1. An Interview with Navy ________________________________________________
About Navy Dentistry
Q Professional dentists and soon-to-be dentists seldom think about service in the Navy, but
it really is a viable option isn’t it?
A Certainly anyone in the field of dentistry should consider Navy service. Sailors, Marines
and their families certainly need dental care every bit as much as other Americans, and the Navy
rewards dentists with competitive compensation and benefits. But the truth of the matter is that
Navy dentistry has the potential to be even more rewarding than dentistry in a civilian
environment.
Q Do you say that because of the way medical teams support the Navy’s military missions?
A In part, yes. It’s true that Navy physicians need to be prepared to support our deployed
sailors at sea and sometimes also Marines and sailors on land in combat roles, but please also
recognize that America’s Navy is typically the first responder to natural disaster situations
ranging from earthquakes to tsunamis to hurricanes, so our medical teams often see situations
and medical environments that are rarely seen by civilian medical groups. Those situations
present not only challenges, but also learning experiences. And they often result in remarkable
innovations in medical and dental practices and procedures.
Q So does that mean that Navy dentists serve primarily onboard ships?
A Everyone who joins the Navy must anticipate that shipboard duty will be a part of their
future. At the same time, it is important to note that even the saltiest sailor only spends a portion
of his or her time at sea, and many don’t have sea duty at all. The same holds true for dentists,
including dental specialists.
Q If Navy dentistry is regarded as an especially important career category for the Navy,
does the Navy do anything special to attract dentists?
A Navy offers a variety of incentives, both for active duty and reserve dentists, ranging
from sign-on bonuses and special-incentive pay to advance education assistance. Of course, the
benefits of serving as a Naval officer come into play as well. Already practicing dentists are
eligible for a sign-on bonus that can range from $75,000 to $300,000 depending on specialty and
service requirements. For medical students who are willing to serve on active duty, one of the
greatest incentives we have is our Health Professions Scholarship Program.
Q How does that work?

2. A In this program, the dental candidate enlists in the Navy Reserve until after graduation
from a graduate medical program when active duty starts. The active duty commitment time
period will vary depending upon which year of the educational program the enlistment starts. In
return, the Navy pays the graduate school tuition plus a sizeable monthly stipend to help cover
most of the student’s living expenses. Upon graduation, he or she receives a commission,
entering with the rank of an officer, and begins an exciting career.
Q You mentioned specialties. What specialties qualify for the program?
A Actually, there are opportunities in any of 13 specialty areas, from general care to
maxiofacial prosthodontics to forensics. In all of these areas, Navy dentists use some of the most
advanced technology on the planet without having to make the front-end investment on their
own—no start-up costs, no equipment expenses and no insurance fees.
Q Does the individual need to be licensed as a part of this?
A Yes, the graduated dentist must have and maintain a license to practice as a Navy
physician. The license must be from a U.S. state, territory or District of Columbia, and that will
require passage of the required exams as close to graduation as possible.
Q What rank or status will the dentist have upon activation?
A The dentist will be commissioned as a lieutenant of higher in the Navy Medical/Dental
Corps, depending on specialty, so both status and salary are comparable to that of civilian
dentists. And when you consider that a dentist in this program typically avoids having to take out
a student loan to get the degree, a lot more of that earned money remains in his or her own
pocket.
Q Are there opportunities for people to be a part of a medical team without a four-year
nursing degree?
A Of course physicians dentists, and nurses are at the top f the Navy’s needs list, but as you
might imagine, the medical field is extensive, so the Navy also needs strong medical technology
people, corpsmen and medical technology people as well.
Q How does one get started pursuing this opportunity?
A Actually, the best first step is to contact the local recruiting station to find out about any
and all of the jobs that we have available. To reach us, simply contact our station by calling
______________, or stop in most afternoons at ___________________________________. If
you or an out of-town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com and

3. click on ―find a recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code number.
The website will identify contact locations for both enlisted and officer programs. A call to 800-
4go –Navy will do the trick as well.
Additional comment:
To put the Navy’s role in perspective, you need to recognize that 70 percent of the world is
covered by ocean, 80 percent of the world’s population lives along coasts and 90 percent of the
world’s commerce travels by water. Protecting all of that is our job, and that makes America’s
Navy a global force for good.
Sailors serve on land and from the sea; from ships on the water, submarines under the water, and
planes and helicopters over the water – all to meet America’s threats far away so that those
threats cannot harm us here. We welcome the best men and women to join us in accomplishing
today’s missions and meeting tomorrow’s challenges.
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