A day in this work
You treat teeth and gums: fillings, root canals, braces, surgery. Fine hand skills and patience with nervous patients are the job.
Ways in
- BDS (5 years including internship) through NEET-UG
- MDS (3 years) for a speciality such as orthodontics
- Many dentists set up their own clinic after a few years
After Class 10
Science with Biology (PCB)
Entrance exams to know
- NEET-UG
- NEET-MDS
Years, cost and pay
- Years of study
- 5 to 8
- Whole-course cost, government or aided
- ₹2 to 8 lakh
- Whole-course cost, private
- above ₹25 lakh
- Typical starting pay
- ₹3 to 6 lakh a year
Indicative bands from the pilot dataset (0.1 (pilot), 19 September 2026). Real fees and pay vary a lot by college, city and year. Check the official sites below.
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Outlook, and how AI is changing this work
Outlook: Steady. AI changes little of the daily work.
Digital scanning and 3D printing are changing the lab work. The chair-side work stays hands-on.
Try this week
Try a fine hand task for an hour: model-making, soldering with supervision or detailed drawing. Did you enjoy the precision?
Check the facts yourself
These are official sites. Exam names, dates, fees and rules change every year, so confirm them there. Each link opens in a new tab.
Careers close to this one
See how well this fits you
Discovery in the app takes about eight minutes and gives each of these 52 careers a fit score from your own answers. It is free during the pilot, and nobody is asked for an email address or a phone number. Students under 18 need a parent or guardian to agree first, and children under 13 cannot join yet.