Joining Navy after graduating civilian residency

[GiardiaSpaghetti]

Hello and happy new year!

I'm currently finishing up a 1 year AEGD program and will be starting a prosthodontic residency later this July 2023, both civilian, expected graduation 2026. I've been thinking ahead about what I would like to do after training and am considering going the military route, particularly the Navy. I've been trying to find some info in terms of joining the Navy as a prosthodontist and the timeline to apply so I begin straight after graduation, average salary, sign-on bonus, and number of spots available per year? I understand I would appreciate any information tbh. Thank you!

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[ShortShortsDad]

Why, for the love of god, would you want to do that?? If you have always wanted to be a Naval officer and all the nonsense that entails then by all means go for it. If you want to do cool prosth things with new toys and technologies without lab restrictions and soul crushing paperwork/admin then stay a civilian.

 

[averageasian]

I’m a Navy general dentist and seeing what my pros colleagues do, this is far different from what civilian pros does.

Our navy pros guys do crown and bridge and single unit implants. You don’t do all on X or complex FMR that you would do as a civilian. They basically do all the pros stuff I can’t since general dentists can’t touch implants in the navy.

If your desire to serve is still there, do it.

But you won’t be doing any of the cool cases you were trained to do nor will you be paid what your civilian colleagues are making. The navy underutilizes you.

Your job is to get sailors and marines dentally ready so they can deploy, plan and simple. You will be limited by time and available treatment options.

That being said, I’m grateful to be serving those who fight for us and lucky to have my rank and job but these are things the recruiter doesn’t know/won’t tell you. The Navy is a great experience but if you think you’re just going to be a “dentist” or “prosthodontist” in the Navy, you are wrong.

 

[averageasian]

To answer your actual question though,

You can probably come in as a Lieutenant Commander O-4 (look up O-4 base pay). You will be paid based on this rank plus some incentive pay as you’re a dentist/specialist. I am unsure if you’d be eligible for a retention bonus since you wouldn’t have any time in service already.

As for spots, it really depends on how many people the navy is separating/retiring vs bringing onto active duty from their own pros residency. I’m thinking the navy could find use for you.

TLDR; You’d be a high ranking navy officer but also one of the poorest prosthodontists in the country.

 

[lol105]

I heard it through the grapevine that civilian residency time counts 1 year for 1 year of active service, and 1 year of private practice as 0.5 years of active service.

If this holds true, then you would have had 4 years of civilian residency training and 0 years of private practice = 4 years of active service

Since you need 6 years of time in grade to promote, you would most likely join as O-3 w/ 4 years of service.... but it all depends on how you negotiate and how badly the Navy wants you.

Also there is a fat bonus for you to join as a prosthodontist - ~300k acquisition bonus if you sign a 4 year contract.

But you should seriously consider talking to a Navy prosthodontist before you commit to anything...

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Our navy pros guys do crown and bridge and single unit implants.

Navy prosthodontist = civilian general dentist. Fact.

As has been pointed out, if you want to be a “legit” prosthodontist, don’t become a Navy prosthodontist. You’ll seriously be doing mostly single unit fixed stuff.

Also, if you join as a prosthodontist, you’ll have done it all bass-ackwards. You should have done the HPSP to pay for dental school, then gotten paid 6 figures while doing a military prosth residency. So, you likely now have a pile of student loans and you’ll make a “government” wage. Not a smart move.

Big Hoss

 

[averageasian]

Navy prosthodontist = civilian general dentist. Fact.

As has been pointed out, if you want to be a “legit” prosthodontist, don’t become a Navy prosthodontist. You’ll seriously be doing mostly single unit fixed stuff.

Also, if you join as a prosthodontist, you’ll have done it all bass-ackwards. You should have done the HPSP to pay for dental school, then gotten paid 6 figures while doing a military prosth residency. So, you likely now have a pile of student loans and you’ll make a “government” wage. Not a smart move.

Big Hoss

I almost sounded like you writing that post!

It blows my mind that even navy general dentists cannot restore a single unit implant crown. Which is one of the easiest things in the world if the implant is well placed.

You could teach a 3 year old to screw on the coping and unscrew it. Lab takes care of the rest.

Rant over.

 

[knewstance]

I almost sounded like you writing that post!

It blows my mind that even navy general dentists cannot restore a single unit implant crown. Which is one of the easiest things in the world if the implant is well placed.

You could teach a 3 year old to screw on the coping and unscrew it. Lab takes care of the rest.

Rant over.

I'm in the process of restoring a few single unit implants and I was required to have a prosthodontist sign off on each step of the case just because I sent them all at the same time.