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Accredited dental school

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry

650 East 25th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

School website Health centers in Missouri

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry is an accredited dental school in Kansas City, MO. Dentists are trained by treating patients, which is why a dental school is often the cheapest place in a city to have a large amount of work done.

Fees at a teaching clinic are set by the school and are usually well below private practice rates, though the care is reduced-cost rather than free. In exchange, appointments are longer and treatment can take more visits than it would elsewhere. Missouri has 3 accredited dental schools in total, listed on the Missouri page.

What This School Publishes for Patients

On fees, the school publishes $55 for the visit its pages describe. Treatment beyond that is charged separately, so ask for the total before work begins.

The school lists a patient line on 816-235-2100. That changes between academic terms, so check again shortly before you travel.

What a Teaching Clinic Is Like

Dental schools usually run several clinics rather than one. Students handle routine general dentistry at the lowest fees; residents training in a specialty handle root canals, gum treatment, dentures, and oral surgery for more; faculty practices charge close to private rates.

The trade is time for money. Screening comes first and does not guarantee acceptance; appointments are two to three hours because each stage is checked; and treatment spanning several months has to work around the school calendar.

Our guide to dental schools and teaching clinics covers the screening process, how the discount works on laboratory costs, and what to ask before the first appointment in more detail.

Other Accredited Dental Schools in Missouri

Missouri has 3 accredited dental schools altogether. If this one is full or the wait is too long, the others are separate institutions with separate lists:

Before You Call

The patient clinic is often a separate operation from the school itself, with its own number and sometimes its own building. Worth a call before you set out.

  • Is the clinic open to the public right now, and taking new patients?
  • Is a screening appointment required first, what does it cost, and how soon can you get one?
  • Which clinic would handle the treatment you need — the student clinic, a specialty clinic, or the faculty practice — and does it have its own waiting list?
  • Does the quoted fee include laboratory work for crowns or dentures, which is often billed on top?
  • Is your insurance or Medicaid plan accepted, and is payment due at each visit?
  • Does the school run an emergency or walk-in session, and who is eligible for it?
  • Would your case go to the student clinic or a graduate clinic, and what is the price difference between them?
  • How far ahead are they booking, and is there a cancellation list worth joining?

Common Questions

Can I come just for a cleaning?

Sometimes, but not always at the dental school. Several schools route simple preventive work to the dental hygiene program instead, where it is cheaper and quicker to get an appointment. If a cleaning is all you need, ask about that route first.

Can I pay in instalments?

Payment is often expected at each visit rather than at the end, which spreads the cost in practice even where there is no formal plan. Formal payment plans are less common at schools than at private practices. Third-party dental finance is sometimes accepted; ask before assuming it.

What if I need a specialist the school does not have?

You would be referred out, and that referral is usually to a private specialist at full price. This is the single most common way a dental school plan falls apart, so ask at screening which parts of your treatment the school can do itself and which it cannot.

How is this different from a dental hygiene clinic?

A hygiene clinic is staffed by hygiene students and does preventive work only — cleanings, X-rays, sealants, gum treatment. It cannot fill a cavity or pull a tooth. For preventive care it is cheaper and easier to book; for anything else you need the dental school or a dentist.

Can I be turned down after the screening visit?

Yes, and it is common enough to plan for. Screening decides whether your case matches what students need to learn and what the schedule can absorb. Cases that are urgent, unusually complex, or need a specialty the school does not run are referred elsewhere. The screening fee is not usually refunded if you are not accepted.

Do I have to come during working hours?

Mostly yes. Teaching clinics run on the academic timetable, which means weekday daytime sessions and long appointments. A few schools hold evening or Saturday sessions. If you cannot take weekday time off repeatedly, this route is harder than it looks on paper.

Accreditation

Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2032. For a patient it is reasonable assurance that the supervision behind the clinic is held to a national standard. It is not a statement that the clinic is open.

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