MDS · Dental postgraduate

Books for MDS Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics.

MDS Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics trains residents in craniofacial growth and development, cephalometric and dental-cast analysis, diagnosis and biomechanical treatment planning of malocclusion, fixed and removable appliance therapy, functional/orthopedic growth-modification appliances, and adjunct areas such as clear aligners, temporary anchorage devices (TADs) and surgical-orthodontic/cleft management. The university exit examination under DCI/NDC MDS Course Regulations 2017 comprises four theory papers, a clinical exam built around a comprehensive long-case malocclusion work-up (history, growth assessment, cephalometric/model analysis, diagnosis and biomechanical treatment plan) plus short cases, and a viva voce, with a minimum of 50% required separately in theory and in practical/clinical plus oral.

Print chapters from your PDF All nine MDS branches

7Standard 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.

Contemporary Orthodonticscore referenceHenry Fields, Brent Larson, David M. Sarver, William R. Proffit · Elsevier · 7th (2023)Still widely known by its earlier title 'Proffit's'; the internationally standard text for orthodontic diagnosis, biomechanics and treatment planning, and the anchor reference for university theory and thesis-level reading, though many Indian departments continue to circulate the 6th edition (Proffit, Fields, Sarver, 2019).
Orthodontics: Current Principles and Techniquescore referenceLee W. Graber, Katherine W. L. Vig, Greg J. Huang, Pádhraig S. Fleming (eds) · Elsevier · 7th (2023)Comprehensive alternate international reference to Fields/Proffit's, valued for its historical-principles chapters and technique-specific detail (functional appliances, self-ligation, TADs); used for depth beyond the primary text.
Textbook of Orthodonticsprimary textGurkeerat Singh · Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers · 3rdThe most common first/primary textbook Indian MDS orthodontics residents work through, written to bridge undergraduate and postgraduate orthodontics with an Indian curriculum orientation.
Kharbanda's Orthodontics: Diagnosis and Management of Malocclusion and Dentofacial Deformities (2-volume set)primary textOm Prakash Kharbanda (ed) · Elsevier India · 4th (2026)India-specific comprehensive reference edited by a leading Indian orthodontist (AIIMS), widely assigned for its detailed coverage of diagnosis, growth modification and contemporary appliance systems.
Orthodontics: The Art and Scienceexam-orientedS. I. Bhalajhi · Arya Publishing House · 8th (2022); 9th edition released 2026Concise, protocol-driven text heavily used by Indian residents for university theory and viva revision, especially the biomechanics and fixed-appliance chapters.
Biomechanics and Esthetic Strategies in Clinical Orthodonticscore referenceRavindra Nanda (ed) · Elsevier (Saunders) · 1st (2005)The standard advanced reference for force systems, anchorage and esthetics-driven treatment planning; frequently cited in final-year seminars and dissertations; the 1st remains the edition in circulation.
Radiographic Cephalometry: From Basics to 3-D ImagingatlasAlex Jacobson, Richard L. Jacobson (eds) · Quintessence Publishing · 2nd (2006)The standard dedicated reference for cephalometric landmark identification, tracing and analysis technique, a fixed viva topic; the 2006 edition remains the one in circulation.

Journals

Journals that matter in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics

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 Orthodontic Society (JIOS) - official journal of the Indian Orthodontic Society, SAGE PublicationsIP Indian Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Research (IJODR) - IP Innovative PublicationAmerican Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO) - official journal of the American Association of Orthodontists, ElsevierThe Angle Orthodontist - EH Angle Education and Research FoundationEuropean Journal of Orthodontics (EJO) - Oxford University PressProgress in Orthodontics - Springer Nature, open accessSeminars in Orthodontics - Elsevier

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 Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Build strong foundations in craniofacial growth and development, cephalometric tracing/analysis and diagnostic model work by working through Gurkeerat Singh's and the opening chapters of Contemporary Orthodontics, register the dissertation synopsis with the ethics committee, and begin supervised diagnostic record-taking and simple removable-appliance cases.

Year 2

Go deep, run the dissertation

Take independent responsibility for fixed-appliance mechanotherapy and functional-appliance cases while cross-referencing Kharbanda's and Bhalajhi's for step-wise clinical protocols and Nanda's Biomechanics for anchorage and force-system planning, collect dissertation data, and present regular orthodontic journal clubs and seminars.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Manage complex adult, surgical-orthodontic and interdisciplinary cases, deepen reading in Graber's and Jacobson's for advanced cephalometrics and technique variety, complete and submit the dissertation, and revise Bhalajhi's and Gurkeerat Singh'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 and the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) 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 appliance efficacy, growth modification and biomechanics
AJODO and European Journal of Orthodontics for methodology and reporting-standard benchmarking (e.g., CONSORT for randomized trials) in clinical dissertations
Affiliating university's synopsis/dissertation submission format and plagiarism-check requirement (e.g., Turnitin/Urkund)
Cephalometric/3D imaging software (e.g., Dolphin Imaging, NemoCeph) plus biostatistics and SPSS/GraphPad for dissertation data analysis

Practical & viva

What the exam actually tests

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

Long-case presentation: comprehensive malocclusion case with history, growth assessment, cephalometric and model analysis, diagnosis (Angle's classification, skeletal pattern) and biomechanical treatment plan
Live cephalometric tracing and analysis (e.g., Steiner, Ricketts, Downs analyses)
Dental cast/model analysis and mixed-dentition space analysis viva
Instrument and appliance-component identification (brackets, archwires, TADs, functional appliance parts)
Case-based problem solving (anchorage loss, relapse, extraction versus non-extraction decision-making)
Radiograph interpretation (lateral cephalogram, OPG, hand-wrist radiograph for skeletal maturation)
Biomechanics viva (force systems, moment-to-force ratios, principles of tooth movement)

Frequently asked

MDS Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics books — questions

Which books should I read for MDS Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics?

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 Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics?

Contemporary Orthodontics by Henry Fields, Brent Larson, David M. Sarver, William R. Proffit is the usual anchor. Still widely known by its earlier title 'Proffit's'; the internationally standard text for orthodontic diagnosis, biomechanics and treatment planning, and the anchor reference for university theory and thesis-level reading, though many Indian departments continue to circulate the 6th edition (Proffit, Fields, Sarver, 2019).

How is MDS Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics 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 a comprehensive long-case malocclusion work-up and short cases, 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.