How to Become a Dental Assistant in Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is situated in the heart of Kentucky’s horse country, with beautiful, rolling green hills and horse farms dotting the countryside. It’s a great place to live and work, because you get the benefits of the large metropolitan area as well as the beauty of the rural Bluegrass Region.

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For a career in healthcare that is stable and pays well, consider becoming a dental assistant in the Lexington area. Dental assistants work under dentists to help patients feel comfortable, provide information about oral hygiene, assist in procedures and manage administrative tasks. Every state has its own requirements for becoming a dental assistant, so check here to find out what you need to do to get started in this career in Kentucky.

Dental Assisting Programs near Lexington

Lexington is home to several dental assisting programs. They generally take a year or less to complete and will give you all the knowledge and experience you need to begin working in this career.

Institute of Dental Technology. Located right in Lexington, this school focuses on dental programs and offers a comprehensive 16-week training program for learning to become a dental assistant. You can also earn X-ray certification here to be more hirable to employers.
University of Kentucky. The UK School of Dentistry offers a dental assistant training program that takes six months to complete. The program includes classroom work, but 70 percent of the training takes place in a clinical setting where you will get hundreds of hours of hands-on experience. The program includes certification for radiography, CPR and coronal polishing.

MedQuest College. The nine-month diploma program at MedQuest’s Lexington campus will give you the training needed to work as an expanded duties dental assistant. This means you can perform more than just the basic dental assisting duties and will make it even easier to find a job in the field. The program also includes a clinical externship.

Career Outlook and Salaries

The demand for qualified dental assistants is high throughout the U.S. In Kentucky, growth in the number of jobs available is over 12 percent, faster than average job growth. With such high demand, you can expect it to be easy to find work here in Lexington.

You’ll also earn a good living in this career. The salaries for dental assistants in the Lexington-Fayette area are $16.97 per hour and $35,300 per year on average. Higher-earning assistants may have more years of experience or expanded functions. They earn $47,200 per year and more.

Working as a Dental Assistant in Lexington

The Lexington metropolitan area is home to over 500,000 people, all of whom need dentists and dental offices. As a qualified dental assistant, you will be able to find a job working for a dentist in a small, medium or large office. You should find good opportunities right in the heart of the city but also on the outskirts in horse country.