With the aim of regulating the profession of dentistry in India, provide quality and affordable dental education, and make high quality oral healthcare more accessible, the Union Government is planning to make the National Exit Test (NExT-Dental) mandatory for dental graduates (BDS) to grant licence to practise dentistry, and for admission to post-graduate dental courses.

• The Union Government introduced the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 in Parliament on July 24. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 28, and is awaiting approval of the Rajya Sabha.
• In the Bill, the government proposes conducting a NExT (Dental) for BDS graduates.
• According to the Bill, a common final-year undergraduate dental examination, to be known as the ‘National Exit Test (Dental)’ will be held for granting licence to practise dentistry and for enrolment in the ‘State Register or the National Register’.
• The National Dental Commission will conduct the NExT (Dental), which will become operational within three years of the date of commencement of the Act.