From a scenic hilltop in Kodagu to the forefront of dental education in Asia — the extraordinary journey of Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences.
The verdant Kodava heartland in the province of Kodagu (Coorg) is a land known for its valor in the Indian armed forces, passion in the national Hockey squad, rich aroma of natural forests, coffee and spices, the source of the River Kaveri, and its unique Kodava people.
In this backdrop was founded the Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences in 1999, on a scenic 30-acre campus atop the Malethirke Hills, neighboring Virajpet town.
The campus is home to more than 150 species of trees, shrubs and fruits — an integral part of the UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The campus is within 35 km of three core wildlife sanctuaries: Brahmagiri, Pushpagiri and Talakaveri.
The campus boasts of ~100 species of insects and birds, uses eco-friendly construction materials, has been a plastic-free zone for more than a decade, and maintains STP facilities and recycling plants for solid waste and water management.
The campus functions as a self-contained township nestled in the Malethirke hills, blending rigorous academics with vibrant culture.
- Coorg Coffee Cup — National inter-dental cricket tournament hosted by CIDS.
- Patron's Cup — International golf tournament; Chairman K.K. Aiyappa serves as Patron of Coorg Golf Links.
- "Paradise" Library — Overlooking the verdant valleys; houses over 4,000 books. Evoking J.L. Borges: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of Library."
- Café Cloud 9 — The iconic campus social hub, beloved across every batch of students.
- 350-seat auditorium, Music School (violin and guitar), 24/7 professional counseling.
Since its founding in 1999, CIDS has ascended to the pinnacle of dental education in India. Currently ranked among the Top 15 dental colleges in India, the institution holds the prestigious NAAC accreditation.
The Dean's current vision focuses on "Transdisciplinary Health" — a forward-looking response to the rise of lifestyle diseases, integrating diverse scientific disciplines for holistic healthy living and professional excellence for the next generation of dental surgeons.
"No student is the Best and None is the weakest. So also, no teacher is perfect and None is absolutely imperfect."
The institution creates a value-based system so that every student who enters leaves with confidence and a positive mind for success.
CIDS has forged deep and meaningful relationships with international universities and dental institutes. MoUs advance scholarly interaction, student and faculty exchange, co-operative multi-centre research, flexible/distance learning and cultural interchange.
Visiting academicians from across the world have commented: "Very Different"…. "Unlike Any Other!"…. "I wish I could go back to Dental School"…. "This campus would have made an equally good holiday resort!"
International Oration Series — Visiting Faculty
| Module / Topic | International Faculty |
|---|---|
| Applied Craniofacial Development | Dr. Ralph Radlanski |
| Recent Trends in OPMDs | Dr. Tilakaratne |
| Orthodontic Movement Simplified | Dr. Dhirawat |
| Strategies in Research | Dr. Ibrahim |
| Oral Microflora and Systemic Diseases | Dr. Samaranayake |
| Fibonacci Sequence in Dentistry | Dr. Peter Borbely |
| Lingual Orthodontics vs Aligners | Dr. Sathoshi Nagasaka |
| Dental Caries — Newer Outlooks in Management | Dr. Thomas Flemmig |
| Tobacco Cessation Strategies for the New Millennium | Dr. Dewa Wedagama |
| Enamel Matrix Proteins | Dr. Yasuo Yamakoshi |
| CBCT in Oral Diagnosis | Dr. Katsuko Ito |
| Laser in Periodontics | Dr. Aruni Tilakaratne |
| Sciences of Orthodontics & Practical Experience | Dr. Aladin Sabbag |
| IIOS — Orthodontics Symposium | Dr. Shadi S Samawi, Dr. Simona Dianiskova, Dr. Nezar Watted, Dr. Hema Duborse, Dr. Jan V. Raiman, Dr. Ralph Radlanski |
| QUEST 10.0 | Dr. Ding-Han Wang |
| Recent Advances in Craniofacial and Dentofacial Genetics | Dr. Nezar Watted |
CIDS has evolved into a research-centric institution guided by the "Five Pillars of Research": Promotion, Partnership, Policy, Performance, and Publication. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is approved by the Department of Health Research, CDSCO and accredited by NABH.
Dr. Sunil Muddaiah founded AAVISHKAAR ("Innovation") Research Laboratories in 2015 as a transdisciplinary platform to integrate medicine and dentistry. Research modules have been part of the BDS undergraduate curriculum since 2013.
DSIR Recognition: CIDS is recognized as a centre for scientific temper by the DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology).
The institution publishes the Journal of Multidisciplinary Dental Research (JMDR) and hosts Quest — The Graduate Dental Extravaganza, a premier intercollegiate symposium for undergraduate paper and poster presentations.
Dr. Sunil Muddaiah founded the International Dental Educationists' Association (IDEA) in 2016 as a global think tank and advisory body, bringing together international dental educators, researchers, and scientists to advance educational practices in healthcare.
IDEA's philosophy: "Dental education should be an innovation for the teacher and a unique, enriching experience for the student every time a class or clinical session is delivered."
Under IDEA's aegis, the Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Research (JMDR) — a peer-reviewed scientific journal — is published, available at jmdr-idea.com. Initiatives include Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Conventional Teaching integration, and clinical training experimentation across international faculty networks.
Dr. Sunil Muddaiah founded Anuraadh NGO in 2009 — recognized by the Central Government — as a social initiative supporting societies vulnerable in education, health and rural development, with a special focus on the Western Ghats.
- Healthcare: Free health camps, blood donation, HIV/AIDS awareness, ~250 cleft lip/palate surgeries annually.
- Education: Educational assistance, free bus passes, digital learning, computers and solar lamps for remote-area students.
- Skill Development: Hospitality, bakery, dental chairside assistance, dental laboratory technology programmes.
- Environment: Vetiver plantation for slope stabilisation in landslide-prone areas, reforestation initiatives, anti-plastic campaigns.
- Disaster Relief: Kodagu Floods 2018 — 100 relief tents, education support, family rehabilitation.
- COVID-19: Ration kits, face shields, swab kiosks, PPE kits, oxygen concentrators free of cost.
Dr. Sunil Muddaiah initiated a unique teaching model in 2010 rooted in the principle: "Leave nothing to chance… leave nothing in doubt."
- 40 students per year — the only dental school in India with this intake, enabling personal attention to every student.
- UG:PG ratio of 1:1 — all undergraduate students have an opportunity to pursue postgraduate study.
- Color Coded Books for each PG specialty — day-to-day time-bound completion tables for the 3-year MDS program.
- TALCOM (Teacher and Learner Committee) — monthly critical yet constructive skill development for students and guides alike.
- Hybrid Teaching Methodology — combining best of online and offline; Virtual Clinics with MEDEVA during COVID lockdown.
- 6 credit hours/month dedicated to leadership, managerial skills and social etiquette.
Early Clinical Contact (ECC) Program · Est. 2015
The ECC program solves the fundamental pedagogical problem of disconnect between pre-clinical theory and active clinical practice. First-year BDS students visit assigned dental clinics immediately after learning theory in class — ensuring basic science becomes a visible foundation, not an abstract hurdle.
- Core Philosophy: "See, Hear, Touch, Do" — maximum sensory engagement, minimal lecture time.
- Visual Primers: Zero-text, diagram-only 10-minute presentations before each clinic visit.
- Small-Group Rotations: Students observe 3 patients per session for biological variation exposure.
- Cross-departmental mapping: Basic science topics mapped to their clinical departments simultaneously.
- Interns serve as teaching assistants for peer-to-peer mentorship.
Simulation-Based Learning
ITI Implant Program — Certified by Oral Reconstruction Foundation, Switzerland
Digital Workflow — The Paperless Transition: Since 2018, CIDS has pursued a paperless workflow via UrNeeds EHR for all patient records and billing. The patient app enables appointment booking and real-time treatment updates. The AI-integrated platform's deep data mining tailors demographic-based treatment plans and predicts emerging healthcare needs.
Adapting to an ever-changing scientific world, CIDS has taken bold initiatives to establish independent new departments focusing on niche areas in dentistry — compensating for an outdated national curriculum and placing CIDS at the cutting edge of dental education.
The Department of Public Health Dentistry spearheads the institution's commitment to underserved populations:
- Postings at Tibetan Refugee Settlements in Bylakuppe and RIHP Ammathi.
- Network includes Madikeri, Kushalnagar Dental Clinics and rotations at Bharath Cancer Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, Bangalore.
- Mobile dental units navigate remote hilly terrains of Coorg for on-site comprehensive care.
- Patient care with 280 dental chairs — significantly exceeding mandatory regulatory requirements.
- Motto: "Patient care with a humane touch."
| # | Research Title | Grant Agency | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nutritional Status and Diet Pattern Among Three Primitive Tribes of Kodagu — Ethnographic Study | Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka | ₹15,000 |
| 2 | Designing a "Tobacco-Free Home" Campaign for Pre-University Students in Virajpet | Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka | ₹15,000 |
| 3 | Prevalence and Severity of Molar Incisor Hypo-Mineralization Among School Children (9–12 yrs), Virajpet | ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) | ₹50,000 |
| 4 | Research on Local Plant-Based Phyto-Chemicals | Anuraadh NGO | ₹2,00,000 |
| 5 | Survey on Awareness of Cervical Cancer Amongst Adolescent School Going Students in Virajpet | Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka | ₹15,000 |
| 6 | Evaluating Biomarker Changes Before and After Laser-Assisted Restorative and Endodontic Treatments | Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka | ₹5,00,000 |
| 7 | In-Vitro Evaluation of Cultured Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells to Three Different Pulp Capping Agents | IACDE | ₹50,000 |
| 8 | Comparative Evaluation of Crestal Bone Loss Levels Around Dental Implants (Thick vs Thin Mucosal Tissue) | Indian Society of Periodontology | ₹1,72,000 |
| 9 | Comparative Evaluation of Crown-Implant Ratios on Crestal Bone Levels and Bone Density Around Implants | Indian Society of Periodontology | ₹2,24,000 |
"The final verdict is not for us to profess from mighty podiums and through glossy advertisements; but for society to judge from what it visualizes through an hourglass."
"PASSION · INTEGRITY · INNOVATION · SKILL · DEDICATION · ETIQUETTE · TRANQUILITY OF MIND AND SOUL AT THE WORK PLACE"