Pediatric Dentistry Residency Programs in Missouri
Missouri has 3 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in pediatric dentistry, based in Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis.
Each is listed below with its institution, city, current accreditation status, and the years of CODA's last and next accreditation visits, pulled directly from the Commission on Dental Accreditation's own program directory.
Completing one of these programs is the recognized path into the pediatric dentistry specialty — read on for what each program's status means and what happens after residency.
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At a glance
In Missouri
Programs
3
With a program
Cities
3
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
2 of 3
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Missouri
Source: CODA program directory, index dated 2026-09-09. Status terms (“Approval without Reporting Requirements,” “Approval with Reporting Requirements,” “Initial Accreditation,” “Discontinued,” etc.) are CODA’s own.
Reading the List: What Missouri's Accreditation Statuses Mean
The statuses shown above are CODA's own terms, not this site's. "Approval (without Reporting Requirements)" is the classification CODA grants when a program "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation." "Approval (with Reporting Requirements)" means CODA has identified specific deficiencies the program must correct within a set timeframe — it is not a warning to avoid the program, only a status mid-correction. "Initial Accreditation" is what CODA grants a program that is accredited but has not yet enrolled and graduated its first class of residents.
The last- and next-visit years shown are CODA's own accreditation-visit schedule, not anything set by the program itself.
For admissions requirements, program structure, or cost, contact the program directly, and confirm any program's current status with CODA before applying.
Why Accreditation Matters for the Path Into Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric dentistry is one of 12 recognized dental specialties, and completing a CODA-accredited advanced dental education program in the specialty is how a dentist becomes a pediatric dentist.
Missouri has 3 accredited programs, compared with 1 in Nebraska, none in Kansas and 2 in Illinois nearby; wherever you train, our step-by-step guide to becoming a pediatric dentist covers the full sequence from dental school through residency, our pediatric dentist career guide what the role involves day to day, and which dental specialty pays the most how pediatric dentistry compares with the other eleven.
Graduates of the Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Jordan Valley Community Health Center and Saint Louis University Health Science Center programs who go on to practice in Missouri need a dentist license from the Missouri Dental Board — see Missouri's dentist licensure requirements for the clinical exams it accepts and the rest of what it requires.
After Residency in Missouri
A CODA-accredited residency is the entry point into pediatric dentistry, not the final step — practicing afterward still requires holding an active dentist license in the state where you intend to work.
Missouri also issues a separate specialist's license to currently licensed Missouri dentists; check its requirements with the Missouri Dental Board.
Residents who train in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis and go on to practice in Missouri can search current pediatric dentist jobs in Missouri to see who's hiring now.
Where Missouri's Programs Are Located
Missouri's three programs sit in three different cities across the state: Kansas City, home to The Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics; Springfield, home to Jordan Valley Community Health Center; and St. Louis, home to Saint Louis University Health Science Center.
An applicant weighing Missouri's options is choosing between programs on opposite sides of the state as well as one in the southwest.
Each program's full address and program director are listed in the table above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited pediatric dentistry residency programs are in Missouri?
Missouri has 3 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in pediatric dentistry, located in Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis.
Each is listed above with its current CODA accreditation status, address and program director.
CODA's own directory is the definitive, up-to-date source — confirm a program's status directly with CODA before applying.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for a program?
"Initial Accreditation" is the classification CODA grants to a program that is accredited but has not yet enrolled and graduated its first class of residents.
It doesn't mean the program is provisional or lesser — it simply hasn't operated long enough to have graduates yet.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
Do I have to complete a pediatric dentistry residency in Missouri to practice there?
No. Missouri licenses dentists — including pediatric dentists — who completed a CODA-accredited residency regardless of which state it's located in; what matters is the residency's CODA accreditation, not its location.
See our Missouri dentist licensure page for what the state itself requires before you can practice.
What comes after finishing a CODA-accredited pediatric dentistry residency?
Graduates hold an active dentist license in the state where they intend to practice.
Missouri also issues a separate specialist's license to currently licensed Missouri dentists; check its requirements with the Missouri Dental Board.
Our step-by-step guide to becoming a pediatric dentist walks through the full sequence from dental school through residency and licensure.
Is every program on this list accredited?
Every program above is shown with the CODA accreditation status CODA had published for it as of 2026-09-09, the date this directory was last pulled from CODA's own program search. "Approval without Reporting Requirements" is CODA's standard fully-accredited standing; other status terms on this page — such as "Approval with Reporting Requirements," "Initial Accreditation," or "Discontinued" — mean something different, and a status can change after that date.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
More Missouri & Pediatric Dentist Resources
Sourced from the CODA program directory (index dated 2026-09-09). Verified September 2026. Program details change. Confirm accreditation status, admission requirements and costs with the program and with CODA before applying.