Dental Schools in Kentucky
3 DDS/DMD dental programs in our catalogue for Kentucky. Compare DAT score requirements, GPA profiles, in-state preference and AADSAS application strategy.
About Kentucky: Pop. ~4.5M; Louisville and Lexington anchor the state's medical infrastructure. University of Louisville and University of Kentucky College of Medicine serve the state workforce.
In-state context: Both UofL and UK College of Medicine strongly favour Kentucky residents; typically 80–90% of each class are in-state. Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine focuses specifically on Appalachian community health.
Major health systems: Norton Healthcare · Baptist Health (KY) · UK Healthcare · UofL Health · Pikeville Medical Center
DDS vs DMD — what is the difference?
Both DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry / Doctor of Dental Medicine) are equivalent degrees. The title used depends solely on the university, not on any difference in training, scope of practice, or licensure. All CODA-accredited programs lead to the same dental licence. Applications go through AADSAS (ADEA) for most schools. The DAT (Dental Admission Test) is required by virtually all programs.
3 Dental Programs in Kentucky
- University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (DMD)
Lexington, KY
The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, located in Lexington, trains approximately 55–65 DMD students per year with a strong emphasis on Appalachian and rural Kentucky oral health. UK Dental co-locates with UK's Academic Medical Center, providing interprofessional training alongside UK medical and pharmacy students. The school has an active research enterprise in oral biology, dental materials, and community oral health, and its graduates are disproportionately likely to remain in Kentucky to practise.
DMD12.4% acceptanceStrong in-state pref. - University of Louisville School of Dentistry (DMD)
Louisville, KY
The University of Louisville School of Dentistry, founded in 1887 and located on UofL's Health Sciences Campus, is Kentucky's flagship dental school. Training approximately 120 DMD students per year, UofL Dental combines urban clinical training at its Louisville facilities with community outreach and rural rotation opportunities. The school co-locates with UofL Health, providing interprofessional education alongside medical, nursing, and pharmacy students, and has strong specialty training programmes.
DMD7.5% acceptanceOOS friendly - University of Pikeville Tanner College of Dental Medicine (DMD)
Pikeville, KY
The University of Pikeville Tanner College of Dental Medicine, which received CODA initial accreditation in September 2025 and welcomed its inaugural class of 54 students in June 2026, is a private dental school in the heart of Appalachian Eastern Kentucky. The school trains DMD students with an explicit mission to address the catastrophic oral health disparities of the Appalachian region — among the worst in the United States. Co-located with UPIKE's College of Osteopathic Medicine, the school offers an interprofessional health education environment in a community that desperately needs more healthcare providers. UPIKE Tanner delivers its DMD on an accelerated three-year (three calendar years) schedule, a model used by only a few US dental schools.
DMD9.0% acceptance
Applying to dental school in Kentucky?
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