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Dental Sciences — PhD reading list.

The advanced references a doctoral scholar in Dental Sciences works from, and what each one is for.

7Titles listed
4Worked right through
3–6 yrsProgramme length
12Coursework credits
The subject

Dental Sciences as a research subject

ScopeOral pathology and oral medicine, periodontics, prosthodontics and dental materials, orthodontics and craniofacial biology, oral oncology, community dentistry and dental public health.
Who can registerMDS in any speciality, BDS with a relevant master's; MSc candidates for dental materials and oral microbiology projects.
How you get inEither the fellowship route — CSIR-UGC NET, ICMR, DBT-BET, DST-INSPIRE — straight to interview, or the institute entrance test, half research methodology and half dental sciences.
CourseworkOne semester, at least 12 credits: research methodology and biostatistics, plus Research and Publication Ethics, before the research phase proper begins.
How this list is used

Reading for Dental Sciences

A PhD in dental sciences is usually built on one speciality, so the reading is one deep speciality reference plus the basic-science texts the thesis mechanism rests on. Shafer's is the Indian standard for oral pathology and the book most likely to be quoted back at you in a viva; Lindhe, Cohen and Proffit are the speciality references for periodontology, endodontics and orthodontics respectively, and each is read cover to cover by scholars in that stream. Neville is kept alongside Shafer's because its clinical photographs and differential lists are stronger, and Ten Cate's supplies the developmental and structural biology behind any thesis on tooth or periodontal tissues. Peterson's is the surgical reference for maxillofacial work and for the anatomy and technique detail that surgical PhDs are examined on.

Titles are tagged core reading — the ones scholars work right through — or reference, the ones they look things up in. Editions are given where the current edition is what you want to buy.

  1. Shafer's Textbook of Oral Pathologycore readingB. Sivapathasundharam · Elsevier India · 10th edition (2024)The Indian oral pathology standard — the classification and terminology examiners expect you to use exactly.
  2. Lindhe's Clinical Periodontology and Implant Dentistrycore readingNiklaus P. Lang, Tord Berglundh, William V. Giannobile, Mariano Sanz (eds.) · Wiley Blackwell · 7th edition (2021)The periodontology reference — biology, classification and implant therapy, read fully by scholars in the periodontics stream.
  3. Cohen's Pathways of the Pulpcore readingLouis H. Berman, Kenneth M. Hargreaves · Elsevier · 12th edition (2020)The endodontics reference for pulp biology, diagnosis and regenerative procedures that endodontic theses build on.
  4. Contemporary Orthodonticscore readingHenry W. Fields, Brent E. Larson, David M. Sarver, William R. Proffit · Elsevier · 7th edition (2025)Growth, biomechanics and treatment planning — the standard citation for orthodontic rationale in a thesis.
  5. Oral and Maxillofacial PathologyreferenceBrad W. Neville, Douglas D. Damm, Carl M. Allen, Angela C. Chi · Elsevier · 5th edition (2023)Read alongside Shafer's for its clinical photographs and differential diagnosis lists when reporting lesions.
  6. Ten Cate's Oral Histology: Development, Structure, and FunctionreferenceAntonio Nanci · Elsevier · 10th edition (2024)The developmental and structural biology behind any thesis on enamel, dentine, pulp or periodontal tissues.
  7. Peterson's Principles of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryreferenceMichael Miloro, G.E. Ghali, Peter E. Larsen, Peter D. Waite (eds.) · Springer · 4th edition (2022)The surgical reference for trauma, orthognathic and reconstructive technique in maxillofacial doctoral work.

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Alongside the subject list

The two lists every scholar also needs

Whatever the subject, the coursework semester is examined on research methodology, biostatistics and publication ethics, and the bench work runs on a handful of protocol volumes. Both lists are kept separately so you are not buying them twice.

Other PhD subjects

Also on the site

Related on the site

Dental Sciences at postgraduate level

Printing your Dental Sciences reading?

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

Frequently asked

PhD Dental Sciences — questions

Which books does a PhD scholar in Dental Sciences read?

The 7 titles on this page, of which 4 are worked right through and the rest are kept as references. Most scholars own two or three and use the department copy for the others.

Who can register for a PhD in Dental Sciences?

MDS in any speciality, BDS with a relevant master's; MSc candidates for dental materials and oral microbiology projects.

What does a PhD in Dental Sciences cover?

Oral pathology and oral medicine, periodontics, prosthodontics and dental materials, orthodontics and craniofacial biology, oral oncology, community dentistry and dental public health.

Is the coursework examined?

Yes. One semester of at least 12 credits, assessed before the research phase begins, covering research methodology, biostatistics and Research and Publication Ethics.

Can you print this reading for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.