How to Become a Dentist After 12th: Career, Courses, Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Skills, Benefits, Salary

The job of a dentist is very important with the view of maintaining oral health as well as the overall health of the people in society. The role of a dentist holds significance as they emphasize preventive care for the mouth and also educate patients about their oral health and proper oral hygiene practices.

Prior to applying, it's imperative for candidates to clear the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate) exam, a prerequisite for dental school applications. The journey through the undergraduate dental program spans five years, encompassing four years of rigorous academic study followed by a final year dedicated to a rotational internship. Upon the culmination of an undergraduate dentistry degree, the avenue to establish one’s own clinic awaits, contingent upon acquiring the essential licenses and permits. Read: How to Become a Dentist

The field of dentistry is renowned for its demanding qualification, necessitating the acquisition and showcasing of specialized knowledge, spanning from terminologies to procedures. While the curriculum candidates encounter at dental school might not be uniform across all institutions, there are certain fundamental aspects shared among them. On the remuneration front, the average annual salary for a Dentist in India varies between INR 4 LPA to 6 LPA. In terms of monthly earnings, Dentists typically earn around INR 37,560 on average. Furthermore, the pinnacle of a Dentist's earning potential can reach a substantial INR 20 LPA.

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How to Become a Dentist after 12th: Quick Facts

Eligibility to Become a Dentist after 12th

To become a Dentist, there are some eligibility criteria that are supposed to be met. The eligibility criteria to become a Dentist in India are mentioned below:

1. The candidate should have physics, chemistry, and biology as his or her main subjects in class 12th.
2. Applicants should have successfully completed their 12th-grade examination with at least 50% marks from a recognized educational institution.
3. To get enrolled in a BDS degree (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), the candidate should appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
4. After completing the BDS degree, the candidate can also get enrolled in an MDS degree of 3 years.

Steps to Become a Dentist after 12th

To become a Dentist in India, the candidates have to go through a series of steps. The steps required to become a Dentist are briefly mentioned below.

• Step No. 1: It is one of the first and most important steps to become a dentist i.e., the candidate who wants to become a dentist in India after class 12th must be a citizen of India and have Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as his subjects.
• Step No. 2: The appearing candidate must have passed an exam of the Class 12th board. After passing the 12th-grade board exam, the candidate shall apply for the NEET exam. After which they have to get enrolled in a BDS course.
• Step No. 3: After completing the BDS course, the candidate can start practicing his dentistry under any experienced dentist or he or she can also get themselves enrolled in the MDS course. The abbreviation MDS represents Master of Dental Surgery.

Courses to Become a Dentist After 12th

No specific courses are mandatory to become a Dentist. However, BDS and MDS are considered fundamental courses for dental practice. Detailed information about these courses is given below in a tabular form:

Entrance Exams

The main examinations that a candidate must appear in are AIIMS PG, NEET BDS - MDS - NEET PG, JIPMER PG, and PGIMER. Below are the particulars of the examinations:

Top Dental Colleges in India

No medical college enrollment is necessary to become a Dentist in India. The aspiring candidate aiming to become a Dentist can enroll in any college, as there is no specific course dedicated to Dentistry.

However, some of the top colleges or universities providing various courses that the candidate may be admitted to become a Dentist are listed below in a table along with the location they are in.

Skills Required to Become a Dentist

The skills that a Dentist must have are mentioned in the table below.

Benefits of Becoming a Dentist

Being a Dentist in India has a lot of benefits. These benefits may differ depending on the individual's designation and field. Some of the popular and common benefits of a Dentist are given below.

1. Job Stability - One of the most stable institutions in India is the medical field. Dentists play an important role in creating awareness regarding health in society. They also ensure in maintaining oral health and it is their role to address the issue. If somebody is inclined toward the maintenance of oral health and wants to make a deep impact on society by serving as a dentist, this service might be the one for them.
2. Salary and other benefits - The dentists in India earn a lot. With years of experience, they may avail of several other benefits too. These benefits include health insurance, vacation, retirement plans, etc. People are becoming more conscious of their health which includes their dental health too, this awareness among people contributes a lot towards their demand and hence their high salaries.
3. Promotion in the respective Field - These medical careers have a lot of opportunities to grow within their career. Dentists can get promotions based on their responsibility, skills, and experience gained. The more experienced the dentist is, the more reliable his advice and medicines are.
4. Skill development and individual growth - Before practicing a dentistry career, Dentists are trained well under an experienced dentist during the time of their degree. During this training period, they get to learn about various skills. These are the skills that an individual needs in his personal life too.

Besides these stated perks and benefits, dentists in India also face some challenges. They have to be always available for their clients. Sometimes they have to treat and operate some diseases which they might catch too. They also have a lot of pressure on them while operating since the hopes of the patients are on them.

Salary of a Dentist

Different Dentists of different fields receive different salaries. This difference in salary is because it depends on various factors such as the department, the location, the level of experience, the area, etc.

Different hospitals or clinics pay different salary amounts and different benefits or allowances to Dentists.