Description
Position: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dental Corps Officer (Subspecialty Code 1750)
Designator: 2205 (Reserve Component)
Component: U.S. Navy Reserve – Selected Reserve (SELRES)
Audience: Open to both Direct Commission candidates and Prior Service Dental Corps Officers
Critical Wartime Specialty: Yes – listed on the FY26 SELRES Critical Wartime Specialties (CWS) Incentive Pay Chart
Job Summary
Bring your surgical expertise to one of the most respected uniformed dental teams in the world. As an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon (OFMS) in the U.S. Navy Reserve, you will deliver advanced surgical care to Sailors, Marines, and their families while continuing to grow your civilian practice. Reserve service is part-time – typically one weekend per month and two weeks of annual training each year – and gives you the chance to support combat readiness, contribute to humanitarian missions, and gain experiences you simply will not find in civilian practice. Whether you are a board-eligible/board-certified OFMS looking to earn a commission or a former Dental Corps officer ready to return to service, the Navy Reserve has a path for you.
Path 1: Direct Commission Officer (DCO) – For Civilian OFMS Professionals
This path is for civilian Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons who have completed an accredited OFMS residency and have not previously served as a commissioned officer.
DCO Key Responsibilities
- Complete Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, RI – a five-week introduction to the responsibilities of Navy Staff Corps Officers – within one year of commissioning.
- Provide the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgical care, including dentoalveolar surgery, dental implants, maxillofacial trauma, pathology, and reconstructive procedures.
- Support combat readiness by ensuring Sailors and Marines maintain dental fitness for worldwide deployment.
- Drill at a Navy Reserve site close to home; serve annual training at Navy medical treatment facilities, hospital ships (USNS Comfort/USNS Mercy), or operational platforms worldwide.
- Mentor junior dental officers and lead enlisted dental technicians during drill weekends, annual training, and mobilizations.
DCO Minimum Qualifications
- Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Age: Must be commissioned before your 42nd birthday. Waivers are considered case-by-case (up to age 57 via CNRC, and up to age 68 for critical skills with DCNO N1 approval, provided a full 3-year obligation can be completed before the 68th birthday).
- Education: Graduate of an accredited dental school in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Dental and Auxiliary Educational Programs of the American Dental Association.
- Specialty Training: Completion of an accredited Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery residency program; board-eligible or board-certified preferred.
- Licensure: Current, valid, unrestricted license to practice dentistry in any U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia (per BUMEDINST 6010.30).
- Credentialing: Must hold current competency in OFMS and the ability to obtain CCPD credentialing in the subspecialty for which the appointment is being made; credentials will be verified by the Centralized Credentialing and Privileging Directorate (CCPD), Jacksonville, FL prior to BUMED Professional Review Board action.
- Practice Activity: Must be actively engaged in the practice of dentistry/OFMS (recent graduates within 6 months of graduation are exempt).
- Physical Fitness: Must meet medical standards per the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15, and DoDI 6130.03.
Path 2: Prior Service Affiliation – For Former Dental Corps OFMS Officers
This path is for officers who previously served and qualified as an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon in the Dental Corps of any U.S. military branch and now wish to affiliate with the Navy Reserve.
Prior Service Key Responsibilities
- Leverage your military and surgical experience to immediately lead and mentor reserve dental teams.
- Provide advanced surgical capability in support of Navy Medicine readiness, operational platforms, and contingency missions.
- Potentially bypass initial officer training based on prior commissioned service (NAVET/OSVET exemptions may apply).
Prior Service Minimum Qualifications
- Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Prior Service: Must have previously served and qualified as a Dental Corps officer with subspecialty in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (DD-214 required for affiliation bonus eligibility).
- Licensure & Credentialing: Active, unrestricted dental license and current OFMS credentials; able to obtain CCPD credentialing.
- Physical Fitness: Must meet medical and physical standards for affiliation with the Navy Reserve.
- Re-entry Code: Must have a favorable re-entry code.
Benefits for All Reserve OFMS Officers
Joining the Navy Reserve as an OFMS comes with one of the most competitive incentive packages in Navy Medicine, reflecting OFMS’s designation as a Critical Wartime Specialty.
Critical Wartime Specialty Incentives (FY26 SELRES CWS Pay Chart, Subspecialty 1750)
- Accession or Affiliation Bonus: $45,000 per year for 3 annual installments ($135,000 total) in exchange for a 4-year SELRES service obligation. Eligible ranks: CAPT, CDR, and LCDR.
- Retention Bonus: $45,000 annual rate – may be taken in lieu of an Accession Bonus and may be received multiple times in a career. Eligible ranks: CAPT and below.
- Health Professions Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP): Up to $40,000 per year and up to $250,000 lifetime in loan repayment assistance (available only when no Accession Bonus or Special Pay contract is in place).
- Health Professions Stipend (TMS): Eligible – monthly stipend during qualifying training periods.
Eligibility notes: Per DoDI 6000.13, the Affiliation Bonus requires that the member has been discharged from a Uniformed Service (evidenced by DD-214) and is qualified in OFMS. The Accession Bonus requires that the member has been discharged at least 24 months before execution of the written agreement and no longer holds an appointment. Bonuses are taxable and paid in accordance with the FY26 SELRES Critical Wartime Specialties Incentive Pay Chart.
Additional Benefits
- Drill Pay: Earn four days of pay for a two-day drill weekend.
- Reserve Retirement: Accrue points toward a non-regular (reserve) military retirement – a meaningful supplement to your civilian retirement plan.
- Low-Cost Health & Dental: Access TRICARE Reserve Select – approximately $54/month (Sailor only) or $274/month (Sailor + family).
- No Malpractice Premiums on Drill Days: Federal coverage applies while performing official duties; no need to carry private malpractice insurance for your Navy work.
- Professional Development: Access to CME, advanced certifications, leadership courses, and a global Navy Medicine professional network.
- Practice Variety: Drill close to home; annual training opportunities at Navy medical treatment facilities, hospital ships, Marine Corps installations, and humanitarian/operational missions worldwide.
- Identity & Service: Wear the uniform and serve as a U.S. Navy Officer while continuing your civilian OFMS practice.
Service Obligation
- Per PA-114: Selectees incur an 8-year Ready Reserve obligation, the first 3 years of which must be served in the Selected Reserve (SELRES). The obligation commences upon commissioning.
- CWS Accession Bonus: Acceptance of a $45K/year SELRES CWS Accession Bonus carries a 4-year SELRES service obligation (one year longer than the baseline SELRES requirement) with a 3-year annual rate payout.
- Drill Schedule: One drill weekend per month plus two weeks of annual training (or the equivalent).
- Initial Training: Direct Commission selectees attend/complete an indoctrination course (Officer Development School, Newport, RI) within 1 year of commissioning. Officers with prior service in another U.S. military service may be exempt.
- Note: Receipt of any special pay, bonus, or education assistance may extend the aforementioned obligation period.
Application Process
Whether you are a civilian OFMS or a prior service Dental Corps officer, your first step is to connect with a Navy Medical Officer Recruiter who can guide you through the application package, accession physical, credentialing review, and BUMED Professional Review Board (PRB) process.
Ready to put your skills to work for the fleet? Contact a Navy Medical Officer Recruiter to start your application today.
Learn more: https://www.navy.com/careers-benefits/careers/medical/dentist
Find a recruiter: https://www.navy.com/local
Phone: 1-800-USA-NAVY
References
- Program Authorization 114 (PA-114), Dental Corps, February 2025
- COMNAVRESFORNOTE 6000 – FY26 SELRES Health Professions Officers Critical Wartime Specialties Recruiting and Retention Incentives (12 Nov 2025)
- OPNAVINST 1120.5B – Appointment of Regular and Reserve Officers in the Dental Corps
- BUMEDINST 6010.30 – Credentialing and Privileging Program
- DoDI 6000.13 – Accession and Retention Policies, Programs, and Incentives for Military Health Professions Officers
- DoDI 6130.03 – Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Military Services
