Handbook for General Dentists

Who it's for

Written for the room you actually work in

You are the only dentist in the building. There is no senior in the next room, no radiograph, maybe no trained assistant, and there are forty people outside.

Your textbooks already explain the anatomy and pathology. What they rarely give you is the sequence, the numbers and the judgement: what to do first, how much, and when to stop and refer. For BDS students, interns, and fresh dentists in their first clinic or PHC posting.

IN COLLEGEA senior checks your diagnosis.

IN YOUR FIRST JOBYour diagnosis is the diagnosis.

THIS BOOKA fixed sequence you never skip, and the numbers to go with it.

What's inside

Ten parts, in the order a working day hits you

Judgement first, then anaesthesia, the extraction, the prescription, the patient who doesn't fit the textbook, and the system that keeps you safe.

PART 01

Ground rules

Your first ninety days, your room, the five-minute history, diagnosis without a radiograph.

PART 02

Local anaesthesia

The arithmetic, the blocks, children, failures and complications.

PART 03

Exodontia

Why teeth come out, how not to break them, suturing, and what goes wrong.

PART 04

Drugs & prescribing

Antibiotics you probably don't need, analgesics that work, dosing by weight, prescription templates.

PART 05

Infection

Staging, incision and drainage, and the four that can kill.

PART 06

Oral medicine & cancer

Reading a lesion, and the sixty seconds that catch cancer early.

PART 07

The medically compromised

HIV, hepatitis, TB, diabetes, BP, the heart, blood thinners, needlesticks.

PART 08

Paediatrics

The child in the chair, primary extractions, prevention and school screening.

PART 09

Trauma & emergencies

Avulsions, fractures, and the ninety seconds when someone collapses.

PART 10

The system

Referral, records, consent, and building the next five years of your career.

How it reads

Tables first. Glance at them between patients.

Every chapter opens with a TL;DR and ends with learning links. Four coloured boxes carry the judgement that textbooks leave out:

REFER NOWA hard stop. Stabilise, write the referral, send.

WATCH OUTCommon traps, wrong-tooth risks and drug errors.

DO THISThe safe default when you're unsure.

SENIOR'S NOTEWhat an experienced hand would lean over and tell you.

Sample page: Surviving your first ninety days

Sample page: The five questions before every procedure

Also included

The back of the book is a toolkit

🗂️

20 case filesRehearse decisions before you face them.

💊

Drug & dose quick referenceThe numbers, in one place.

💬

Chairside scriptsWhat to actually say to patients.

✅

First-week setup checklistFor a new clinic or posting.

📄

Photocopiable formsReferral, consent and more.

📝

10-question check-insAt the end of every part, with answers.

The author

Dr. Arya Vel

Written for every intern who was handed a pair of forceps, a queue of forty patients, and no one in the next room. The book draws on Indian national guidance (ICMR, NACO, NHM/NOHP) and international consensus, condensed into a working field reference.

Questions

Before you buy

How do I get the book after paying?

Right after payment you'll get a download link by email (and on the payment confirmation screen). It's a colour PDF, 201 pages, so you can read it on any phone, tablet or laptop.

Who is this for?

BDS students in clinical years, interns, and dentists in their first few years, especially anyone working alone in a PHC, a small clinic or a first associate job.

Is it a replacement for my textbooks or guidelines?

No. It's an educational field reference, not a clinical protocol. Always check doses against current prescribing information, and where your state or institution issues a standing order, that order wins.

Can I print the Field Cards?

Yes. The Field Cards may be photocopied for personal use in your own clinic. The rest of the book is for your personal use only. Please don't share the PDF.

How was the book made?

The text and illustrations were developed with the help of AI tools, then selected, edited, organised and reviewed by the author. We're upfront about that on the copyright page too.

Can I get a refund?

Because it's an instantly downloadable digital product, all sales are final and we don't offer refunds. If your download link doesn't work, contact us and we'll send it again. See the refund policy.