Dentist
As an Army Dentist, you’ll manage a team-oriented dental practice, enjoying variety, working in dynamic environments, and using your skills to make a real difference to the lives of ADF members.
What you'll do
You’ll be responsible for clinical assessment, providing treatment to members and oral health advice in relation to fitness for duty to commanders. You’ll be trained in military skills and work in small teams or leading a dental practice, where you’ll operate and maintain portable dental treatment facilities within Australia and overseas. On some occasions, you may also provide assistance in remote areas to support Indigenous communities or communities in disaster relief areas.
You may also be responsible for the training and welfare of soldiers under your command. Depending on your unit, you may be required to perform your duties in a clinical environment in the field, barracks or in operational conditions.
Your duties may include:
- providing expert clinical treatment in a variety of environments
- leading the coordination, assembly, deployment and function of a dental team within a tri-service operational health facility
- management of dental facilities or health units
- collaborating in a multi-faceted healthcare team
- assuring the safety and quality of healthcare provided
- mentoring and training of junior dentists
- carry out financial responsibilities
- executive health officer roles
- applying first aid or advanced life support
- assisting with patient triage.
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career as an officer. As you progress, the Army will provide you with leadership, management, and specialist skills training to develop your ability to effectively manage your teams. You’ll also be provided with training opportunities to further develop your role-related expertise. This world-class training will strengthen your skillset and enable you to become an influential leader in the Army.
As an officer in the Army, you may also undertake a posting to an Any Officer role during your career, such as instructor/training roles and staff officer roles. This experience helps you broaden your skill set and prepare for more senior roles.
Following training, you could be posted to one of the many Army bases across Australia, or to a specialist facility for specific roles. You may also be deployed to temporary facilities on combat, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aid provision operations. Army Dentists are positioned throughout most Australian capital cities, primarily in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin and Townsville. You may also be posted to a regional centre around Australia.
Discover where the Army operates across Australia on our base locations map.
The Army has made me more confident. The skills you gain here do transfer to civilian life.
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 57 years.
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
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.
You need to be fully qualified and registered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to practice as a Dentist or Dental Surgeon in a state or territory of Australia.
You can also apply if you’re in your final year of study and eligible to register with AHPRA to practice as a Dentist or Dental Surgeon.
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.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 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 appointed for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of 3 years. 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 and provide a minimum of 3 months’ notice.
Course: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Duration: 20 days
Location: Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC), Albury/Wodonga region
You’ll undertake this course in the first 12 months of your appointment, where you’ll learn the fundamental skills required to operate in a deployed environment. The course includes theory, practical and simulated activities.
The LOBC aims to provide Logistic and Health Officers with corps and integrated skills and knowledge to fulfil a range of command and health specialised appointments at the rank of Lieutenant in a foundation warfighting environment.
Course: Dental Officer Initial Course (DOIC)
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: ADF Dental School, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
The DOIC inducts newly appointed ADF Dental Officers. This course is designed to build on existing dental knowledge but also provide a number of additional skills required by a Dental Officer in the ADF. In this course you’ll learn:
- advanced life support
- manage relative analgesia
- maxillofacial trauma and eyelet wiring
- tri and single service briefs
- Junior Dental Officer administrative and documentation requirements
- infection control and bench top sterilising.
Additional training opportunities exist as you progress through your career. For Dental Officers at the rank of Captain, you may get the opportunity to obtain your Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
As a senior Captain or at the rank of Major, and subject to attainment of the necessary academic standard, you may be selected to undergo further professional training at university.
You can also expect to attend a number of short military courses or tertiary short dental courses and seminars to maintain or update your clinical professional development (CPD) and military knowledge.
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 60 years, less the Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS).
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
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.
With Defence University Sponsorship (DUS), you won’t incur a HELP or HECS-HELP debt as the Army will cover the cost of your course up to the Commonwealth Supported Place amount. This may also cover any necessary equipment and education materials.
For Army DUS sponsorship, you’ll need to have completed one year of a 5-year degree or be in the first year of a 4-year postgraduate dental degree from an Australian university prior to receiving sponsorship. It’s recommended that you apply for DUS after you’ve completed your first semester and have received your results. Your sponsorship starts from the date of your appointment into the Army, it doesn’t cover any previous semesters of study.
Note: Postgraduate dental degrees other than those listed will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 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 appointed for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS). Once you've graduated, your IMPS will be your number of years of university sponsorship plus one year of full-time service. Subsequent periods of service or open-ended appointment 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: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Course: Logistic Officers Basic Course (LOBC) – Health
Duration: 20 days
Location: Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC), Albury/Wodonga region
You’ll undertake this course in the first 12 months of your appointment, where you’ll learn the fundamental skills required to operate in a deployed environment. The course includes theory, practical and simulated activities.
The LOBC aims to provide Logistic and Health Officers with corps and integrated skills and knowledge to fulfil a range of command and health specialised appointments at the rank of Lieutenant in a foundation warfighting environment.
Course: Dental Officer Initial Course (DOIC)
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: ADF Dental School, HMAS Cerberus, Vic
The DOIC inducts newly appointed ADF Dental Officers. This course is designed to build on existing dental knowledge but also provide a number of additional skills required by a Dental Officer in the ADF. In this course you’ll learn:
- advanced life support
- manage relative analgesia
- maxillofacial trauma and eyelet wiring
- tri and single service briefs
- Junior Dental Officer administrative and documentation requirements
- infection control and bench top sterilising.
Additional training opportunities exist as you progress through your career. For Dental Officers at the rank of Captain, you may get the opportunity to obtain your Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
As a senior Captain or at the rank of Major, and subject to attainment of the necessary academic standard, you may be selected to undergo further professional training at university.
You can also expect to attend a number of short military courses or tertiary short dental courses and seminars to maintain or update your clinical professional development (CPD) and military knowledge.