Final year
Subject by subject
Eight subjects in the Final BDS exam. Seven of them were taught from third year onwards; Public Health Dentistry is introduced in fourth year. This is the heaviest reading year of the course.
Oral Medicine and Radiology
Diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial disease, and dental/maxillofacial radiology (imaging techniques and interpretation). Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Textbook of Oral Medicine (with Free Book on Basic Oral Radiology)primary textAnil Govindrao Ghom, Savita Anil Ghom (Lodam) · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 5th edition (2022)The most widely used, exam-oriented Indian Oral Medicine textbook, bundled with a companion basic-radiology book.
- White and Pharoah's Oral Radiology: Principles and Interpretationprimary textSanjay Mallya, Ernest Lam · Elsevier · 8th editionThe internationally standard oral radiology text, used for the radiology component alongside Ghom's textbook.
- Burket's Oral MedicinereferenceMichael Glick (editor) · Wiley · 13th editionThe internationally standard, more detailed Oral Medicine reference; used selectively, mainly by students preparing for postgraduate entrance exams.
Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry
Management of the dental and oral health of children and adolescents, including preventive dentistry, behaviour management, and paediatric restorative/pulp therapy. Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Textbook of Pediatric Dentistryprimary textNikhil Marwah · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 5th edition (2024)A leading, widely used Indian pedodontics textbook.
- Textbook of Pedodonticsprimary textShobha Tandon · Paras Medical Publisher · 2nd editionA long-standing, widely held Indian pedodontics textbook and common alternative/companion to Nikhil Marwah's text.
- McDonald and Avery's Dentistry for the Child and AdolescentreferenceJeffrey A. Dean (editor) · Elsevier (a South Asia Edition adapted by Shanthala is also sold in India) · 11th editionThe internationally standard, more detailed paediatric dentistry reference; used selectively alongside the Indian primary texts.
Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics
Diagnosis and correction of malocclusion and dentofacial irregularities, including fixed and removable appliance therapy. Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Textbook of Orthodonticsprimary textGurkeerat Singh · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 3rd editionA widely used, exam-oriented Indian orthodontics textbook.
- Orthodontics: The Art and Scienceprimary textS.I. Bhalajhi · Arya (Medi) Publishing House · 8th edition (2022)Another very widely used Indian orthodontics textbook and common alternative/companion to Gurkeerat Singh's text; still being sold as a fresh printed set for the '2026-27 exams' as of.
- Contemporary OrthodonticsreferenceHenry Fields, Brent Larson, David M. Sarver, William R. Proffit · Elsevier · 7th editionThe internationally standard, in-depth orthodontics reference (often cited informally as 'Proffit's'); used selectively for deeper reading.
- Orthodontics: Current Principles and TechniquesreferenceLee W. Graber, Katherine W.L. Vig, Greg J. Huang, Pádhraig S. Fleming · Elsevier · 7th edition (2023); more recent editions are sold simply as 'Orthodontics' without the subtitleA well-known alternative international reference to Proffit's/Contemporary Orthodontics, used selectively.
Periodontology
Diagnosis and management of periodontal (gum and supporting-tissue) disease, including periodontal surgery and an introduction to implantology. Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Essentials of Clinical Periodontology and Periodonticsprimary textShantipriya Reddy · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 6th edition (2024)A concise, exam-oriented Indian periodontology textbook closely matching the BDS syllabus.
- Newman and Carranza's Clinical Periodontology and ImplantologyreferenceMichael G. Newman, Perry R. Klokkevold, Satheesh Elangovan, Yvonne Kapila, Fermin A. Carranza, Henry Takei · Elsevier (a 4th South Asia Edition, adapted by Dwarakanath, is sold in India) · 14th edition (international); 4th South Asia EditionThe internationally standard, comprehensive periodontology reference (commonly just called 'Carranza's'); very widely used in India as a detailed reference alongside Reddy's — one Indian dental bookseller's BDS reading-list blog names it as the go-to text for this subject.
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Surgical management of oral and maxillofacial conditions — exodontia, minor oral surgery, trauma, and an introduction to major maxillofacial surgery. Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Textbook of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeryprimary textNeelima Anil Malik · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 6th edition (2025)One of the two dominant Indian OMFS textbooks.
- Textbook of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeryprimary textS.M. Balaji, Padma Preetha Balaji · Elsevier · 4th editionThe other dominant Indian OMFS textbook, commonly used as an alternative or companion to Neelima Malik's text; also recommended by the same bookseller BDS reading-list blog.
- Peterson's Principles of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryreferenceMichael Miloro, G.E. Ghali, Peter E. Larsen, Peter Waite (eds.) · Springer · 4th edition (2022)The internationally standard, in-depth OMFS reference; used selectively for deeper reading and postgraduate preparation. (The publisher for this edition moved from PMPH-USA, which published earlier editions, to Springer.).
- Handbook of Local AnesthesiareferenceStanley F. Malamed · Elsevier · 7th editionThe standard reference specifically for dental local anaesthesia technique, commonly recommended alongside the main OMFS texts.
- Killey and Kay's Outline of Oral Surgeryreference (legacy)H.C. Killey, G.R. Seward, L.W. Kay, revised with M. Harris and D.A. McGowan · John Wright & SonsA classic British oral surgery text, still kept in department libraries for its exodontia and minor oral surgery chapters.
Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
Clinical operative dentistry (restorative treatment of teeth) and endodontics (root canal treatment). Builds on the Year-2 preclinical course. Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Sturdevant's Art and Science of Operative Dentistryprimary textV. Gopikrishna (South Asia Edition editor); André V. Ritter (international edition editor) · Elsevier · 3rd South Asia Edition (2025)The standard operative-dentistry text, carried over and used more intensively from the Year-2 preclinical course into full clinical practice.
- Textbook of Endodonticsprimary textNisha Garg, Amit Garg · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 5th edition (2024)The standard Indian, exam-oriented endodontics textbook covering root canal treatment (distinct from the same authors' preclinical conservative-dentistry text used in Year 2).
- Grossman's Endodontic PracticereferenceV. Gopikrishna, editor of the current Indian edition; originally Louis I. Grossman · Wolters Kluwer (India) · 14th editionA long-standing, internationally recognised endodontics reference with a long-running India-adapted edition lineage.
- Ingle's EndodonticsreferenceIlan Rotstein, John I. Ingle (eds.) · PMPH-USA · 7th edition (2019)The other major internationally standard endodontics reference; used selectively for deeper reading, mainly by postgraduate-entrance aspirants.
Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge
Clinical removable prosthodontics (complete and partial dentures) and fixed prosthodontics (crowns, bridges). Builds on the Year-2 preclinical course. Taught across 3rd and 4th year; examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Textbook of Prosthodonticsprimary textDeepak Nallaswamy Veeraiyan · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 3rd edition (2024)The standard comprehensive Indian prosthodontics textbook covering both removable and fixed prosthodontics, carried over and used more intensively from the Year-2 preclinical course.
- Prosthodontic Treatment for Edentulous PatientsreferenceGeorge A. Zarb, John Hobkirk, Steven Eckert, Rhonda Jacob · Elsevier (Mosby) · 13th editionThe internationally standard, in-depth complete-denture prosthodontics reference (commonly called 'Zarb-Bolender'); used selectively for deeper reading.
- Fundamentals of Fixed ProsthodonticsreferenceHerbert T. Shillingburg Jr., David A. Sather, Edwin L. Wilson Jr., Joseph R. Cain, Donald L. Mitchell, Luis J. Blanco, James C. Kessler · Quintessence Publishing · 4th editionThe internationally standard fixed-prosthodontics (crown & bridge) reference; used selectively for deeper reading.
Public Health Dentistry
New subject introduced only in 4th (Final) year — community/preventive dentistry, dental public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health-education as applied to oral health. Examined only in the Final BDS (4th year) university examination.
- Essentials of Public Health Dentistry (Community Dentistry)primary textSoben Peter · Arya (Medi) Publishing House · 7th editionThe dominant, near-universal Indian textbook for this subject.
- Textbook of Preventive and Community DentistryreferenceS.S. Hiremath · Elsevier · 3rd editionA well-known alternative/companion Indian textbook for public health/community dentistry.
- Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social MedicinereferenceK. Park · Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers · 28th edition (2025)The standard Indian community/social medicine text (primarily an MBBS text); used by BDS students as a supplementary reference for epidemiology, biostatistics, and public-health concepts within the Public Health Dentistry paper.