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MDS · Dental postgraduate

Books for MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics.

MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics covers cariology and operative/restorative dentistry, dental materials science, pulp-dentin biology, and the full span of endodontic diagnosis and treatment including primary root canal treatment, retreatment, surgical endodontics and regenerative/vital pulp therapy. The university exit examination follows the DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017 pattern: four theory papers, a clinical exam with one long case and two short cases drawn from operative and endodontic procedures on patients, and a viva voce, each requiring a minimum of 50%.

6Standard texts
5Journals listed
3 yearsReading plan included
50pB&W, per page
What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is read through, kept as a reference, or opened only for the viva.

  1. Cohen's Pathways of the Pulpcore referenceLouis H. Berman, Kenneth M. Hargreaves (eds) · Elsevier · 12thThe single most cited endodontic reference in Indian MDS exam preparation, especially for pulp biology, diagnosis and treatment planning.
  2. Ingle's Endodonticscore referenceIlan Rotstein, John I. Ingle (eds) · PMPH-USA · 7thComprehensive two-volume reference used for thesis-level depth and advanced/surgical endodontic topics.
  3. Grossman's Endodontic Practiceexam-orientedV. Gopikrishna · Wolters Kluwer Health (India) · 14th (2020)The most widely carried exam-preparation text among Indian endodontics residents for its concise, protocol-driven format.
  4. Textbook of Endodonticsprimary textNisha Garg, Amit Garg · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 4thIndian-curriculum-aligned text that bridges undergraduate and postgraduate endodontics, commonly the first text residents work through.
  5. Sturdevant's Art and Science of Operative Dentistrycore referenceAndre V. Ritter, Lee W. Boushell, Ricardo Walter (eds) · Elsevier (South Asia edition co-adapted by V. Gopikrishna) · 7th (2018)The anchor text for the operative/restorative dentistry component of the specialty, covering cavity design, dental materials and adhesive techniques.
  6. Endodontics: Principles and Practicecore referenceMahmoud Torabinejad, Ashraf F. Fouad (eds) · Elsevier · 6th (2021)Concise, case-oriented alternative to Cohen's and Ingle's, often used for quick topic review and for pulp biology and radiology sections.
Journals

Journals that matter in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics

Journal club and the recent-advances questions come from here. Follow one Indian and two international titles properly rather than skimming all of them.

Journal of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics (JCDE) - official journal of the Indian Society of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics (ISCD), Wolters Kluwer/MedknowJournal of Endodontics (JOE) - official journal of the American Association of Endodontists, ElsevierInternational Endodontic Journal (IEJ) - journal of the British Endodontic Society and European Society of Endodontology, WileyOperative Dentistry - Allen PressJournal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry - Wiley
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years, most of it spent in the clinic and on the dissertation. The order below is what works for most MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Master applied basic sciences together with pulp-dentin biology, dental materials science and cariology from the opening chapters of Sturdevant's and Cohen's, register the dissertation synopsis with the ethics committee, and begin structured pre-clinical skill-building in cavity and access-cavity preparation.

Year 2

Go deep, run the dissertation

Build an independent clinical caseload in direct and indirect restorations and routine root canal treatment while cross-referencing Grossman's and Nisha and Amit Garg's for step-by-step protocols, collect dissertation data, and present endodontic case-based seminars and journal clubs.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Take on complex retreatment, surgical endodontic and regenerative/vital pulp therapy cases using Cohen's and Ingle's for depth, complete and submit the dissertation, and revise Grossman's and Textbook of Endodontics for the university theory, clinical and viva examinations.

Dissertation

References for your dissertation

Methodology, reporting standards and source material examiners expect you to have used.

  • ICMR 'MD/MS/DM/MCh/MDS Support' scheme and Institutional Ethics Committee approval process
  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants
  • PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Oral Health Group reviews, and Scopus for literature review on materials and endodontic techniques
  • Journal of Endodontics and International Endodontic Journal for methodology and reporting-standard benchmarking (e.g., PRILE/CONSORT-style reporting) in clinical and laboratory dissertations
  • Affiliating university's synopsis/dissertation submission format and plagiarism-check requirement
  • Biostatistics reference plus SPSS/GraphPad for in vitro and clinical study design and analysis
Practical & viva

What the exam actually tests

Cases, procedures and stations that come up again and again.

  • Long-case presentation: comprehensive operative or endodontic case with diagnosis, treatment plan and rationale
  • Short cases covering cavity classification, pulp vitality testing and radiographic interpretation of periapical pathology
  • Instrument and armamentarium identification (hand and rotary NiTi files, matrix systems, rubber dam, obturation instruments)
  • Working length determination, access cavity design and obturation technique viva
  • Dental materials viva (composites, glass ionomer cements, bonding agents, sealers, bioceramics)
  • Case-based problem solving (separated instrument, perforation repair, resorption, retreatment planning)
  • Radiograph/CBCT interpretation for endodontic diagnosis and post-treatment assessment
About the branch

MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics in context

University-conducted final MDS examination under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017: four 3-hour theory papers (two specialty, one applied basic sciences, one essay), a clinical exam with one long case and two short cases drawn from operative/endodontic patients, and a viva voce; a minimum of 50% is required separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral.

Frequently asked

MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics books — questions

Which books should I read for MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics?

The titles on this page are the ones residents and departments actually use, each with the edition in circulation now. Start with the first one listed and add the references as your reading deepens.

Which book should I start with in MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics?

Cohen's Pathways of the Pulp by Louis H. Berman, Kenneth M. Hargreaves (eds) is the usual anchor. The single most cited endodontic reference in Indian MDS exam preparation, especially for pulp biology, diagnosis and treatment planning.

How is MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics examined?

University-conducted final MDS examination under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017: four 3-hour theory papers (two specialty, one applied basic sciences, one essay), a clinical exam with one long case and two short cases drawn from operative/endodontic patients, and a viva voce; a minimum of 50% is required separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral.

Do I need to buy every book listed?

No. Most residents own two or three and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from a PDF you send us and are entitled to print. Send it on WhatsApp with the page range — colour Rs 1 a page, black and white 50 paise, binding Rs 40 per bound volume, delivered anywhere in India.

We print files you send us. We do not host, sell or supply book PDFs — send us a file you are entitled to print and we print and bind it. Editions move quickly in dentistry: confirm the current edition before you buy or print.

Printing your MDS Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

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