Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics in Kansas City Missouri

Children's Mercy Pediatric Dentistry Residency

The Pediatric Dentistry Graduate Program is sponsored by Children's Mercy and affiliated with the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. The dental school is located adjacent to the hospital and provides an excellent opportunity for experiences in interdisciplinary dental care for children.

Children's Mercy is a comprehensive pediatric medical center which is the only free-standing children's hospital between St. Louis and Denver. We provide state-of-the-art care for children from birth to age 18. Our fellowship highlights are:

• The facility includes eight fully equipped dental operatories, a pediatric dental resident office area, and a dental laboratory. 

• The program focuses primarily on children who cannot receive services elsewhere due to insurance or other special health issues.

• Our residents provide comprehensive dental care that covers a wide range of patient ages and cases.

• We are consistently ranked among the leading children’s hospitals in the nation, and have repeatedly earned nursing’s highest honor, Magnet Recognition, for our commitment to quality, patient-centered care.

• Our dental clinic is a comprehensive academic teaching program with a full service of dental care including children with special needs who are followed in our hospital care system.

• The program's primary focus is:

  • Children with special health care needs.

  • Children who are underserved and/or covered by Medicaid. These children cannot receive services elsewhere due to insurance or other special health issues including, but not limited to, the pre-school age child.

• Our residents provide comprehensive dental care including infant oral health care, sedation, limited orthodontics, oral surgery, restorative care, emergency care, and dental care under general anesthesia.

• The 24-month program includes didactic, clinical and research experience in a variety of settings including the Dental Clinic, Pediatric Continuing Care Clinic, Anesthesiology and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.

• The Dental Clinic at Children's Mercy has approximately 500 patient visits each month, giving fellows exposure to a variety of patient cases.

Our program consists of 5 residents.  Each application cycle we alternate between 2 or 3 applicants.  This current application cycle is for 3 spots to be filled.

Applicants must obtain a dental license in the State of Missouri prior to beginning the program.  A criminal background check including information regarding felony or misdemeanor offenses is required to become an employee of the hospital and begin the program.

Incoming residents are required to have completed the initial immunization schedule for COVID-19 unless they qualify for a religious exemption. 

As a condition of employment by the hospital, incoming residents must also receive a yearly flu vaccination.