St. Louis Dental Center

What St. Louis Dental Center does

St. Louis Dental Center is a 501(c) nonprofit dental education and care facility located at 1500 Park Ave. in St. Louis, Missouri, operating as a joint venture between A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) and Affinia Healthcare, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) with over 100 years of community health service in St. Louis. The 79,000-square-foot facility houses 98 dental chairs and provides nine core service lines — preventative dentistry, general treatments, special needs dentistry, dental urgent care, digital dentistry, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry, technology services, and specialty services — delivered by dental students under the supervision of ATSU-MOSDOH faculty dentists and Affinia Healthcare dental professionals.

The clinic's technology stack centers on digital dentistry hardware, including digital X-rays, Cone Beam CT 3D imaging, intraoral scanning (replacing conventional impressions), laser dentistry, and same-day digital restorative workflows. It is open to the general public on a scheduled-appointment basis, with walk-in dental urgent care available, and accepts most dental insurance plans including MO HealthNet (Medicaid). Pricing is anchored by FQHC-affiliated rates approximately 50% below typical St. Louis private practice fees, with a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients.

The business model combines three revenue streams: per-service dental fees, third-party insurance reimbursements (including Medicaid), and sliding-scale patient payments. The center is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA, initial accreditation) and operates within Affinia Healthcare's Joint Commission and NCQA-accredited framework. Its customer base spans all ages and includes general public patients, special needs populations served in dedicated special care suites, pediatric patients, urgent care walk-ins, and underserved communities — addressing Missouri's documented dentist shortage through a teaching-clinic model that simultaneously trains third- and fourth-year dental students and delivers care at community-affordable pricing.

Name

St. Louis Dental Center

Legal name

St. Louis Dental Center

Website

https://stldentalcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Louis Dental Center is a 501(c) nonprofit dental teaching facility and joint venture between ATSU-MOSDOH and Affinia Healthcare, operating a 79,000-square-foot, 98-chair clinic in St. Louis that delivers comprehensive dental services — including special needs, pediatric, urgent, and digital dentistry — at roughly half private-practice rates to the general public, Medicaid patients, and underserved populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (6212), Offices of Dentists (621210), Offices of Dentists (62121)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLABAAAF

Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/General & Family Dentistry

SECONDARYHLABAGAL

Pediatric Dentistry Academic/Teaching Clinics

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/Pediatric Dentistry

SECONDARYHLABAAAH

Geriatric & Special Needs General Dentistry

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Dental Care Services/General & Family Dentistry

Keywords

• Dental care services
• Preventive dentistry
• Special needs dentistry
• Pediatric dentistry
• Dental urgent care

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dental Service Fees: The clinic generates revenue through fees charged for comprehensive dental services including preventive care, general treatments, specialty services, cosmetic dentistry, and urgent care. Fees are approximately 50% lower than typical private practices in the St. Louis area due to affiliation with a federally qualified health center.
2. Insurance Payments: The clinic accepts most dental insurance plans including MO HealthNet (Medicaid) and processes insurance claims. Most insurance plans are accepted for payment.
3. Sliding Fee Scale: Discounts are available to uninsured patients based on income and ability to pay, enabling access to dental care for underserved populations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The St. Louis Dental Center is a dental teaching center and community healthcare facility providing comprehensive dental services including preventive dentistry, general treatments, special needs dentistry, dental urgent care, digital dentistry, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry, advanced technology diagnostics, and specialty services. Care is delivered by dental students under faculty dentist supervision as part of a partnership between A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) and Affinia Healthcare. The 79,000-square-foot, 98-chair facility operates as a federally qualified health center affiliate, offering fees approximately 50% lower than typical private practice rates.

Product overview

The St. Louis Dental Center is a dental teaching center and healthcare facility offering a comprehensive range of dental services provided by dental students under faculty supervision. The facility operates as a single unified service model with nine core service areas: Preventative Dentistry, General Treatments, Special Needs Dentistry, Dental Urgent Care, Digital Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, Cosmetic & Aesthetic Dentistry, Technology Services, and Specialty Services. These services range from routine preventive care and cleanings to advanced treatments including dental implants, veneers, laser dentistry, and digital imaging. The center utilizes state-of-the-art technology including digital X-rays, Cone Beam CT, and intraoral scanning to provide precise and comfortable care. With 98 chairs in its 79,000-square-foot facility, the center serves patients of all ages and accepts most dental insurance plans including MO HealthNet (Medicaid), offering fees approximately 50% below typical private practice rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preventative Dentistry Prevention care services including check-ups, cleanings, and education to maintain optimal oral health for patients of all ages.
• General Treatments General treatment services addressing common dental issues including dental implants, dental veneers, fillings, and root canals to maintain oral health.
• Special Needs Dentistry Compassionate dental care for patients with disabilities and special needs in fully equipped special care suites, providing exams, cleanings, sealants, fillings, crowns, bridges, periodontal therapy, oral surgery, and digital X-rays.
• Dental Urgent Care Walk-in urgent care services providing immediate treatment for acute dental conditions including basic diagnostics, palliative treatment, extractions, temporary restorations, abscess treatment, drainage, post-operative care, and trauma management.
• Digital Dentistry Advanced digital dental services featuring intraoral scanning for crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, and diagnostics, enabling same-day restorations and faster treatment times.
• Pediatric Dentistry Compassionate dental care and services for children including fillings, sealants, space maintainers, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants in a child-friendly environment.
• Cosmetic & Aesthetic Dentistry Smile enhancement services including ceramic/porcelain veneers, crowns, composite fillings, implants, teeth whitening/bleaching, prophy and polishing, and gum surgery.
• Technology Services Advanced diagnostic and treatment technology including Cone Beam CT for accurate diagnosis, implant planning, and interpretation of anomalies. Exams are quick, painless, and cost-effective with shareable data.
• Specialty Services Comprehensive specialty dental services including periodontal therapy using state-of-the-art technology to gently remove infected gum tissue and restore gum health.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fees approximately 50% lower than typical St. Louis private dental practice
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe St. Louis Dental Center is a partnership between ATSU-MOSDOH and Affinia Healthcare. ATSU-MOSDOH is responsible for development and management of the educational curriculum for third- and fourth-year dental students. The school educates dental students to provide comprehensive patient care, with graduates becoming community and educational leaders serving those in need.
• Affinia HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffinia Healthcare, Missouri's largest community health center, supervises clinic operations at the St. Louis Dental Center. With over 100 years of service, Affinia provides accessible, quality healthcare with a focus on underserved populations. Services are offered on a sliding fee scale to accommodate various financial situations.
• Washington University School of MedicinesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established for patients requiring dental care under general anesthesia (sedation). Washington University School of Medicine partners with ATSU-MOSDOH, Affinia Healthcare, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital to provide sedation care services.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarnes-Jewish Hospital partners with ATSU-MOSDOH, Affinia Healthcare, and Washington University School of Medicine to provide dental care under general anesthesia for patients requiring sedation services at the St. Louis Dental Center.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NYU College of Dentistry: Dental school–operated teaching clinic providing comprehensive, low-cost dental care to the public with faculty-supervised students. Highly comparable as an academic dental institution delivering affordable community care at scale.
• University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry: Public university dental school operating extensive faculty-supervised student clinics serving a broad urban patient base, including Medicaid and uninsured populations. Comparable academic-community dental care model in a Midwestern urban market.
• Howard University College of Dentistry: Dental school with teaching clinics serving diverse and underserved patient populations, blending dental education with community-accessible care. Closely comparable mission and operating model.
• UCLA School of Dentistry: University dental school with large-scale patient care facilities offering general and specialty dentistry through faculty-supervised students and residents. Highly comparable scale and academic-community model.
• University of Michigan School of Dentistry: Major university-affiliated dental school with extensive patient care clinics staffed by faculty-supervised students. Directly comparable academic dental care model with broad specialty coverage.
• Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine: University dental school operating patient care clinics with faculty-supervised students, including specialty services. Comparable teaching-clinic hybrid model.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Dental: Multi-location DSO brand emphasizing accessibility, urgent dental care, and broad insurance acceptance. Comparable through its focus on walk-in access and underserved markets.
• Heartland Dental: Largest U.S. dental support organization supporting hundreds of general dental practices nationwide. Comparable as a scaled operator of multi-chair group dental practices with broad service lines.
• Affinia Healthcare: Federally qualified health center network and joint-venture partner of St. Louis Dental Center, providing primary medical and dental services across St. Louis with sliding fee scale. Comparable as the parent FQHC operating dental programs at scale.

Regional players

• Community Health Centers (National Association of Community Health Centers): Federally qualified health centers across the U.S. offering dental services on sliding-fee scales to underserved populations. Comparable mission and pricing model; operates across multiple geographies rather than one site.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stldentalcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stl-dental-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Louis Dental Center