Periodontics Residency Programs in Illinois
Illinois has 2 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in periodontics, based in Alton and Chicago.
Both are listed below with their 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 a CODA-accredited periodontics residency is the recognized path into the periodontics specialty — read on for what each program's status means and what happens after residency.
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At a glance
In Illinois
Programs
2
With a program
Cities
2
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
1 of 2
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Illinois
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 Illinois'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." "Initial Accreditation" is what CODA grants a program that's accredited but hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class of residents — it doesn't mean the program is provisional or lesser, only that it hasn't operated long enough to have graduates yet.
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 either program's current status with CODA before applying.
Why Accreditation Matters for the Path Into Periodontics
Periodontics 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 periodontist.
Illinois has 2 accredited programs, compared with 2 in Indiana, 1 in Iowa and 2 in Kentucky nearby; wherever you train, our step-by-step guide to becoming a periodontist covers the full sequence from dental school through residency, our periodontist career guide what the role involves day to day, and which dental specialty pays the most how periodontics compares with the other eleven.
Graduates of the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine and University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry programs who go on to practice in Illinois need a dentist license from the Illinois Board of Dentistry — see Illinois's dentist licensure requirements for the clinical exams it accepts and the rest of what it requires.
After Residency in Illinois
A CODA-accredited residency is the entry point into periodontics, not the final step — practicing afterward still requires holding an active dentist license in the state where you intend to work.
Illinois also issues a separate specialty license, and a dentist may not hold out as a specialist without it; check its requirements with the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
Residents who train in Alton or Chicago and go on to practice in Illinois can search current periodontist jobs to see who's hiring now.
Where Illinois's Programs Are Located
Illinois's two CODA-accredited periodontics programs sit in different parts of the state: one at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry in Chicago, and one at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine in Alton, roughly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
That split gives applicants a choice between a program in a major metro area and one in a smaller river-city setting, though program structure and admissions are matters to confirm directly with each school rather than inferred from location.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited periodontics residency programs are in Illinois?
Illinois has 2 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in periodontics, located in Alton and Chicago.
Both are listed above with their 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.
Does an out-of-state periodontics residency still count if I want to practice in Illinois?
Yes.
CODA accreditation is national, so a periodontics residency accredited by CODA counts regardless of which state it's in — what matters is the residency's CODA accreditation, not its location.
Licensure to practice in Illinois is a separate step handled by the state itself; see our Illinois dentist licensure page for what that requires.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for the Alton program?
"Initial Accreditation" is the classification CODA grants to a program that's accredited but hasn't 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 the program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
What comes after finishing a CODA-accredited periodontics residency in Illinois?
Graduates hold an active dentist license in the state where they intend to practice.
Illinois also issues a separate specialty license, and a dentist may not hold out as a specialist without it; check its requirements with the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
Our step-by-step guide to becoming a periodontist 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 Illinois & Periodontist 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.