Job Title

Overview As a member of the military, Dental Officers practice preventive dentistry and dental treatment for oral diseases, injuries, and defects of the teeth and their supporting structures. As a commissioned member of the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, Dental Officers primary duty is to practice dentistry in the military setting. They may also be asked to assist other healthcare professionals when particular skills are required and to teach subjects in which they have received specialised training. Work environment Dental Officers may be posted to a base in Canada or deployed on operations around the world. They work in a fully equipped dental office, which may be in temporary facilities, a semiindustrial setting, or on a ship at sea. Initially, Dental Officers spend the first four years in a dental clinic in Canada, starting in a group practice, then advancing to a small onedentist clinic or to a field unit. Assignment to a first base occurs after completing all required training. Regular Force members may be relocated; Reserve Force members remain at their chosen reserve unit, working parttime, one night per week and occasionally weekends, with potential for fulltime employment. Entry plans Direct Entry Options Paid Education Options Direct Entry: If you already have a degree in Dentistry from a recognised Canadian university and a valid licence to practise dentistry in a Canadian province or territory, and a National Dental Examining Board certificate, the CAF may place you directly into a Canadian dental clinic following basic training. Paid Education: The Dental Officer Training Plan (DOTP) requires a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD). The CAF pays successful recruits to complete a DDS or DMD programme at a Canadian university. For the duration of your studies, you receive a fulltime salary, medical and dental care, and vacation time, while you must accept a period of service after graduation. Proof of acceptance to a Canadian dental school is required. Training After enrolment, Dental Officers attend Basic Military Officer Qualification training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School for 12 weeks. Topics include general military knowledge, leadership principles, CAF regulations and customs, basic weapons handling, first aid, force protection, field training, navigation, and leadership exercises. Physical fitness is also essential. Basic officer training is available in English or French and must be successfully completed before further training. Dental Officers must complete the Common Health Services Officer (CHSO) course, an eightday elearning course available on the Defence Learning Network. The CHSO course introduces CAF policies, procedures, HR management of military members and civilian personnel. Dental Officers attend the Basic Dental Officer''s Course in Borden, Ontario, for three weeks. They learn to set up and use the Mobile Dental Clinic for military operations and the administrative and clinical procedures of a CAF dental detachment. Training includes precourse preparation, lectures, demonstrations, practice, assignments, group work, presentations and testing. The forces support Dental Officers'' development and maintain clinical skills via subsidised training, professional conferences, and specialisation in the following disciplines: Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Prosthodontics Periodontics Public Health Dentistry Comprehensive Dentistry (AEGD 2yr programme) Parttime options Most Dental Officers serve in the Regular Force. Reserve Force opportunities exist but are limited. As a dentist in the Reserve Force, you must hold a National Dental Examining Board certificate, an unrestricted Canadian dental licence and a letter of good standing. You must maintain clinical currency within your civilian practice. Reserve Dental Officers may be called upon to work parttime or fulltime at a dental clinic in the event of personnel insufficiency. Specialist dental officers may also support the Health Services by joining a Canadian Field Hospital Detachment. Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as Regular Force counterparts. They complete Basic Military Officer Qualification training and one week of basic occupational training per year. They may be offered parttime or fulltime position at a CAF dental clinic, paid at 92.8% of Regular Force rates, with all benefits and pension eligibility. #J-18808-Ljbffr