Dentist (Dental Officer)

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

• Serves as a staff Dental Officer at a Bureau of Prisons federal correctional facility. Utilizes technical skills and professional judgement to provide a full range of dental services to the inmate population. Responsible for diagnosis and treatment of difficult dental problems in a correctional environment. Provides comprehensive dental care to the inmate population, who may have behavior and communication problems. Assists in the coordination of the dental program, providing input regarding proposed modifications to operating procedures. Assists in establishing and maintaining quality control measures to ensure final product conforms to standards set forth by the American Dental Association, National Board for Certification of Dental Technicians, and the Dental Service of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assists in the direction and coordination of production of finished prosthetic appliances in accordance with the requirements submitted. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements. Basic Requirements: Education: Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from a school approved by the American Dental Association (ADA), or the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. NOTE: ALL applicants MUST electronically upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. All academic degrees and coursework MUST be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position, you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. AND Licensure: Applicants must have passed National Board of Dental Examinations (NBDE) which are developed and administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) and possess a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. NOTE: ALL applicants MUST electronically upload proof of current, active and unrestricted license to practice dentistry and proof of successful completion from the National Board of Dental Examinations (NBDE) at the time you apply. All qualified referred candidates will undergo a credentialing process prior to employment with the Bureau of Prisons. This process includes validation of medical examinations, education, internship and residency. Please electronically upload these documents along with your required supporting documentation at the time you apply. AND Experience: In addition to meeting the above education and licensure requirements, applicants must have one or more full years of experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing professional dentistry work for GS-12 and above assignments. Qualifying experience involves the evaluation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and disorders of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area. Examples of dentistry experience may include the removal of decay; filling cavities; straightening, extracting, and repairing teeth; treating gum diseases; performing corrective surgery; making measurements/models for dentures to replace missing teeth, administering anesthetics, writing prescriptions; and performing other requirements of the position. AND In addition to meeting the above basic requirement and licensure requirements, Applicants must have completed a 3-year residency program in dentistry, oral health, craniofacial sciences or a related medical science; or have equivalent experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, and/or training. Some examples of qualifying experience are: Experience diagnosing and treating unusual dental problems. Experience providing dental therapeutics for the management of infection, pain, neuromuscular disorders, and apprehension. Experience conducting comprehensive emergency care and treatment planning. Experience treating and managing facial trauma including fixation of closed jaw fractures and identifying and referring more complicated damage. AND Medical Requirement: Applicants must be able to distinguish shades of color. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. **Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Requirements

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location. See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Key Requirements: U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. Selective Service Requirement

Education

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on09/30/2026. If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer? **DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ONLINE AS A PHS APPLICANT** Submit a complete/detailed resume or curriculum vitae. Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Address selective factor, if required. Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section. Submit supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable). In order to receive consideration for this position as a PHS applicant ALL required supporting documentation as specified in this vacancy announcement must be submitted directly to the Consolidated Staffing Unit via email at [email protected]. You must include the last four digits of your social security number and the vacancy announcement number on your application packet. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.