Is Dentist right for you?

Dentists in India diagnose and treat diseases of the teeth, gums, jaws, and oral mucosa — running everything from routine fillings, root canals, and extractions in a small private clinic to complex implant surgery, full-mouth rehabilitation, and oral cancer management in tertiary hospitals. The Indian path runs BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery, 5 years including a 1-year compulsory rotating internship) entered through NEET-UG, followed optionally by MDS (Master of Dental Surgery, 3 years) entered through NEET-MDS or INI-CET — specialising into Orthodontics, Endodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontics, Pedodontics, Public Health Dentistry, Oral Pathology, or Conservative Dentistry. Workplaces split four ways: solo private practice (the dominant Indian path), corporate dental chains (Clove Dental, Apollo White, Sabka Dentist, Axiss Dental), government / hospital dentistry (AIIMS, PGIMER, ESIC, state dental colleges, district hospitals), and academia / research at the 300+ Dental Council of India recognised colleges. The catch: India already produces ~30,000 BDS graduates a year against an over-supplied general-dentist market, which means specialisation, business skill, or government rank is increasingly the difference between ₹3L and ₹30L per year.