They say “never consider yourself fully dressed until your wear a smile”. But considering that it is the age of unhealthy eating habits and bad oral hygiene, the saying would be more relatable when changed to “Never consider yourself fully endowed till you have beautiful teeth”. You may add ‘painless’ also as an objective to teeth. You see, we live in a world where face value has always been important. Facial features included a lot of other things historically, but the past few decades have been the “Age of Smile”. Ranging from Julia Roberts to Chalize Theron to the latest Robert Pattinson, all have that toothy grin which makes them a heartthrob around the globe. So the point is teeth are important. And so are dentists. Their role has evolved from teeth fixing jobs like filling and root canals to more cosmetic ones like smile correction. The dental field has evolved and holds promises that were considered the forte of the regular medical fields only. When looking at a course in dentistry, you are actually looking at a promising & lucrative future.
Courses In Dentistry
Course Details
Eligibility
To be able to study dentistry you must have a sustained background in science. For a Bachelor’s in Dental Sciences (BDS), the candidate must have studied biology at the 10+2 level. For a further qualification i.e. Master’s in Dental Science (MDS), a BDS is a must. All the qualifications must be from a recognised board, university or college.
Details Of Course Curriculum
A dentistry course starts off as any medical course should - with a basic study of human body and embryology. It seeks to understand the major functions performed by a human body in order to establish the relationship of oral health with the rest of the body and its functions. Later of course, the course becomes extremely specialised and focuses on the various aspects of dentistry including the materials used and the nature of treatments provided.
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Oral Hygiene & Formation
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Materials used in Dentistry
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Dental Anatomy & Dental Histology
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General & Dental Pharmacology
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Oral Pathology and Oral Microbiology
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Preclinical Operative Dentistry Preclinical Prosthodontics
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Oral Medicine & Radiology
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Orthodontics
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Pedodontics
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Preventive and Community Dentistry
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Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
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Prosthodontics
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Periodontics
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Oral Surgery
Specialisations
The specialisations in dentistry come at the Master’s level. It revolves around the kind of treatment that can be administered to patients. The specialisations on the basis of treatments can be:
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Orthodonitics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics
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Periodontics
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Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics
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Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
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Oral Medicine & Radiology
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Prosthodontia
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Oral pathology and Microbiology
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Preventive and Community Dentistry
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Pedodontia
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Cosmetic Dentistry & Smile Correction
Skills Required
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Good Communication Skills – to be able to ease patients of their apprehensions.
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Friendly & Approachable – for patients.
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Detail Oriented – because dentistry demands a lot of attention to details.
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Good Eye Sight – to carry out minute work like filling and root canal.
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Manual dexterity – to enable good handiwork on teeth.
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Visual memory – to remember location & colour of teeth to ensure appropriate tooth crowns.
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Patience – to be able to endure the long hours required per patient.
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Good Grasp of Oral Care & Hygiene – to be able to guide patients well.
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Business Sense – to be able to market oneself optimally.
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Passion for your Specialty – to do justice to your patients and work.
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Empathy – for patients and the pain that comes with dental treatments.
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Self-discipline – to make good relations with patients.
Career Prospects
Dental students always have all those options open to them that a regular MBBS student has. They can get employment at a particular hospital or open their own clinics. They can also make a lucrative life out of freelancing by offering their services to various institutions at the same time. Also the fact that more and more people are getting conscious about their smile and dentures, a lot of scope awaits dental students in the field of cosmetic dentistry.
Best Schools
The best global schools offering courses in dentistry are:
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University of Dundee, Dental Hospital and School, UK
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Harvard Dental School, Harvard University, US
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University of Liverpool Dental School, UK
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University of Michigan School of Dentistry, US
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The Dental Institute, University of Leeds, UK
The best Indian schools offering courses in dentistry are:
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Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences, Bangalore
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Vardhman Mahavir Medical College Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi
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College of Dental Surgery, Manipal
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Maulana Azad Medical College Dental Wing, New Delhi
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Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur
