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Dental Practices · Owner's guide

Dental practices in St. Louis, MO: a founder's guide to running & growing your business

ITEX brings your dental practice new customers from a local trade network and lets you cover real expenses without spending cash — growth in the busy months, a cushion in the slow ones. This guide covers running and growing a dental practice in St. Louis, MO; ITEX is one option woven inside it.

Local market

The St. Louis, MO market for dental practices

St. Louis's MO-IL metro is a stable, slow-growth market for restaurant operators. The region's population reached roughly 2.81 million in 2024, up 6,420 (0.23%)—its largest annual gain since 2010 1. That growth came entirely from international migration (net +12,375), which offset domestic out-migration (−3,759) 2; the City of St. Louis itself lost 3,077 residents, falling to 279,695 3. Food preparation and serving occupations make up 9.2% of area employment—the second-largest group—at an average $16.57 hourly wage 4, and overall metro employment rose about 2.6% year-over-year 5. Owners exploring capital can review low-interest loans from the St. Louis Development Corporation 6, free counseling through the Missouri Small Business Development Center 7, and city and state business-incentive programs 8.

Resources

Is the St. Louis metro population growing or shrinking?
The broader St. Louis, MO-IL metro added roughly 6,420 residents in 2024 (about 0.23%) — its largest gain since 2010 — driven entirely by international migration. However, the City of St. Louis proper continued to lose population, falling to 279,695. So growth depends heavily on which submarket you serve.
What small-business support exists for St. Louis restaurant owners?
City and state resources include low-interest loans through the St. Louis Development Corporation, free counseling from the Missouri Small Business Development Center, and city and state incentive programs. Terms, eligibility, and available dollar amounts change, so confirm current details directly with each office before you plan around them.

Ask Boone about the St. Louis, MO market

Taxes

Taxes for a dental practice in St. Louis, MO

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change and depend on your situation — verify current requirements with the linked authorities and a licensed professional.

St. Louis, MO restaurant owners face taxes at three levels: state, city, and county. At the state level, restaurants selling prepared food must register with the Missouri Department of Revenue for a sales tax license 9, and any restaurant with employees also registers for employer withholding tax 10; note that prepared restaurant food is treated differently from qualifying grocery food under Missouri's food-tax rules 11. Restaurants inside the City of St. Louis file a quarterly gross receipts tax report with the License Collector 12 and are subject to the city earnings and payroll expense taxes administered by the Collector of Revenue 13. Restaurants in St. Louis County must obtain a license and report gross receipts to the County Department of Revenue 14. Confirm current obligations directly with each office.

Official resources

Which office issues a St. Louis restaurant's Missouri sales tax license?
The Missouri Department of Revenue handles state sales tax registration. A restaurant selling prepared food must register for a sales tax license before making taxable sales; see the state Business Tax Registration page for current requirements.
Do St. Louis restaurants owe city and county taxes beyond state sales tax?
Yes. Restaurants in the City of St. Louis file a quarterly gross receipts tax report with the License Collector and are subject to city earnings and payroll expense taxes through the Collector of Revenue. Restaurants in St. Louis County report gross receipts to the County Department of Revenue. Confirm current obligations with each office.

Getting started

How to start a dental practice in St. Louis, MO

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change and depend on your situation — verify current requirements with the linked authorities and a licensed professional.

Opening a dental practice in St. Louis starts with state licensure. The Missouri Dental Board, part of the state's Division of Professional Registration, licenses dentists and dental hygienists to practice in Missouri, requiring a board application along with dental-school transcripts, national and clinical board exam scores, and a passing score on the Missouri Jurisprudence Examination 15. A dentist who will prescribe controlled substances must separately register with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which since April 2022 accepts new registration applications only online 16. Two federal frameworks then govern day-to-day clinical safety: OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires a written exposure control plan and employee training because dental procedures routinely involve blood and saliva 17, and the CDC's summary of infection prevention practices in dental settings sets Standard Precautions as the baseline for every U.S. dental office and clinic 18. For practice-startup guidance, the American Dental Association publishes a national toolbox on picking a business structure, securing a loan, and choosing insurance for a new practice 19. Missouri dentists can also draw on the Missouri Dental Association's member resources, which point graduating and new dentists toward licensing, practice, and career guidance specific to the state 20. Confirm current requirements and forms directly with each office.

Official resources

What state license does a new dentist need to open a practice in St. Louis?
A license from the Missouri Dental Board, part of the state's Division of Professional Registration, which requires dental-school transcripts, national and clinical board exam scores, and a passing score on the Missouri Jurisprudence Examination. Confirm current forms and requirements directly with the board.
Does a St. Louis dentist need a separate federal registration to prescribe medication?
Yes, if prescribing controlled substances such as opioids or sedatives. A dentist must register with the DEA, which has processed new and renewal applications online only since April 2022. OSHA and CDC infection-control obligations apply on top of state licensure once the practice is open.

Marketing

Marketing a dental practice in St. Louis, MO

St. Louis dentists have unusually deep local infrastructure to lean on for marketing and professional credibility. The Greater St. Louis Dental Society, founded in 1856, is one of the oldest dental organizations in the world and has more than 1,000 local member dentists 21. Because GSLDS membership is structured as a "tripartite," a dentist who joins is simultaneously enrolled in the local society, the Missouri Dental Association, and the American Dental Association 22. The society's flagship event, the Mid-Continent Dental Congress at St. Louis Union Station, draws 2,200 to 2,400 attendees a year for continuing education and networking — a visible marker of how active the local professional community is 23. Any advertising or practice-promotion decision should still be weighed against the Missouri Dental Practice Act and Missouri Dental Board rules that govern dentists statewide 24. For public-facing recognition, St. Louis Magazine publishes an annual Top Dentists guide covering more than 350 dentists and specialists across the metro, evaluated by their peers 25. Free digital tools matter too: a completed Google Business Profile is a no-cost way for a practice to appear in local search and Maps results when someone searches "dentist near me" 26. And local "best of" recognition is an established pattern in the market — St. Louis County Dental was voted Best Dental Practice in the Metro St. Louis Area by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reader poll in both 2024 and 2025 27. Together, these show that visibility comes from professional-society credibility, free online listings, and locally judged recognition — not paid advertising alone.

Resources

Is there a local professional society for St. Louis dentists?
Yes. The Greater St. Louis Dental Society, founded in 1856, is a component of the Missouri Dental Association and American Dental Association and has more than 1,000 local member dentists.
Where can a St. Louis practice get free online visibility?
A completed Google Business Profile is free to set up and helps a practice appear in local search and Google Maps results for nearby patients.

Ask Boone about marketing a dental practice in St. Louis, MO

Customer service

Customer service & reputation for dental practices in St. Louis, MO

Patient trust and reputation management are now central to how St. Louis dental practices are perceived before a patient ever sits in the chair. The American Dental Association notes that 84% of the public say they trust online reviews when evaluating businesses, including healthcare providers such as dentists 28, and an ADA Health Policy Institute survey found 88% of dentists reported receiving online patient reviews of their practice 29. When patient concerns escalate beyond an online review, Missouri has a formal channel: any patient who believes a Missouri-licensed dentist or hygienist acted improperly may file a written, signed complaint with the Missouri Dental Board's executive director, who assigns an investigator to look into the allegations 30. Locally, the Greater St. Louis Dental Society maintains a public "Complaints" page that directs patients on how to raise concerns about a member dentist 31. Practices also need to understand the platforms themselves — Yelp's content guidelines bar business owners from reviewing their own practice and warn that directly soliciting patient reviews can cause its recommendation software to filter them out 32. And for broader reputation questions, the Better Business Bureau serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, headquartered at 211 N. Broadway in St. Louis, publishes free business profiles and handles dispute resolution for area companies, including dental practices 33. Together, these describe an environment where reviews, professional-society oversight, and state licensing complaints all shape a practice's standing in the community.

Resources

How does a patient file a complaint against a Missouri dentist?
A written, signed complaint can be sent to the executive director of the Missouri Dental Board, which assigns an investigator to review the allegations.
Does the Greater St. Louis Dental Society handle patient complaints?
The society maintains a public complaints page for patients to raise concerns about a member dentist, separate from the state licensing board process.

Ask Boone about customer service & reputation

Financing & cash flow

Financing & cash flow for a dental practice in St. Louis, MO

St. Louis restaurant owners have several capital and cash-flow resources. The U.S. SBA St. Louis District Office serves the City of St. Louis and the easternmost 53 Missouri counties, offering guaranteed loan programs, counseling, and contracting help 34. Justine PETERSEN, a St. Louis-based SBA microloan intermediary, lends to small businesses and provides free technical assistance 35. The Missouri SBDC gives no-cost, confidential advising on accessing capital and preparing lender-ready plans 36. Missouri's SSBCI 2.0, administered by the Department of Economic Development, deploys federal Treasury funds through partners including the Ignite MO loan program run by Justine PETERSEN 3738. Regional community banks such as Midwest BankCentre operate as SBA Preferred Lenders 39. The St. Louis CDFI Coalition unites nine mission-driven lenders, including Rise CDFI and St. Louis Community Credit Union, serving businesses underserved by traditional banks 404142.

Resources

Where can a St. Louis restaurant owner get financing if a traditional bank says no?
Consider mission-driven CDFIs and microlenders such as Justine PETERSEN, Rise CDFI, or St. Louis Community Credit Union, which serve borrowers underserved by conventional banks. The Missouri SBDC offers free, confidential help preparing a lender-ready business plan and identifying funding sources first.
Does the SBA lend directly to St. Louis restaurants?
No. The SBA generally guarantees loans made by approved lenders rather than lending directly. Local SBA Preferred Lenders like Midwest BankCentre can approve SBA loans in-house, and the SBA St. Louis District Office connects owners to lenders, counseling, and funding programs.

Ask Boone about cash flow for a dental practice

Hiring & staff

Finding & keeping dental practice staff in St. Louis, MO

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change and depend on your situation — verify current requirements with the linked authorities and a licensed professional.

St. Louis dental practices recruit hygienists and assistants against a national wage backdrop worth knowing before setting local pay. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects dental hygienist employment to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034 with about 15,300 openings a year nationwide, at a median annual wage of $94,260 in May 2024 43, while dental assistant employment is projected to grow 6% at a median annual wage of $47,300 44. The regional labor pool a practice ultimately competes within is genuinely large — St. Louis counted 91,240 jobs across healthcare practitioner and technical occupations in May 2024, about 6.8% of local employment versus 6.2% nationally, at an average hourly wage of $48.09 across that broad occupational group 4. For area-specific pay benchmarking, Missouri's state labor-market office, MERIC, publishes a regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics dashboard covering dental hygienists and dental assistants by part of the state, including the St. Louis region 45. On the training-pipeline side, A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health runs its St. Louis Dental Center, a 93-chair clinical campus in the Lafayette Square neighborhood that is also a source of clinical staff already familiar with the local patient base 46.

Official resources

What do dental hygienists and assistants earn nationally, and how large is the St. Louis clinical labor pool?
Nationally, the BLS put the median dental hygienist wage at $94,260 and the median dental assistant wage at $47,300 in May 2024. St. Louis itself counted more than 91,000 jobs across healthcare practitioner and technical occupations that same year, a large regional pool practices recruit clinical staff from.
Is there a dental school in St. Louis to recruit new graduates from?
Yes. A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health runs its St. Louis Dental Center, a 93-chair clinical campus in Lafayette Square, and Missouri's MERIC dashboard can help benchmark hygienist and assistant pay by region.

Giving back

Giving back in St. Louis, MO

St. Louis restaurants have several established, verifiable partners for giving back. Operation Food Search, founded in 1981, is Missouri's largest independent food bank, serving more than 200,000 people monthly through 600+ partner agencies across 24 counties in Missouri and Illinois 47. The St. Louis Area Foodbank, a Feeding America member operating since 1975, distributes food across 26 counties in the bi-state region 48. Restaurants can donate surplus food, host food drives, or run register round-up campaigns—a model Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis uses, collecting over $3 million from area McDonald's customers in 2024 49. Many local nonprofits also join Give STL Day, which has raised more than $37 million since 2014 50 and drew $3,612,959 across 906 organizations in 2026 51.

Resources

Which St. Louis nonprofits are easiest for a restaurant to partner with?
Regional hunger-relief organizations are a natural fit. Operation Food Search serves 200,000+ people monthly across 24 counties , and the St. Louis Area Foodbank, a Feeding America member, distributes food across 26 counties —both accept surplus food, funds, and food-drive partnerships.
How can a restaurant give back without a big budget?
Low-cost options include register round-up campaigns—like the model that raised over $3 million for RMHC St. Louis in 2024 —donating a share of sales on a set night, or hosting a food drive. Give STL Day is also a simple way to direct customer donations to local nonprofits .

Ask Boone about giving back in St. Louis, MO

Slow times

When things are slow: a cushion for your dental practice in St. Louis, MO

Dental scheduling nationally follows a predictable seasonal rhythm, and St. Louis practices are not exempt from it. Winter is typically the slowest season for dental practices, as patients recovering from holiday spending often delay non-urgent visits while colder weather drives more last-minute cancellations 52. The scheduling impact is measurable: combining no-shows and late cancellations, the average practice loses an estimated 23 to 32 percent of its scheduled production time, with no-show rates climbing 15 to 25 percent during summer months and again across the Thanksgiving-through-New-Year holiday stretch 53. Local weather adds a St. Louis-specific layer — the area averages about 5.6 inches of snow across roughly 4.7 days in a typical January, conditions that routinely contribute to same-day appointment cancellations 54. On the other end of the calendar, late summer swings the other way, with August becoming one of the busiest times for pediatric dentists as parents rush to book back-to-school checkups they had put off earlier in the summer 55. That kind of feast-or-famine pattern is exactly where a standing base of trade-dollar patients can smooth out a schedule. ITEX operates a local trade-exchange office serving St. Louis (alongside Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City), reachable at (918) 298-2266, where a broker sets up how a member business trades its unused capacity — filling chair-time that would otherwise sit empty during a slow week 56.

Resources

What is the slowest time of year for a St. Louis dental practice?
Winter, particularly January, tends to be the slowest period nationally and locally, driven by post-holiday spending caution and weather-related cancellations.
Does St. Louis weather actually affect dental scheduling?
St. Louis averages roughly 5.6 inches of snow over about 4.7 days in a typical January, and winter storms are a recognized contributor to same-day cancellations.

Ask Boone about slow periods

Scale & grow

Resources to scale & grow your dental practice in St. Louis, MO

Try ITEX!

List your dental practice in St. Louis, MO with ITEX — reach new customers through the local trade network and cover real expenses without spending cash. It can even fund the ideas below.

Join ITEX now

ITEX in Tulsa, serving St. Louis alongside Oklahoma City and Kansas City, is the local office of a professional barter network, and ITEX has spent more than 30 years helping small businesses turn non-productive assets into new sales with new customers 56. That kind of long-term demand generation matters in a metro with a genuinely large dental workforce to compete and grow within. St. Louis counted 91,240 jobs in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations in May 2024 — 6.8 percent of local area employment versus 6.2 percent nationally — with an average hourly wage of $48.09 across that occupational group 4, and nationally the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for dentists at $179,210 with about 149,300 dentist jobs across the country 57. The population base behind that workforce keeps expanding: St. Louis Public Radio reported the metro region saw its largest population growth since 2010 following new U.S. Census Bureau estimates 1. The region is also investing in its dental pipeline — A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health operates the St. Louis Dental Center, a 79,000-square-foot clinical education facility with 93 dental chairs in the Lafayette Square neighborhood where third- and fourth-year students treat patients 46, and the school has partnered with more than 30 community health centers for additional clinical training sites for its fourth-year students 58. Volunteer dentistry has a strong local footprint too: the Missouri Mission of Mercy free dental clinic program has provided more than $5.6 million in donated services to 9,735 patients with help from 6,100 dental and general volunteers statewide, including an event held in St. Louis 59. And the Greater St. Louis Dental Society's annual Mid-Continent Dental Congress at St. Louis Union Station draws 2,200 to 2,400 dentists, hygienists, assistants and exhibitors each year for continuing education and networking 23.

…and 10 other good ideas

How many dental-adjacent jobs are in the St. Louis healthcare workforce?
BLS data for May 2024 counted 91,240 jobs in the broader healthcare practitioner and technical occupational group in the St. Louis metro, above the national employment share.
Is there a dental school training the next generation of St. Louis dentists?
Yes. A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health runs its St. Louis Dental Center clinical campus, with 93 dental chairs and partnerships with more than 30 community health centers.

Ask Boone about scaling & growing a dental practice

ITEX in St. Louis, MO

Dental Practices in the St. Louis, MO-IL area work with the local Tulsa ITEX office — a local broker who knows the market and handles your account directly.

(918) 298-2266· Local office page

About ITEX

ITEX is one of the longest-running barter communities in North America, with over 30 locations and thousands of member businesses across North America.

Trade dollars are the unit of exchange in the ITEX network: you earn them by selling your excess capacity to other members and spend them on real business expenses — at normal pricing, not a discount.

Join ITEX now

See if barter fits your practice. Get a quick, no-obligation assessment of your practice's unused chair time and potential trade value.

Join ITEX now Call (918) 298-2266 Ask Boone

Prefer to talk to someone? Tulsa

Ask Boone

Ask Boone, our AI assistant, for quick answers tailored to your business.

This AI provides general educational guidance. A trade broker will confirm all details.

Common questions about barter for dental practices in St. Louis

What can a dental practice pay for with trade dollars?
Dental practices typically use ITEX trade dollars for new-patient marketing, printed collateral and signage, office cleaning and equipment maintenance, accounting, legal and payroll services, and staff incentives or continuing education. You earn them by taking barter appointments into otherwise-open chair time and unfilled hygiene slots, then apply them to those fixed overhead costs.
Does accepting barter appointments affect my fee schedule or insurance billing?
No. You bill your normal fees; trade dollars offset practice expenses, not your rates, and barter applies to your open chair time rather than to insured care. A trade broker will confirm how to structure it for your practice.
Will bartering cheapen my brand?
No. With ITEX you sell into the network at your normal pricing — barter is not a discount. You control what you offer, when, and how much, so your published rates and brand positioning stay intact while you monetize capacity that would otherwise go unused.
Do I have to accept things I don't want in trade?
No. You decide how to spend the ITEX trade dollars you earn. The network spans thousands of member businesses across many categories — marketing, printing, maintenance, professional services and more — so you direct your trade dollars toward the real expenses you actually need to cover.
Is barter only for struggling businesses?
No. Healthy, established businesses use ITEX selectively to fill predictable slow periods and conserve cash on routine expenses. It is an efficiency tool for capacity you already have, not a last resort.
Will my regular customers know I barter?
No. ITEX barter transactions are business-to-business and typically invisible to the public. Your retail customers and your cash pricing are unaffected; trade happens within the member network.
How is barter taxed?
For tax purposes a barter sale is treated the same as a cash sale. ITEX provides the transaction records you need, and a trade broker will confirm the specifics for your business — Boone does not give tax advice.

References & sources

Citations for the local facts on this page. Regulated topics link to the official source of record.

  1. St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR), citing U.S. Census Bureau estimates. “St. Louis Metro region sees largest population growth since 2010”. July 2023–July 2024 estimates (released March 2025). https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2025-03-14/st-louis-metro-population-growth. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  2. KSDK, citing U.S. Census Bureau data. “Census data: St. Louis population grew in 2024 thanks to international migration”. 2023–2024 Census estimates. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/st-louis-population-2024-international-migration-census-data-shows/63-88f777a7-ade1-47b9-95cc-2a0aa7e56121. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  3. Spectrum News (Spectrum Local News, St. Louis), citing Census data. “St. Louis area grows but city still shrinks, says census data”. 2024 Census estimates. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2026/03/26/st--louis-population-changes-us-census. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). “Occupational Employment and Wages in St. Louis — May 2024”. May 2024. https://www.bls.gov/regions/mountain-plains/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages_stlouis.htm. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  5. Greater St. Louis, Inc., citing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. “New Federal Data Ranks St. Louis Metro #3 in National Job Growth”. August 2023–August 2024. https://greaterstlinc.com/news/press-release/new-federal-data-ranks-st-louis-metro-3-national-job-growth. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  6. St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC). “Financing & Funding — St. Louis Development Corporation”. Accessed July 2026. https://www.developstlouis.org/financing-funding. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  7. Missouri SBDC / City of St. Louis. “Missouri Small Business Development Center”. Accessed July 2026. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/archives/sldc/economic-development/business-services/Missouri-Small-Business-Development-Center.cfm. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  8. City of St. Louis. “Business Assistance, Incentives, and Promotion”. Accessed July 2026. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/services/topic.cfm?id=216. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  9. Missouri Department of Revenue. “Business Tax Registration”. 2025. https://dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/registration/requirements.html. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  10. Missouri Department of Revenue. “Employer Withholding Tax”. 2025. https://dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/tax-types/withholding/. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  11. Missouri Department of Revenue. “Missouri Sales Tax Reduction on Food”. 2025. https://dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/tax-types/sales-use/reduction-on-food.html. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  12. City of St. Louis License Collector. “Gross Receipts Tax Report: Restaurant”. 2025. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/license/documents/restaurant-gross-receipts.cfm. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  13. City of St. Louis Collector of Revenue. “Employer Withholding and Payroll Expense Tax Information”. 2025. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/collector/earnings-tax/payroll-tax-info.cfm. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  14. St. Louis County Department of Revenue. “Gross Receipts Tax - St. Louis County”. 2025. https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/revenue/licensing/gross-receipts-tax/. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  15. Missouri Division of Professional Registration. “Dental Board - Missouri Division of Professional Registration”. Accessed 2026-07. https://pr.mo.gov/dental.asp. Accessed 2026-07-29.
  16. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. “DEA Registration Applications - General Instructions”. Accessed 2026-07. https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/webforms/jsp/regapps/common/instructions.jsp. Accessed 2026-07-29.
  17. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “1910.1030 - Bloodborne pathogens”. Accessed 2026-07. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030. Accessed 2026-07-29.
  18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care”. Accessed 2026-07. https://www.cdc.gov/dental-infection-control/hcp/summary/index.html. Accessed 2026-07-29.
  19. American Dental Association. “Starting a Dental Practice”. 2026. https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/starting-a-dental-practice. Accessed 2026-07-29.
  20. Missouri Dental Association. “Dental Student Resources - Missouri Dental Association”. 2026. https://www.modental.org/member-resources/dental-student-resources. Accessed 2026-07-29.
  21. Greater St. Louis Dental Society. “Greater St. Louis Dental Society | American Dental Association”. 2026-07-28. https://www.greaterstlouisdentalsociety.org/. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  22. Greater St. Louis Dental Society. “GSLDS Member Benefits”. 2026-07-28. https://www.greaterstlouisdentalsociety.org/member-center/benefits-of-membership/gslds-member-benefits. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  23. Mid-Continent Dental Congress. “Attendee Information – Mid-Continent Dental Congress”. 2026-07-28. https://www.mcdcstl.org/general-info/. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  24. Missouri Dental Association. “Missouri Dental Practice Act”. 2026-07-28. https://www.modental.org/member-resources/missouri-dental-practice-act. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  25. St. Louis Magazine. “Top Dentists in St. Louis | St. Louis Magazine”. 2026-07-28. https://www.stlmag.com/sponsored-content/top-dentists-guide/. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  26. Weave. “Google My Business for Dentists | Weave”. 2026-07-28. https://www.getweave.com/google-my-business-for-dentists/. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  27. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “BEST DENTAL PRACTICE”. 2026-07-28. https://www.stltoday.com/best-dental-practice/article_d7a3a2a6-2edc-11ed-84bd-a76fb1052ead.html. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  28. American Dental Association. “Managing Dental Practice Online Reviews”. 2026-07-28. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/legal-and-regulatory/managing-dental-practice-online-reviews. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  29. American Dental Association. “Online Reviews | American Dental Association”. 2026-07-28. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/practice-management/34_socialmedia_onlinereviews. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  30. Missouri Division of Professional Registration. “Dental Board - Missouri Division of Professional Registration”. 2026-07-28. https://pr.mo.gov/dental-complaint-forms.asp. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  31. Greater St. Louis Dental Society. “Complaints”. 2026-07-28. https://www.greaterstlouisdentalsociety.org/for-the-public/complaints. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  32. Yelp Inc.. “Content Guidelines - Yelp”. 2026-07-28. https://www.yelp.com/guidelines/content-guidelines. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  33. Better Business Bureau. “Local BBB | BBB Serving Greater Missouri and Southern Illinois”. 2026-07-28. https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-eastern-and-southwest-missouri-and-southern-illinois. Accessed 2026-07-28.
  34. U.S. Small Business Administration. “St. Louis District Office | U.S. Small Business Administration”. 2026. https://www.sba.gov/district/st-louis. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  35. Justine PETERSEN. “Justine Petersen named SBA 2019 Micro Lender of the Year”. 2019. https://justinepetersen.org/2019/06/26/justice-petersen-named-sba-2019-micro-lender-of-the-year/. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  36. Missouri SBDC / University of Missouri. “Missouri SBDC”. 2026. https://sbdc.missouri.edu/. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  37. Missouri Department of Economic Development. “Missouri receives $95 million through State Small Business Credit Initiative”. 2023. https://ded.mo.gov/press-room/missouri-receives-95-million-through-state-small-business-credit-initiative-support. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  38. Missouri Technology Corporation. “MTC and Justine PETERSEN team up for Missouri's SSBCI 2.0 Capital Program launching IgniteMO Small Business Loan”. 2024-09. https://www.missouritechnology.com/2024/09/17/mtc-and-justine-petersen-news-release/. Accessed 2026-08-08.
  39. Midwest BankCentre. “Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans - St. Louis, MO”. 2026. https://www.midwestbankcentre.com/business-banking/business-lending/small-business-administration-sba-loans/. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  40. Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis. “St. Louis CDFI Coalition — Community Builders Network”. 2026. https://www.communitybuildersstl.org/cdfi-coalition. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  41. Rise CDFI. “Home - Rise CDFI”. 2026. https://risecdfi.org/. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  42. America's Credit Unions. “St. Louis Community Credit Union channels CDFI funds into $40M in business loans”. 2024. https://www.americascreditunions.org/blogs/americas-credit-unions/st-louis-community-credit-union-channels-cdfi-funds-40m-business-loans. Accessed 2026-07-08.
  43. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Dental Hygienists : Occupational Outlook Handbook”. May 2024 wages; 2024-2034 projections. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm. Accessed 2026-07-29.
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