MDS · Dental postgraduate

Books for MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery trains residents in exodontia and dentoalveolar surgery, maxillofacial trauma, orthognathic and TMJ surgery, oral cancer and reconstruction, cleft/craniofacial surgery, dental implants, and local/sedation/general anesthesia for the maxillofacial region. The university-conducted exit examination (under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017) consists of four theory papers (two specialty papers, one applied basic sciences, one essay), a clinical exam with one long case and two short cases, and a viva voce, with a minimum of 50% required separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral components.

Print chapters from your PDF All nine MDS branches

6Standard texts

7Journals 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.

Peterson's Principles of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgerycore referenceMichael Miloro, G.E. Ghali, Peter E. Larsen, Peter D. Waite (eds) · Springer · 4th (2022)The internationally standard comprehensive OMFS reference; used for advanced theory and thesis-level reading, though many Indian departments still cite the older 3rd edition (Miloro et al., 2011, Mosby/PMPH) interchangeably.
Textbook of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeryprimary textNeelima Anil Malik · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 6th (2025)The most commonly assigned first text among Indian MDS OMFS residents, written to the Indian/DCI curriculum with strong coverage of exodontia, minor oral surgery and trauma.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (3-Volume Set)core referenceRaymond J. Fonseca (ed) · Elsevier · 3rd (2018)Comprehensive multi-volume reference covering trauma, orthognathic, oncologic and reconstructive surgery; consulted for depth beyond Peterson's and Malik's.
Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeryexam-orientedJames R. Hupp, Myron R. Tucker, Edward Ellis III · Elsevier (South Asia edition also available) · 7th (2018)Concise and well-illustrated; widely used for quick revision of exodontia, dentoalveolar surgery and outpatient anesthesia before university exams.
Rowe and Williams' Maxillofacial Injuriescore referenceN.L. Rowe, J.Ll. Williams (eds) · Churchill Livingstone · 2nd (1994, 2 vols)The classic dedicated trauma reference still cited in Indian OMFS teaching for fracture classification and management; the 2nd (1994) remains the edition in circulation.
Handbook of Local Anesthesiacore referenceStanley F. Malamed · Elsevier · 7thStandard text for local anesthesia technique, pharmacology and complication management, a fixed viva topic.

Journals

Journals that matter in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

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 Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery (JMOS) - official journal of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI), SpringerNational Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery (NJMS) - Wolters Kluwer/MedknowInternational Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (IJOMS) - ElsevierBritish Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - ElsevierJournal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS) - official journal of AAOMS, ElsevierJournal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery - ElsevierAnnals of Maxillofacial Surgery - Wolters Kluwer/Medknow

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 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Consolidate applied basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology and microbiology as applied to the maxillofacial region) alongside the foundational chapters of Peterson's and Malik's, register the dissertation topic and synopsis with the institutional ethics committee, and begin assisting in exodontia and minor oral surgery postings.

Year 2

Go deep, run the dissertation

Build independent operative competence in dentoalveolar surgery, impactions, preprosthetic surgery and local anesthesia while working through Fonseca's, Rowe and Williams', and Hupp/Tucker/Ellis for trauma and outpatient surgery, collect dissertation data, and present regular journal clubs and seminars.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Rotate through advanced postings in orthognathic surgery, TMJ disorders, oral oncology/reconstruction and implantology, cross-referencing Peterson's for complex cases, complete and submit the dissertation, and consolidate exam-oriented revision from Malik's and Malamed's 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 for postgraduate thesis funding (icmr.gov.in)
Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) approval per ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants
PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library for systematic literature review
Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery and International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery back-issues for methodology and discussion benchmarking
Affiliating university's synopsis/dissertation submission format and plagiarism-check requirement (e.g., Turnitin/Urkund)
Biostatistics reference plus SPSS/GraphPad for study design and data analysis

Practical & viva

What the exam actually tests

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

Long-case presentation (commonly maxillofacial trauma, a swelling or a cyst/tumor) with history, examination, provisional/differential diagnosis and treatment plan
Two short cases spanning impaction/dentoalveolar surgery, TMJ, cyst/tumor or cleft deformity
Radiograph and CT/CBCT interpretation for fractures, cysts and impacted teeth
Instrument and armamentarium identification (extraction forceps, elevators, osteotomes, plating and fixation systems)
Local anesthesia technique demonstration and management of its complications
Surgical technique viva (e.g., Le Fort osteotomies, ORIF of mandibular fractures, flap design and elevation)
Emergency and complication-management scenarios (airway obstruction, hemorrhage, anaphylaxis, dry socket)

About the branch

MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 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, and a viva voce; candidates must score at least 50% separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral.

Frequently asked

MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery books — questions

Which books should I read for MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

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 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

Peterson's Principles of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery by Michael Miloro, G.E. Ghali, Peter E. Larsen, Peter D. Waite (eds) is the usual anchor. The internationally standard comprehensive OMFS reference; used for advanced theory and thesis-level reading, though many Indian departments still cite the older 3rd edition (Miloro et al., 2011, Mosby/PMPH) interchangeably.

How is MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery examined?

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.