Orthodontist
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
A dental specialist who corrects the position of teeth and jaws with braces, aligners and appliances. Requires MDS in orthodontics after BDS, and most work builds a private referral practice.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: Undergraduate. Also entered at: Undergraduate, Postgraduate. After MDS. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹25,000 – ₹50,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Dental colleges, Private dental clinics, Hospitals with dental departments, Dental chains (Clove
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. Undergraduate level.
Other levels people enter from. Undergraduate, Postgraduate.
How the role is usually reached. After MDS.
Licence or registration. MANDATORY: registration with the State Dental Council / DCI before practising.
Where people work
Outlook
Dental colleges, Private dental clinics, Hospitals with dental departments, Dental chains (Clove.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
25,000 - 50,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology Required
The science base for NEET UG.
Clear NEET UG and complete BDS with internship Required
Four years plus the internship year. Orthodontics is one of the hardest MDS seats to get, so your BDS marks matter from first year, not just at the end.
Register with your State Dental Council Required
Required before practice and before postgraduate entry.
Clear NEET MDS Required
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics is consistently among the most competitive branches, and the fee at a private college for it is among the highest in Indian postgraduate education. Both are worth planning for early.
MDS in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics Required
Three years. You treat cases from start to finish under supervision, which is why the training cannot be shortened - orthodontic treatment simply takes that long to see through.
Practise, and add aligner and surgical-orthodontic work Optional
Clear aligner systems and joint work with maxillofacial surgeons are where the field has moved. Both are learned after MDS, through certification and case volume.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹25,000 – ₹50,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a Orthodontist?
The earliest entry point is undergraduate level. People also enter from: Undergraduate, Postgraduate.
Where does a Orthodontist usually work?
Dental colleges, Private dental clinics, Hospitals with dental departments, Dental chains (Clove.
What does a Orthodontist earn to start?
25,000 - 50,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Does a Orthodontist need a licence or registration?
MANDATORY: registration with the State Dental Council / DCI before practising.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.