Periodontics Residency Programs in Kentucky
Kentucky has 2 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in periodontics, based in Lexington and Louisville.
Each is listed below with its institution, city, current accreditation status, and the years of CODA's last and next accreditation visits, pulled directly from the Commission on Dental Accreditation's own program directory.
Completing one of these programs is the recognized path into the periodontics specialty — read on for what each program's status means and what happens after residency.
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At a glance
In Kentucky
Programs
2
With a program
Cities
2
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
2 of 2
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Kentucky
Source: CODA program directory, index dated 2026-09-09. Status terms (“Approval without Reporting Requirements,” “Approval with Reporting Requirements,” “Initial Accreditation,” “Discontinued,” etc.) are CODA’s own.
Reading the List: What Kentucky's Accreditation Statuses Mean
The status shown above is CODA's own term, not this site's. "Approval (without Reporting Requirements)" is the classification CODA grants when a program "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation." That's distinct from "Approval (with Reporting Requirements)," which CODA uses when it has identified specific deficiencies a program must correct within a set timeframe — not a warning to avoid the program, only a status mid-correction — and from "Initial Accreditation," which CODA grants to a program that is accredited but hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class of residents.
The last- and next-visit years shown are CODA's own accreditation-visit schedule, not anything set by the program itself.
For admissions requirements, program structure, or cost, contact the program directly, and confirm any program's current status with CODA before applying.
Why Accreditation Matters for the Path Into Periodontics
Periodontics is one of 12 recognized dental specialties, and completing a CODA-accredited advanced dental education program in the specialty is how a dentist becomes a periodontist.
Kentucky has 2 accredited programs, compared with 2 in Indiana, 2 in Illinois and 2 in Ohio nearby; wherever you train, our step-by-step guide to becoming a periodontist covers the full sequence from dental school through residency, our periodontist career guide what the role involves day to day, and which dental specialty pays the most how periodontics compares with the other eleven.
Graduates of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and University of Louisville School of Dentistry programs who go on to practice in Kentucky need a dentist license from the Kentucky Board of Dentistry — see Kentucky's dentist licensure requirements for the clinical exams it accepts and the rest of what it requires.
After Residency in Kentucky
A CODA-accredited residency is the entry point into periodontics, not the final step — practicing afterward still requires holding an active dentist license in the state where you intend to work.
Kentucky also issues a separate specialty license, which requires an active Kentucky general dentistry license first; check its requirements with the Kentucky Board of Dentistry.
Once you're licensed and practicing, see dental specialties for how periodontics fits among the others, and search current periodontist jobs to see what's hiring now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited periodontics residency programs are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 2 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in periodontics, located in Lexington and Louisville.
Each is listed above with its institution, city and current CODA accreditation status.
CODA's own directory is the definitive, up-to-date source — confirm a program's status directly with CODA before applying.
What does "Approval without Reporting Requirements" mean for a program?
It's the classification CODA grants when a program "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation" — CODA hasn't identified any deficiencies the program needs to correct.
It's distinct from "Approval with Reporting Requirements," which flags specific issues the program is working to resolve within a set timeframe.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
Do I have to complete a periodontics residency in Kentucky to practice as a periodontist there?
No. Kentucky licenses dentists — including periodontists — who completed a CODA-accredited residency regardless of which state it's located in; what matters is the residency's CODA accreditation, not its location.
See our Kentucky dentist licensure page for what the state itself requires before you can practice.
What comes after finishing a CODA-accredited periodontics residency?
Graduates hold an active dentist license in the state where they intend to practice.
Kentucky also issues a separate specialty license, which requires an active Kentucky general dentistry license first; check its requirements with the Kentucky Board of Dentistry.
Our step-by-step guide to becoming a periodontist walks through the full sequence from dental school through residency and licensure.
Is every program on this list accredited?
Every program above is shown with the CODA accreditation status CODA had published for it as of 2026-09-09, the date this directory was last pulled from CODA's own program search. "Approval without Reporting Requirements" is CODA's standard fully-accredited standing; other status terms on this page — such as "Approval with Reporting Requirements," "Initial Accreditation," or "Discontinued" — mean something different, and a status can change after that date.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
More Kentucky & Periodontist Resources
Sourced from the CODA program directory (index dated 2026-09-09). Verified September 2026. Program details change. Confirm accreditation status, admission requirements and costs with the program and with CODA before applying.