Dentistry is the branch of medicine concerned with oral health. Dentistry is concerned with diagnosing, treating, and preventing a wide range of oral and dental conditions, as well as promoting oral health. As a result, it improves patients' overall health, including their ability to eat, speak, and socialize.

A dentist is a medical professional who focuses on oral health. The simple definition of a dentist is someone who treats, prevents, and diagnoses diseases of the oral cavity.

Dental medicine is one of Nepal's most demanding fields. People in Nepal are becoming more concerned with hygiene and body management as their health consciousness grows. This has made dentistry a lucrative profession. In Nepal, the minimum qualification for practicing dentistry is a bachelor's degree in dentistry, known as Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). Bachelor of Dental Surgery, or simply BDS, is a medical science branch that focuses primarily on tooth development and arrangement. The BDS course focuses on research, diagnosis, prevention, management, illness treatment, disorders, and mouth conditions. Graduates can work in a variety of settings, including private practice, hospitals, public health clinics, and research institutions. Dentists can also run their own clinics. They can also become teachers and begin educating medical students. You can also apply for abroad study after BDS for MDS and work.

Studying BDS in Nepal
Bachelor of Dental Surgery is a 5.5-year program in Nepal that consists of four years and six months of full-time study and one year of mandatory rotating internship. Students are given a thorough understanding of oral health care and dentistry so that they can advance as oral health professionals.  To become officially certified doctors, students must first complete the BDS and then pass a licensing exam administered by the Nepal Medical Council (NMC).

Every year, a large number of aspirants are admitted to top dental colleges in Nepal, which offer quality education, employment, and better opportunities.Nepal has two universities, Tribhuvan University (T.U.) and Kathmandu University (K.U.), as well as one health science academy, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), which offer Bachelor of Dental Surgery programs.  Nepal has also become a popular choice for international students pursuing medical degrees. BDS in Nepal has established itself as one of the world's leading medical institutions, making it an ideal location for providing high-quality, low-cost medical training. With a strong emphasis on theoretical foundations, practical training, and oral healthcare, these BDS colleges under TU, KU and BPKIHS prepare students to make a positive impact in the dental field.

Top Dental (BDS) Colleges in Nepal and Tuition Fees
Top Dental Science colleges include B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS), TU Maharajgunj Medical Campus,  Chitwan Medical College, Kathmandu Medical College (KMC), College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Peoples Dental College , and others, with an average BDS course fee ranging from NPR Rs 20 lakh to Rs 26 lakh for Nepalese students.

The following universities and colleges offer BDS programs in Nepal:

A. Tribhuvan University, Institute of Medicine (TU IOM)
Tribhuvan University (TU), established in 1959, was Nepal's first university to offer medical courses. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) was founded in 1972 by Tribhuvan University with the mission and responsibility of training all types of health workers required in the country.  

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme at Tribhuvan University consists of four and a half years of full-time study followed by one year of compulsory rotating internship in dental science theory and practice. The TU syllabus combines basic medical science, clinical medical science, and clinical dental science. The syllabus aims to train dentists who can provide dental care, develop dental health care teams, and provide proper care to children, the elderly, and women. Seven dental colleges in Nepal offer Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programs through Tribhuvan University.

The medical colleges that offer the Tribhuvan University BDS program are listed below::
1. TU Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
2. Gandaki Medical College,Pokhara Lekhnath, Kaski
3. National Medical College, Birgunj, Parsa
4. Universal College of Medical Sciences and Teaching Hospital,Bhairahawa, Siddharthanagar, Rupandehi
5. Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur, Chitwan
6. KIST Medical College, Gwarko, Imadol, Lalitpur
7. MB Kedia Dental College and Teaching Hospital, Birgunj, Parsa
8. Peoples Dental College, Balaju, Kathmandu

B. Kathmandu University (KU)
Kathmandu University (KU) is an autonomous, not-for-profit, self-funding public institution established by an Act of Parliament in December 1991, dedicated to maintain high standards of academic excellence. It has also contributed significantly to the development of higher education in Nepal.

Kathmandu University's Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program lasts five years and includes a one-year rotating internship. The first two years are pre-clinical and para-clinical, and the remaining two and a half years are clinical. A one-year rotating internship completes the cycle of Kathmandu University's BDS program. The goal of Kathmandu University's Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program is to produce a well-rounded dental graduate who, after four and a half years of undergraduate education in dental surgery and one year of internship, will be able to perform the preventive, promotive, and curative functions expected of a dental surgeon. The curricular approach emphasizes community orientation, integrated teaching-learning, and problem-based learning.

Six  dental colleges in Nepal offer Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programs through Kathmandu University.
1. Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences,Dhulikhel, Kavrepalanchok
2. College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur, Chitwan
3. Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal, Kathmandu
4. Nepal Medical College, Jorpati, Gokarneshwar, Kathmandu
5. Nobel Medical College, Biratnagar, Morang
6. Kantipur Dental College, Basundhara, Kathmandu

3. BDS - B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS)
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) was founded on January 18, 1993, and later upgraded to an autonomous Health Sciences University on October 28, 1998, with a mission to develop a socially responsible and competent health workforce, provide health care, and engage in innovative health research.

The BDS course at BPKIHS is a landmark moment in Nepali dental education as it is the country's first. The Dental Education at BPKIHS began in August 1999, with the admission of the first batch of 40 BDS students. The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program at BPKIHS spans  5 aand half academic years, including a 1-year Community Oriented Compulsory Residential Rotatory Internship.

BPKIHS' Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) curriculum is dedicated to producing health professionals who are needed and deemed appropriate for the twenty-first century. The curriculum is integrated, incorporating the organ-system and need-based approaches. It is community-focused and employs problem-based learning as a supplement to the teaching-learning process.