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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 from disadvantaged backgrounds   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.

Check us out IRL!

Graduate Medical Education Open House


Explore our hospital and our city. Experience our culture of wellbeing and support firsthand. See your future here, with us.

Save the date:

  • Friday, November 14, 2025

One night lodging paid. Participation will not affect your ranking. All invited applicants will receive additional information at the time of their invitation to interview.

Mix & Mingles

 

Children's Mercy is dedicated to recruiting and training pediatric learners from a wide range of backgrounds, unique perspectives and experiences. Our goal is to provide exceptional care by building a team that mirrors the communities we serve. This year, we will offer both virtual and in-person Mix and Mingle events for our candidates as part of our commitment to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

Save the date:

  • Tuesday, October 7, 2025 (virtual)
  • Thursday, November 13, 2025 (in person)
  • Tuesday, January 6, 2026 (virtual)

Participation will not affect your ranking. All invited applicants will receive additional information at the time of their invitation to interview.

Academic curriculum

Learn more about the curriculum, including didactics, courses, and workshops.

Clinical experience

Learn about the quality and extent of hands-on experience offered through this residency.

Faculty and residents

Meet the team of staff, residents and faculty for this residency.

Apply for the program

Learn about how to apply and begin the application process.

Our Pediatric Dentistry Residency team

Neena Patel, DDS
Program Director

Megan Smith, MSE
Program Coordinator
mrsmith4@cmh.edu