only courses you will have to choose to have a dentistry career. Here is the list of other course related to the dentistry; 

• Dental Hygienist Certificate Course
• Dental Mechanic Certificate Course
• Diploma Course in Dental Assistance

Top Dental Colleges

Here is the name of a few dental colleges that offer the best education in this sector; 

• AIIMS Delhi, Delhi
• CMC Vellore, Vellore
• Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
• Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak
• Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
• D Y Patil University, Navi Mumbai
• B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad
• Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow
• Neigrihms, Shillong

Different Roles in Dentistry 

In BDS the students get the essential information about dentistry but to get more specialisation, you will have to enrol in MDS programme. On completion of BDS the students will get the opportunity to be a specialised doctor in following;

• Oral Surgeon
• Orthodontics
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics
• Endodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

Dental Course Fee 

You already know the basic education requirements for dentistry career. It is also crucial for the students to have an idea about the fee of the course. To get admission in Bachelor of Dental Surgery, the students will have to pay a specific price. The cost will depend on the college. In private colleges, the fee is higher than the government dental colleges.

In government colleges, the course fee starts from 50,000, and it can be 1-2 lakhs. If you get admission to private dental college, then the course fee starts from 2-3 Lakhs, and it can be 11-12 lakhs.

Scope in Dentistry Career

Various opportunities are available for the students after BDS. However, the possibilities get high after completion of MDS and become a specialist in dentistry. After BDS, professionals can start working with private or government hospitals. Nursing home and dental hospitals also take the BDS and MDS qualified individuals on board. The professionals can also have their own dental clinic and start practising after MDS. Apart from practising as a dentist, the professionals can also work with oral product manufacturers like mouth wash or toothpaste manufacturing companies.

Pay Package

The salary of the professionals after BDS starts from 12,000 to 15,000. It depends on the type of hospitals. The government hospitals offer a lesser salary to the BDS in comparison to private hospitals. After MDS the dentists get the compensation from 25,000 to 40,000. A well established and experienced dentist can earn more than 1 lakh per year.

Top Recruiters

Here is the list of top recruiters for the BDS and MDS professionals.

• Nursing homes, dental clinics and health departments
• Dental departments of government or private hospitals
• Medical insurance firms
• Researcher or adviser in a pharmaceutical or a dental care company
• Teaching departments in dental colleges
• State services
• Armed forces
• Indian Railways
• Self Practice

Pros And Cons to be a Dentist

Every career has both positive and negative sides, and a career in dentistry is not an exception. Here are the good and bad about the dentistry career;

Pros:

• The career of a dentist is secure, and it offers well salary. It is one of the highest paying jobs in the medical sector.
• After MDS, the students can have their clinic and come out from the rat race of 9 to 5 career.
• The work is rewarding in the medical field. As soon as your patient starts feeling better, you get satisfaction at work.
• People start knowing about the right dentist in less time.

Cons

• For medical professionals, the study is a continuous process. A dentist also has to spend long hours in studies to be updated about the new revolution in his field.
• The course duration, including BDS and MDS, is high in dentistry.
• The course of BDS and MDS demand more hard work and fee of dental colleges is high too.

The Last Word

Every career is demanding, but a career in dentistry is rewarding too. If you are interested in being a dentist, then choose the right subjects after 10th and proceed on the path of success.