Dental Assistant
As a Dental Assistant, you’ll be part of the Air Force health care team, supporting Air Force and civilian dentists as well as civilian dental hygienists working for the ADF. You’ll provide high quality dental care to ADF members, communities within Australia and coalition forces on overseas operations.
You’ll also be required to follow stringent infection control protocols in order to maintain a safe working environment and a high standard of patient care.
What you'll do
You’ll be employed in dental chair-side support roles, oral health education, practice administration and other health support duties. You may be required on occasion to undertake these duties working with portable dental equipment and Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) equipment either within Australia or overseas.
Your duties may include:
- providing chair-side assistance to dentists and civilian hygienists as directed
- preparing dental restorative impression and therapeutic materials for use by the Dentist
- operating and maintaining all dental surgery equipment as directed
- processing, classifying and mounting intra-oral radiographs
- preparing, interpreting and maintaining patient records on both manual and electronic systems
- coordinating and maintaining dental appointment system
- performing hygiene, sterilisation and infection control procedures for chair-side procedures including cleanliness of dental surgeries, instruments, and equipment
- assisting with accounting procedures for dental section stores, equipment and material.
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career. As you progress, the Air Force will provide you with development opportunities to assist you with your increasing leadership responsibility, as well as further education and specialised training within your chosen role. This world-class training will strengthen your skillset and help you to lead teams of aviators in future.
Following completion of training, you will primarily be posted to locations including Brisbane, QLD and Newcastle, NSW. You may also have opportunities to be posted to other bases across Australia, including regional areas, in line with Air Force capability requirements.
Discover where the Air Force operates across Australia on our base locations map.
I could do my bit and help other people while having a fulfilling career.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. The maximum age to join is 59 years.
For this role, you’ll need an Australian state or territory full, provisional or probationary C Class licence. If your licence is suspended or cancelled, you won’t be eligible until that suspension or cancellation has been lifted or has expired.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
Completion of Year 10 (or equivalent) education required with passes in English and Maths. A pass in Science at Year 10 level is desirable but not mandatory. If you haven't completed Year 10 but are interested in joining, the ADF may be able to support your application.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Female
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 5.1.
Male
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
You’ll be enlisted for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of one year. Subsequent periods of service may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service. You’ll have a Careers Coach who can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation and personal situation.
You may request discharge at any time provided you do not have an outstanding IMPS obligation.
Course: Air Force Recruit Course
Duration: 11 weeks
Location: RAAF Base Wagga, NSW
During this training, you'll transition from civilian to Service life, acquiring the basic knowledge, skills and physical fitness required for your role and learning to become an effective and productive member of the Air Force.
The major elements of the course include:
- personal development and teamwork
- parade drill
- weapon handling and firing
- airfield defence
- fire fighting
- physical fitness
- Air Force history, customs and traditions
- military law.
After graduation, you'll undertake Initial Employment Training (IET) in your trade or category.
Course: ADF Dental Assistant Course
Duration: 20 weeks
Location: ADF Dental School (ADFDS), HMAS Cerberus, Vic
The course provides instruction in:
- dental science
- workplace health and safety
- infection control, sterilisation
- chair-side assisting, model construction
- dental unit administration
- dental radiology
- portable dental unit.
Once completed, you’ll be awarded a Certificate III in Dental Assisting.
Following the ADF Dental Assistant Course, you’ll complete 12 to 18 months of work placement before completing the following course.
Course: ADF Senior Dental Assistant Course
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: ADFDS, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course will further develop your clinical and operational skills required to perform effectively as an Air Force Dental Assistant. This training will qualify you to take radiographs under the prescription of a Dentist, assist with the implementation and monitoring of dental infection prevention and control procedures, and support workplace health and safety (WHS) within a dental environment. The course is delivered in the classroom as well as simulated training. Once completed, you will be awarded a Certificate IV in Dental Assisting.
You will also obtain the skillsets required to operate in both fixed and deployed settings, and for employment in smaller or single-operator dental units.
Topics covered:
- ADF Dental Unit
- infection control
- radiography
- ADF Deployable Dental Operating Capability
- WHS considerations in a dental environment.
As you progress through your career, you’ll have the opportunity to further develop your skills by attending the below courses:
Course: ADF Sterilisation Technician Course
Duration: 5 weeks
Location: ADFDS, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course is delivered via classroom, simulated training and clinical placement rotation methods. It is designed to enhance cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation skills, enabling Dental Assistants to provide an enhanced Central Sterilisation Services Department (CSSD) deployable capability. Once completed, you will be awarded a Certificate III in Sterilisation Services.
Course: Dental Practice Manager Course
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: ADFDS, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course comprises of theoretical, practical, scenario-based testing, group exercises and e-learning components. Topics covered include:
- personnel management
- maintenance of stores and equipment
- infection control
- benchtop sterilisation and auditing
- clinical governance
- ethical practices
- complaint management.
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. The maximum age to join is 59 years.
For this role, you’ll need an Australian state or territory full, provisional or probationary C Class licence. If your licence is suspended or cancelled, you won’t be eligible until that suspension or cancellation has been lifted or has expired.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
The ADF Dental School (ADFDS) currently delivers the 2021 HLT35021 package. Where unit of competencies have been gained by an older package, that have not been superseded and/or are equivalent, a Credit Transfer will be applied to the current package for that Unit of Competency.
The ADFDS will not accept any qualification older than the 2012 package, as it is the oldest package you can have to gain entry to the Certificate IV in Dental Assistant Package, which forms the basis of the ADF Senior Dental Assistant Course.
In addition, you’ll need to provide original documents of your education, trade certificates, evidence of clinical currency (statement from employer), units of competency results and a current resume to your Careers Coach. These documents will then be forwarded to the Recruiting Liaison Officer (RLO) at Personnel Branch – Air Force for review by the Air Force job sponsor to establish eligibility for qualified enlistment.
A trade/skills assessment will be conducted at the ADFDS to determine gap training requirements. In addition, the military component of the ADF Dental Assistant Course must be completed.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Female
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 5.1.
Male
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
You’ll be enlisted for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of one year. Subsequent periods of service may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service. You’ll have a Careers Coach who can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation and personal situation.
You may request discharge at any time provided you do not have an outstanding IMPS obligation.
At a minimum, candidates must hold a valid Australian State or Territory provisional/probationary C Class Drivers Licence upon enlistment/appointment. Candidates with suspended or cancelled licences will not be eligible to join until the suspension or cancellation has been lifted or has expired.
Course: Air Force Recruit Course
Duration: 11 weeks
Location: RAAF Base Wagga, NSW
During this training, you'll transition from civilian to Service life, acquiring the basic knowledge, skills and physical fitness required for your role and learning to become an effective and productive member of the Air Force.
The major elements of the course include:
- personal development and teamwork
- parade drill
- weapon handling and firing
- airfield defence
- fire fighting
- physical fitness
- Air Force history, customs and traditions
- military law.
After graduation, you'll undertake Initial Employment Training (IET) in your trade or category.
Course: ADF Dental Assistant course
Duration: Skill dependant
Location: ADF Dental School (ADFDS), HMAS Cerberus, Vic
A trade/skills assessment will be conducted at the ADFDS to determine gap training requirements. In addition, the military component of the ADF Dental Assistant course must be completed.
After completing 12 to 18 months of work placement, the following training opportunities are available to enhance skillsets:
Course: ADF Senior Dental Assistant Course
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: ADF Dental School, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course will further develop your clinical and operational skills required to perform effectively as an Air Force Dental Assistant. This training will qualify you to take radiographs under the prescription of a Dentist, assist with the implementation and monitoring of dental infection prevention and control procedures, and support workplace health and safety (WHS) within a dental environment. The course is delivered in the classroom as well as simulated training. Once completed, you will be awarded a Certificate IV in Dental Assisting.
You will also obtain the skillsets required to operate in both fixed and deployed settings, and for employment in smaller or single-operator dental units.
Topics covered:
- ADF Dental Unit
- infection control
- radiography
- ADF Deployable Dental Operating Capability
- WHS considerations in a dental environment.
Course: ADF Sterilisation Technician Course
Duration: 5 weeks
Location: ADFDS, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course is delivered via classroom, simulated training and clinical placement rotation methods. It is designed to enhance cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation skills, enabling Dental Assistants to provide an enhanced Central Sterilisation Services Department (CSSD) deployable capability. Once completed, you will be awarded a Certificate III in Sterilisation Services.
Course: Dental Practice Manager Course
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: ADFDS, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course comprises of theoretical, practical, scenario-based testing, group exercises and e-learning components. Topics covered include:
- personnel management
- maintenance of stores and equipment
- infection control
- benchtop sterilisation and auditing
- clinical governance
- ethical practices
- complaint management.