The three tier system of dental services to the public is offered through the Academic Clinics, Comprehensive clinic and the VIP clinic. The infrastructure of the academic clinic fulfils the DCI guidelines and functions with Undergraduate and Postgraduate students under expert supervision as its main manpower. There are nine dental departments namely, the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Department of Periodontics, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Pedodontics, Department of Oral Pathology, Department of Orthodontics, Department of  Conservative dentistry and endodontics, Department of Prosthodontics and Department of Public Health Dentistry that cater to the dental needs of the patient.  In addition, the Peripheral centres offer primary care for the rural and peri-urban population and refer them to SRDCH for secondary and tertiary care. Although the treatment charges are affordable in the departments, offering treatment on the same day the patient reports has always been a challenge due to high flow of out-patients. Therefore, they are treated by appointments. Also the patient is expected to visit a particular department specific for his/her complaint. On an average, any patient visits a minimum of three departments for addressing the complaint, which is inevitable owing to the decentralization. On the other hand, an undergraduate student who is posted for a certain number of days in each department, as stipulated by the DCI, misses out on the practical hands-on experience of comprehensive care to the patient which is the norm once he/she starts practicing the profession after graduation. 

To overcome these challenges, the Comprehensive clinic was set up in the year 2020 to provide holistic care to patients under one-roof. The clinic functions in the first floor of SRDCH with eight dental chairs and staffed by Specialist consultants and BDS Interns. It has become the one-stop-clinic for any and all of the dental needs of a patient. The patients’ need to visit many departments and wait longer for appointments has been overcome. This augments patient satisfaction and experience. On the other hand, the BDS interns posted in the Department of Public Health dentistry work here as per a roster to get a firsthand experience of holistic dental care that makes them ready for the challenges that they are going to face after graduating from the institution.  

The third tier of dental service for higher end treatments by specialist consultants is offered by the VIP clinic. Those patients who wish for a ‘private clinic experience’ opt for this clinic that functions in the ground floor of SRDCH with its state-of-the-art infrastructure and pleasant ambience.