Dental Hygienist Schools in Kentucky

Dental Hygienist Schools in Kentucky

Kentucky is one of just four US states which are constituted as commonwealths. The state’s nickname, “Bluegrass State,” is a reference to the distinctive bluegrass which grows throughout (which also lends its name to bluegrass music). The two major cities are Louisville and Lexington. Other fast-growing areas include Bowling Green and the Tri Cities—London, Corbin and Somerset.

Kentucky is well-known for its key industries: coal, automobile manufacturing, tobacco and bourbon. Horse racing is also a huge deal here, with the Kentucky Derby being held every year in Louisville at Churchill Downs.

The state is also famous for its natural splendour. You can explore the Appalachians here and tour famous sites like the Cumberland Falls, the sole place in the entire Western Hemisphere where you can see a “moonbow,” and Mammoth Cave National Park, which is the longest known cave system on the planet.

So if you are thinking about living and working in Kentucky as a dental hygienist, you have chosen a very exciting state.

Kentucky Dental Hygiene Programs

Excited by the prospect of becoming a dental hygienist in Kentucky? Your first step is to choose a school. The following colleges offer accredited programs in dental hygiene in Kentucky.

InstituteAddressWebsiteProgram
Big Sandy Community & Technical CollegeOne Bert T. Combs Drive
Prestonsburg, KY 41653
www.bigsandy.kctcs.eduAAS
Bluegrass Community and Technical College234 G Oswald Bldg. – Cooper Dr. Lexington, KY 40506www.bluegrass.kctcs.eduAAS
University of LouisvilleHealth Sciences Center
Louisville, KY 40292
www.louisville.eduBS-DH
Western Kentucky University1906 College Heights Blvd., #11032
Bowling Green, KY 42101
www.wku.eduBS-DH

License Requirements

How do you become licensed as a Kentucky dental hygienist? Following are the license requirements you must meet:

  • Graduate from a dental hygiene program accredited by CODA.
  • Pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination.
  • Complete any of the following regional clinical examinations: CRDTS, CITA, CDCA/NERB, WREB or SRTA. This must be done within the five years preceding your application.
  • Submit the documentation required to meet Sections 1 and 2 of 201 KAR 8:560E.
  • Take and pass the Jurisprudence Examination.
  • Pay the fee of $125 when you submit your application.

Dental Hygienist Salary in Kentucky

But how much money can you make as a Kentucky dental hygienist? Let’s take a look at the mean annual salary and how it compares to the mean annual salary nationwide.

First of all, the nationwide salary is $59,910 according to data provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Kentucky’s mean annual wage is $59,320. So it is lower than the nationwide average, but so is the cost of living in Kentucky. So this means that this is still a competitive salary when cost of living is taken into account.

As far as employment opportunities go, there are currently around 2,150 dental hygienists working in Kentucky. As the field is expanding at a rate of 20%, that should mean many new job openings over the years ahead.

Area NameEmploymentHourly mean wageAnnual mean wage
Bowling, Green
130
$26.96
$56,090
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
280
$31.20
$64,890
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
-
$28.63
$59,560
Elizabethtown, Fort Knox
60
$27.92
$58,080
Lexington, Fayette
250
$26.46
$55,030
Louisville/Jefferson County
710
$30.13
$62,680
Owensboro
80
$25.14
$52,290
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan
120
$30.29
$63,010
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area
210
$28.28
$58,820

Schools in neighboring States

Many people from Kentucky prefer to study in Kentucky. Some prefer more options, such as the neighboring states. Kentucky borders seven states, from the Midwest and the Southeast. West Virginia lies to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to the west, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, and Ohio to the north and northeast.

About Ansar Ullah

My dream was always to become a medical doctor. However, I could not afford to study medicine so I became a writer.
Here I write about dentistry and careers in the wider field of dentistry. I love to research about educational topics and what it takes to be come a dental hygienist or a dental assistant. I also love to learn more about other specializations in the field of oral science.