First BDS
Direct answer
First BDS is the foundation year of the dental degree, devoted to the basic sciences that everything later rests on. Under the DCI curriculum you study General Human Anatomy including embryology and histology, General Human Physiology and Biochemistry, Dental Anatomy and Oral Histology, and Dental Materials. The year ends with the first university professional examination, and it rewards students who study theory and practical work together rather than treating the dissection hall and laboratory as separate worlds.
Course structure and curriculum
- General Human Anatomy: gross anatomy of the whole body, plus embryology and general histology.
- The head-and-neck region in fine detail — muscles of mastication, the temporomandibular joint, cranial nerves, tongue, palate and the jaws.
- General Human Physiology: nerve-muscle physiology, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems, and blood.
- Biochemistry: cellular metabolism, enzymes, nutrition, and the chemistry relevant to oral health, including calcium and fluoride.
- Dental Anatomy and Oral Histology: morphology of every tooth, eruption chronology, occlusion, and the microscopic structure of teeth and oral tissues.
- Dental Materials: composition, properties and manipulation of gypsum products, impression materials, waxes, cements, alloys and polymers.
- Dissection, histology slides, physiology experiments and wax-carving or tooth-carving practicals as the laboratory counterpart of each subject.
- Continuous internal assessment through term tests and completed practical records.
Admission and where this year fits
You reach first BDS after qualifying NEET-UG and counselling, and this year is the preclinical base of the DCI's degree structure — preclinical labs follow in second year, clinical work from third. Nothing here is optional knowledge: tooth morphology is used daily in final-year clinics, and physiology explains the systemic patients you will treat later. Treat the year as the vocabulary-building stage of dentistry.
Examinations
The professional examination assesses each subject through theory papers — typically mixing long essays, short notes and short answers — plus practicals and viva voce. Practical papers involve spotters, histology slides, osteology, physiology experiments and tooth identification or carving, so daily laboratory discipline converts directly into marks. Keep records current, carve teeth repeatedly, and solve your university's previous-year papers early, because question style in anatomy and physiology repeats far more than students expect.
What comes next
Clearing first BDS moves you into second BDS, where General Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology and the preclinical conservative and prosthodontic laboratories await. The anatomy and physiology consolidated this year make those subjects intelligible — pathology is applied physiology gone wrong — so revision done now is never wasted. Farther ahead lie the clinical years, NEET-MDS and eventual practice or specialisation.
Preparation with PrepElephant
PrepElephant's app offers first BDS students question banks, previous-year-style practice, quick-revision tools and mock tests for the five subjects, with free guides on this website. Use it to test yourself regularly; keep your main learning anchored in textbooks, dissection and the lab.
Related entrance examinations
Frequently asked questions
Which subjects are taught in first BDS?
General Human Anatomy with embryology and histology, General Human Physiology, Biochemistry, Dental Anatomy and Oral Histology, and Dental Materials, per the DCI curriculum.
Why is head and neck anatomy emphasised?
Because dental practice is built on it — local anaesthesia, extraction forceps, infections of facial spaces and nerve relations all depend on precise head-and-neck anatomical knowledge.
What do practical examinations include?
Expect spotters, osteology with side determination, histology slides, physiology experiments, and tooth identification and carving exercises, alongside viva voce.
How should I study for the first professional examination?
Pair every theory topic with its practical, keep records signed as you go, and practise previous-year papers of your university to learn the expected answer format and repeating questions.
Does first BDS matter for NEET-MDS later?
Yes — basic sciences carry weight across dental postgraduate testing, and the concepts reappear clinically, so a strong first year pays compounding interest through the degree.
Practise this in the PrepElephant app
Question banks, previous-year questions, mock tests and revision tools — for First BDS. Free to start.