The Rewarding Experience of Serving as a US Air Force Dentist

Melissa Seibert, DMD, MS

Providing care to service members and veterans as an active duty United States Air Force (USAF) dentist is a unique and rewarding experience that can be quite different from the private sector. As a USAF officer, I balance military and dental responsibilities, which has taught me to be flexible and adaptive. Virtually every dentist in the dental corps (DC), unless they are a resident, holds some form of a leadership position, whether that be overseeing clinic operations, the laboratory, an infection control program, or so on. The USAF doesn't just build clinicians, it builds leaders.

Uniquely, each dentist in the DC falls into one of three tracks: executive, educational, or clinical. An executive carries the daunting task of running a clinic or overseeing multiple clinics, while those on the clinical track mostly see patients. Overseeing a clinic as a flight or squadron commander is not quite the same as running a private practice, and each position comes with its own distinct challenges. My clinic, for example, has more than 20 dentists and manages multiple millions of dollars in assets. We foster leaders of character who are motivated to find innovative solutions.

I have the privilege of being in the educational track, teaching in one of the Air Force's 1-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) programs. I spend half of my time teaching residents who recently graduated dental school, while the other half of my time is spent treating patients. This responsibility involves both didactic lecturing and staffing residents in clinic, which I consider an extraordinary opportunity that I never thought possible.

The USAF has renowned post-graduate residency programs, of which I am fortunate to be a byproduct. All the residencies are CODA-accredited. I first completed a 1-year AEGD at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and then went on to complete the "A-program," which is situated in Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The "A-program" is a 2-year comprehensive dentistry residency where graduates also earn a master's degree and do research. This training helped me become proficient in skillsets such as implant placement, complex endodontics, complex third molar exodontia, digital workflows, periodontal plastic surgery, treatment planning, and more. In effect, I was trained to be what is colloquially known in the profession as a "super dentist."

Comprehensive or "A-trained" dentists are useful in the USAF in that they are versatile and can be assets in any location. They can deploy overseas or be situated in a remote clinic in rural America.

Some individuals may elect to join the military as a dentist for the opportunity to have all, or parts of, their dental school education paid for, which can be especially beneficial with the rising costs of tuition. However, the greatest benefit of joining the USAF DC may be the post-graduate educational opportunities, including becoming a resident in one of various post-graduate residencies that range anywhere from an AEGD-1 to an oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residency and beyond. The learning only continues after graduating. Thanks to the USAF DC's group practice environment, which facilitates interdisciplinary learning, synergy, and treatment planning, with highly trained, talented providers, opportunities to mentor and be mentored abound.

For example, when performing a complex second molar endodontic retreat, I can consult with an endodontist down the hall, or I can confer with the periodontist a few doors down prior to doing a free soft-tissue autograft surgery. If I'm undertaking a complex treatment plan, I can meet with all the relevant specialists to facilitate interdisciplinary treatment planning with closed-loop communication. In effect, my education did not end at dental school or even in a residency but, rather, is constantly evolving.

An important component of being a dentist in the Air Force is also serving a readiness mission. We make sure all of our members are healthy and free of disease that could become emergent. This helps ensure that service members can be mobilized at a moment's notice. Also, being in the USAF dental corps affords members the chance to travel and live in diverse regions of the world they otherwise would not.

In conclusion, the virtue of serving in the USAF DC is an opportunity for personal growth, enabling individuals to evolve as educators, leaders, and clinicians.

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official views or policy of the US Department of the Air Force, the US Department of Defense, or the US Government. No federal endorsement of a manufacturer is intended.

About the Author

Melissa Seibert, DMD, MS
Deputy AEGD Program Director, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia; Clinical Instructor, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, Nebraska; Creator and Host, Dental Digest Podcast