The General Dentistry dental officer shall be proficient in all aspects of general dentistry including the ability to perform selected specialty services. Specifically, the provider should possess the expertise and competency to perform the following:
- Make oral and radiographic examinations of the oral cavity.
- Diagnose pathological or irregular oral conditions.
- Administer local anesthesia.
- Perform routine and complex restoration of teeth.
- Perform simple and complex extractions of teeth.
- Perform alveoloplasty and other routine surgical procedures.
- Perform prosthetic dentistry to include immediate dentures, full dentures, partial dentures, crowns and fixed bridge work.
- Perform routine endodontic procedures on single and multi-canal teeth.
- Perform routine and surgical periodontal procedures.
- Perform basic dental implant restorations including single crowns and overdentures.
The scope of practice that a specific provider may perform is defined through the medical center credentialing and privileging process.
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.
- Completed, or you are currently completing, a residency program in general practice or specialty, or comparable experience as a dentist actively involved in treating medically compromised patients. AND
- Currently hold, or will hold, a current, full and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Note: Dentists must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.
- Proficiency in spoken and written English.
REFERENCE: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Education
Degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery or dental medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:
- United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed.
- Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia as qualifying for full and unrestricted licensure provided the licensure requirements include a written examination measuring science achievement and a performance examination measuring clinical competence.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here:
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.