Dentist (Service Chief Dental Service) RecruitmentRelocation Incentive Authorized

The Chief of the Dental Service directly or indirectly supervises the performance of staff privileged and/or working in Dental Service The general practice dental officer serves as a practicing dentist who performs a full range of professional dental procedures in connection with the treatment of common encountered dental diseases or dental health problems requiring standard corrective restorative or preventive measures.

While fulfilling his/her role the Chief of the Dental Service also interacts with staff of other Service Chiefs and/or Assistant Chiefs of Dental Services at other VA s staff of the VA Office of Dentistry with representatives of affiliated institutions professional organizations and veterans groups and with individual veterans.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE: 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:

1. Assisting with the continuation of the Service into the primary functions of the Healthcare System.
2. Assisting with the coordination and integration of interdepartmental and intradepartmental services.
3. Establishing and sustaining policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of services.
4. Recommending a sufficient number of qualified and competent persons to provide care/services.
5. Determining the qualifications and competence of Service personnel who provide patient care services and who are not licensed independent practitioners.
6. Continuously assessing and improving the performance of care and services provided.
7. Maintaining quality control programs as appropriate.
8. Orienting and providing in-service training and continuing education of all persons in the Service in collaboration with staff of other services.
9. Assists with recommending staffing space equipment and other resources needed by the Service
10. Participating in the selection of sources for needed services not provided by the Service or Healthcare System.
11. Designating a person to act in his/her absence so that administrative direction is provided at all times.
12. Establishing and assists in implementing patient/resident care policies personnel policies and other policies of the Service and WTVAHCS.
13. Evaluating and implementing as feasible any recommendations from WTVAHCS committees and consultants.
14. Maintaining ongoing liaison with the governing body with other clinical staff and with administrative staff through regularly scheduled meetings and periodic reports.
15. Providing direct patient care consistent with his/her clinical privileges.
16. Make oral and radiographic examinations of the oral cavity.
17. Diagnose pathological or irregular oral conditions.
18. Administer local anesthesia.
19. Perform routine and complex restoration of teeth.
20. Perform simple and complex extractions of teeth.
21. Perform alveoloplasty and other routine surgical procedures.
22. Perform prosthetic dentistry to include immediate dentures full dentures partial dentures crowns and fixed bridge work.
23. Perform routine endodontic procedures on single and multi-canal teeth.
24. Perform routine and surgical periodontal procedures.
25. Responsible for clinic administration in compliance with VHA Medical Center and Dental Services Directives Policies and Procedures.
26. Providing guidance to staff in meeting assigned monitors:

Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• 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.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Dentist Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Dentists including residents appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).
• Education: A degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery or dental medicine resulting from a course of education in dentistry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are (1) 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.(2) 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 certification and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate if claimed by the applicant. AND
• Residency Training or Comparable Experience: 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
• Licensure and Registration: 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.