Oral health is a fundamental component of overall well-being as recent research suggests, influencing nutrition, communication, and quality of life across all age groups.
Behind every routine dental check-up, there is a dentist who has gone through years of rigorous academic toil, a structured system of professional training designed to ensure safety and ethical practice.
In India, dental education has evolved over decades through a carefully regulated framework that balances academic learning with hands-on clinical experience.
Dental education and the dental profession in India are regulated under the Dentists Act, 1948. Enacted on 29 March 1948, this law was designed “to regulate the profession of dentistry” and establish a statutory body to oversee dental education, qualification standards, and professional conduct nationwide. The framework mandates that only those holding recognised dental qualifications may register and practise dentistry in India.
The Dental Council of India (DCI) was constituted under this Act on 12 April 1949 as the principal regulatory authority for dental education and the profession in India. The body sets standards for dental courses, inspects dental institutions, recommends recognition of dental qualifications, and maintains uniform educational standards across the country.
Under the Act, the DCI also prescribes curricula, regulates minimum standards of infrastructure and faculty, and oversees professional ethics for dentists. It functions through an executive committee and includes representation from dental colleges, universities, central and state governments, and practising professionals.
Dental education in India offers structured pathways from undergraduate to postgraduate and specialised training:
Duration: 5 years (including internship)
Overview: The BDS is the primary undergraduate degree in dentistry. Admission is based on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG).
Internship: A compulsory rotating internship provides clinical experience across dental specialties before full registration.
Duration: 3 years
Overview: MDS is a postgraduate degree that allows dentists to specialise in disciplines such as Orthodontics, Oral Surgery, Periodontology, Prosthodontics, Public Health Dentistry, and others. Admission is usually through NEET-MDS counselling.
In addition to these degrees, some institutions may offer postgraduate diploma and Pg diploma in dental materials or specialised clinical training, subject to DCI approval.
According to official and government-reported data, dental education in India has expanded significantly over the decades:
Total dental colleges: About 330 recognised institutions as per the DCI’s official college list for the academic year 2025–26.
Undergraduate seats (BDS): Government and private dental colleges collectively offer more than 28,000 BDS seats permitted by the DCI.
Postgraduate seats (MDS): More than 7000 seats over multiple specialisations at the postgraduate level are available across dental institutions.
Previous government reports have pointed to approximately 27,868 BDS seats and 6,823 MDS seats admitting students across 318 dental colleges, illustrating the scale of professional training capacity in the country.
Dental colleges are distributed across India, with many located in states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and others, comprising both government-run and private institutions.
Dental education in India prepares graduates for a wide spectrum of professional roles:
General Dentistry: Many BDS graduates enter private dental practice, providing oral healthcare services such as dental check-ups, extractions, fillings and preventive care.
MDS Specialisations: Dentists with MDS can focus on areas such as oral surgery, periodontics, prosthodontics, and paediatric dentistry, often working in advanced clinical settings or private practice.
Dentists may work in hospital dental departments or public health programmes, contributing to oral health promotion and disease prevention. Dentists may additionally obtain MPh (Master of Public Health) to work in this role.
With advanced qualifications, dentists can become educators, lecturers, or researchers in dental schools and research institutions.
Opportunities exist in government healthcare services, defence medical services, regulatory bodies, dental councils, and public health programmes.
DCI mandates that dental colleges report admissions and students must be registered under the Dentists Act. The council has issued directives for uploading admission details of BDS and MDS students on its portal to ensure compliance with statutory norms.
Dental education in India continues to grow under the regulatory framework established by the Dentists Act, 1948 and administered by the Dental Council of India. From foundational BDS programs to specialised MDS pathways, the system aims to maintain uniform quality standards while offering diverse career pathways in clinical practice, research, academics, and public health. Ongoing oversight ensures that institutions meet defined criteria for infrastructure and training, supporting the development of qualified dental professionals across the nation.