Best Care / Best Careers
This is a term (Not to exceed 4 years) position. This position requires a diverse and complex range of dental treatment to veterans who are eligible for care under the Homeless Dental Initiative. The incumbent will be part of the professional dental team of the Bath VA Medical Center and will be responsible for providing comprehensive dental care to eligible patients and will adjust levels of care, as necessary, according to the guidelines of eligibility. Candidates must be proficient in all phases of general dentistry, to include diagnostic, preventative, restorative, endodontic, periodontal, fixed prosthodontic, removable prosthodontic, and surgical dentistry. The incumbent will provide mentorship to dental students through the externship training program through an affiliation with Tufts University and will also provide professional guidance to the dental hygienists and lab technicians as needed. Other duties include participation in hospital medical committees, and development and/or implementation of clinical practice guidelines. The Dental Clinic consists of an eight-chair hospital facility and a two-chair nursing home facility serving outpatients, acute care inpatients, nursing home and domiciliary residents. Staffing consists of three generalists, part-time consultants in oral surgery and periodontics, five dental assistants, two hygienists, two lab technicians, and two clerical support staff. a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. b. Education. 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 Council on Dental Education, American Dental Association, 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.NOTE: The Under Secretary for Health or designee in Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a graduate of a school of dentistry not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research or academic position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate´s credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. (Also see paragraph 2d (4) below on waiver of licensure provisions.) The Under Secretary for Health or designee may also approve the appointment of a graduate of a school of dentistry not covered above as a resident under 38 U.S.C. 7406.c. Residency or Comparable Experience. At full grade and above, one postgraduate year of hospital training in the form of an approved residency program (general practice or specialty), or comparable experience as a dentist member of a hospital medical staff actively involved in hospital dental care d. Licensure and Registration. Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e. Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia. The dentist must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.