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MDS · Dental postgraduate

Books for MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology.

MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology trains residents as the diagnostic-consultant arm of dentistry, covering oral mucosal disease, orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders, salivary gland disease, oral manifestations of systemic disease, and the full span of conventional and advanced (CBCT, MRI) maxillofacial imaging and its interpretation. Residents run outpatient diagnostic clinics, take and interpret radiographs, and increasingly perform minor oral medicine procedures (biopsy, sialography) alongside dissertation research. The university exit examination under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017 follows the common four-theory-paper, practical-and-viva structure, with the clinical exam combining patient-based long/short oral medicine cases and radiographic/imaging interpretation.

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. Burket's Oral Medicinecore referenceMichael Glick (ed) · Wiley · 13thThe internationally recognized oral medicine reference, used for depth in mucosal disease, systemic-disease correlation and thesis-level reading.
  2. Textbook of Oral Medicineprimary textAnil Govindrao Ghom, Savita Anil Ghom · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 6th (2026)The most widely assigned first text among Indian MDS Oral Medicine residents, written to the Indian curriculum with strong clinical-case orientation.
  3. White and Pharoah's Oral Radiology: Principles and Interpretationcore referenceErnest Lam, Sanjay Mallya (eds) · Elsevier · 9th (2024)The standard imaging-interpretation reference, covering conventional radiography through CBCT and advanced imaging modalities.
  4. Scully's Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine: The Basis of Diagnosis and Treatmentcore referenceStephen J. Challacombe, Barbara Carey, Jane Setterfield (eds); founding author Crispian Scully · Elsevier · 4thConcise, systemic-disease-oriented oral medicine reference; the title and editorship changed from the 3rd edition (as 'Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine' by Crispian Scully alone) to this 4th edition under new editors after Scully's death.
  5. Differential Diagnosis of Oral and Maxillofacial Lesionsexam-orientedNorman K. Wood, Paul W. Goaz · Mosby/Elsevier · 5th (1997)The classic algorithmic differential-diagnosis reference still used for viva preparation; the 5th (1997) remains the edition in circulation.
  6. Textbook of Dental and Maxillofacial Radiologyprimary textFreny R. Karjodkar · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 2ndIndian-curriculum radiology text commonly paired with Ghom's for the primary-exam-oriented reading; the same author's shorter companion volume 'Essentials of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology' (3rd ed, 2025) also circulates but is a distinct, more condensed title.
Journals

Journals that matter in Oral Medicine and Radiology

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 Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology (JIAOMR) - official journal of the Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology (IAOMR), Wolters Kluwer/MedknowOral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology (OOOO) - ElsevierDentomaxillofacial Radiology - British Institute of Radiology, published via Oxford University PressOral Diseases - WileyOral Radiology - Springer, journal of the Japanese Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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 Medicine and Radiology residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Consolidate applied basic sciences, radiation physics and radiobiology, and conventional radiographic technique alongside the foundational diagnosis chapters of Ghom's and Burket's, register the dissertation synopsis, and begin supervised outpatient history-taking and radiographic exposure.

Year 2

Go deep, run the dissertation

Build an independent outpatient caseload in mucosal disease, orofacial pain/TMD and salivary gland diagnosis while cross-referencing White and Pharoah's and Karjodkar's for advanced imaging (CBCT/MRI) interpretation, collect dissertation data, and present case-based seminars and journal clubs.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Manage complex diagnostic and systemic-disease-correlation cases using Scully's/Burket's and practice algorithmic differential diagnosis from Wood and Goaz, complete and submit the dissertation, and revise Ghom's and White and Pharoah'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 and Institutional Ethics Committee approval per ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants
  • PubMed/MEDLINE plus OOOO and JIAOMR back-issues for literature review and methodology benchmarking
  • White and Pharoah's Oral Radiology and imaging-society (IADMFR) guidance for radiographic/CBCT-based dissertation methodology and radiation-safety reporting
  • Affiliating university's synopsis/dissertation submission format and plagiarism-check requirement
  • Biostatistics reference plus SPSS/GraphPad for diagnostic-accuracy and cross-sectional clinical study designs
  • Departmental case registry and radiographic image archive for retrospective diagnostic-imaging dissertations
Practical & viva

What the exam actually tests

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

  • Long-case presentation: oral mucosal lesion, orofacial pain or TMD patient with history, examination, differential diagnosis and management plan
  • Short cases covering salivary gland disease and oral manifestations of systemic disease
  • Radiographic technique demonstration (IOPA, OPG positioning, common technique errors)
  • Radiographic and CBCT/imaging interpretation for cysts, tumors, fractures and TMJ pathology
  • Algorithmic differential-diagnosis exercise (Wood and Goaz-style approach to a swelling, ulcer or radiolucency)
  • Equipment and instrument identification (radiographic film/sensor types, lead apron, dosimeter, sialography set)
  • Biopsy technique and specimen-handling viva for minor oral medicine procedures
About the branch

MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology in context

University-conducted final MDS examination under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017: four 3-hour theory papers (Part I basic sciences paper in year 1, three specialty/essay papers of 100 marks each in year 3), a clinical/practical exam (200 marks) combining patient-based oral medicine cases with radiographic/imaging interpretation, and a viva voce/pedagogy component (100 marks); a minimum of 50% is required separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral, and the dissertation must be accepted before a candidate can appear for the written papers.

Frequently asked

MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology books — questions

Which books should I read for MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology?

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 Medicine and Radiology?

Burket's Oral Medicine by Michael Glick (ed) is the usual anchor. The internationally recognized oral medicine reference, used for depth in mucosal disease, systemic-disease correlation and thesis-level reading.

How is MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology examined?

University-conducted final MDS examination under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017: four 3-hour theory papers (Part I basic sciences paper in year 1, three specialty/essay papers of 100 marks each in year 3), a clinical/practical exam (200 marks) combining patient-based oral medicine cases with radiographic/imaging interpretation, and a viva voce/pedagogy component (100 marks); a minimum of 50% is required separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral, and the dissertation must be accepted before a candidate can appear for the written papers.

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 Oral Medicine and Radiology 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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