Periodontics Residency Programs in Missouri
Missouri has 2 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in periodontics, based in Kansas City 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 periodontics specialty — read on for what each program's status means and what happens after residency.
Verify before you apply
At a glance
In Missouri
Programs
2
With a program
Cities
2
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
2 of 2
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." That's distinct from "Approval (with Reporting Requirements)," which means CODA has identified specific deficiencies a program must correct within a set timeframe, and from "Initial Accreditation," which CODA grants to a program that is accredited but hasn't 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 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.
Missouri has 2 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 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 University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry 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 periodontics, 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 or St. Louis and go on to practice in Missouri can search current periodontist jobs in Missouri to see who's hiring now.
Where Missouri's Programs Are Located
Missouri's two programs sit on opposite sides of the state: the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry in Kansas City, and Saint Louis University Health Science Center in St. Louis.
Both are based at established dental schools rather than standalone clinics.
Whichever program a resident trains at, the CODA accreditation itself is what carries weight nationally, not the city it's located in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited periodontics residency programs are in Missouri?
Missouri has 2 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in periodontics, located in Kansas City and St. Louis.
Each is listed above with its institution, city and current CODA accreditation status.
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 toward licensure in Missouri?
Yes.
CODA accreditation is a national standard, not a state-by-state one, so a residency accredited anywhere in the country counts the same way Missouri's programs do.
What matters for practicing afterward is holding an active Missouri dentist license, not where the residency itself was located.
See Missouri's dentist licensure page for what the state requires.
What does "Approval without Reporting Requirements" mean for a program?
It's CODA's classification for a program that "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation," with no outstanding deficiencies CODA has asked it to correct.
Both of Missouri's programs currently hold this status.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying, since status can change between accreditation visits.
What comes after finishing a CODA-accredited periodontics 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 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 Missouri & 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.