State of Florida logo
State of Florida
Palatka, Florida

DENTIST - 64005693

DentalFull-Time

Listed compensation

$135k-$152k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

  • Requisition No: 881800
  • Agency: Department of Health
  • Working Title: DENTIST - 64005693
  • Pay Plan: Career Service
  • Position Number: 64005693
  • Salary: $135,000 to $152,000
  • Posting Closing Date: 09/02/2026
  • Total Compensation Estimator ToolJob posting category (Open Competitive)

Your Specific Responsibilities

The incumbent, an employee of the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida, through integrated state, County, and community efforts.

The incumbent is expected to promote Innovation, by searching for creative solutions, and managing resources wisely. Incumbent is expected to collaborate through teamwork, to achieve common goals, & solve problems. The incumbent is expected to be accountable and perform with integrity & respect.

Incumbent is expected to be responsive, by serving our customers & engaging our partners. Finally, the incumbent is expected perform with excellence, by promoting quality outcomes, through learning & continuous performance.

The incumbent is expected to provide professional leadership, chart records reviews/audits, complete training, and provide clinical instruction & guidance to clinical staff, with the dental clinic.

Additional duties include, but are not limited to, ability to work cohesively with other staff and departments, ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments, ability to communicate effectively, & the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

This Dentist position provides care to all clients, pediatric and adult, which consists of examining, diagnosing, planning and treating, while adhering to current guidelines from both the State of Florida, and the American Dental Association (ADA).

This position provides surgical (minor), restorative, and preventive dental treatment to Medicaid- eligible, and self-pay recipients.

The same services shall be available to non-Medicaid patients, based on previously established financial eligibility guidelines, sliding scale fees, or as outlined in any executed MOU/MOAs (contract agreements). This position reports directly to the Putnam County Director of Nursing, Clinical and Dental Services.

This position is responsible for the overall clinical operations, and the day-to-day workflow of the Dental Clinic.

The dentist is responsible for staying abreast in the modern methods and principles of general dentistry, dental surgery, including its preventive aspects, oral hygiene & prevention, and treatment for diseases of the mouth.

Incumbent will obtain an adequate medical and dental history of clients, conduct dental examinations & evaluations, provide diagnostic radiology of teeth and gums for infection and disease, treat oral infections, diseases & injuries, malformations of the mouth & teeth, perform preventative/restorative work, extract teeth & fill cavities, when needed.

Incumbent removes decay from teeth, and restores with silver amalgam and/or composite, extracts infected teeth (with roots when restoration is impossible or contraindicated), performs scaling & root planning, prophylaxis procedures, provides oral hygiene instructions to patients and/or parent/guardian, performs topical fluoride applications, and sealants on teeth for children, as needed.

As a provider of clinical Dental services, the incumbent will be responsible for their individual documentation, entering services into the electronic health record, and communicating effectively with the other members of the dental clinic staff.

Incumbent promotes & evaluates the community and school-based, dental, preventive and health education program, provides community education, along with materials related to dental health, as requested and/or needed.

Incumbent communicates, collaborates, and works with local dental society members, & dental specialists in the community, to facilitate care for the indigent population.

Incumbent will serve as a professional leader for the Dental Clinic, immersing in quality improvement initiatives, and maintaining a positive work environment, which seeks to serve the community, using BEST practice in all aspects of care.

Incumbent must provide real-time feedback and accountability, as it relates to client-centered care and safety, in the workplace. Incumbent must assist in the coordination of dental clinic operations, scheduling and compliance, to ensure continuity of care.

Incumbent will champion regulatory compliance of infection control, instrument sterilization, hazardous waste, and radiation safety protocols. The incumbent in this position may be required to use vehicles owned, leased, or operated by the state or county to conduct official state business.

State or county vehicles shall be used only for officially authorized duties and not for personal use, unless a specific exception applies under Florida law (F.S. § 287.17).

Assists in the maintenance and/or updates of the dental program policy and procedure manual, infection control manual, hazardous communication manual and the quality assurance manual. Attends educational courses, training, and seminars to remain current in the dental field relating to the most recent practices and protocols. When needed, participate in community outreach events for the School-based Sealant Program (SBSP), or other community partnership with the DOH – Putnam.

Performs other related duties, as requested or assigned, by senior leadership.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge, skills, and abilities, including utilization of equipment, required for the position: including utilization/sterilization of equipment, required for the position: Knowledge of the information and techniques needed for examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, and care of conditions within the human cavity and its adjacent tissues and structures. Ability to provide adequate clinical records review of clients; treatment; ensure adherence to established clinical policies and procedures; provide clinical instruction; plan, organize, and direct the work of a group of clinical personnel, estimate future requirements for dental equipment and supplies; coordinate the dental program; keep records and prepare reports; and effectively maintain a self-supporting Putnam DOH Dental Program.

Qualifications

  • Minimum - Licensure as a Dentist in accordance with Chapter 466, Florida Statues.
  • Preferred- DOH- Experience, Eagle Soft dental software proficient, Bi-Lingual, Pediatric experience

Florida Department of Health Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission:

To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts.

Vision

To be the Healthiest State in the Nation.

Values

  • I nnovation: We search for creative solutions and manage resources wisely.
  • C ollaboration: We use teamwork to achieve common goals & solve problems.
  • A ccountability: We perform with integrity & respect.
  • R esponsiveness: We achieve our mission by serving our customers & engaging our partners.
  • E xcellence: We promote quality outcomes through learning & continuous performance improvement.

Where You Will Work

  • FDOH-Putnam
  • 2801 Kennedy St
  • Palatka Fl 32177
  • The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

  • Annual and Sick Leave benefits.
  • Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year.
  • State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options.
  • Retirement plan options, including employer contributions

(For more information, please click myfrs.com);

  • Flexible Spending Accounts.
  • Tuition waivers.
  • And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, including monthly costs, visit mybenefits.myflorida.com.

Please Be Advised

Your responses to qualifying questions for this position must be verifiable by documentation provided through the electronic application process.

This position requires a security background check and/or drug screening and participation in direct deposit. Any misrepresentations or omissions will disqualify you from employment consideration. Note: You will be required to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) in order to conduct this background check Successful completion of a drug test is a condition of employment for safety-sensitive positions.

Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. For more information, please visit the SSS website: sss.gov

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The successful candidate will be required to complete the Form I-9 and that information will be verified using the E-Verify system. E-Verify is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to verify employment eligibility.

Incumbents may be required to perform emergency duty before, during, and/or beyond normal work hours or days.

All Florida Department of Health positions require the incumbent to be able to learn and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, in English. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will not be considered.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by th

Key Responsibilities

The dentist is responsible for providing comprehensive dental care to pediatric and adult patients, including examinations, diagnoses, and surgical or restorative treatments. Additionally, the incumbent oversees daily clinical operations, ensures regulatory compliance, and provides professional leadership to the dental clinic staff.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Restorative dentistryPatient examinationElectronic health recordsTeam leadership

General Dentistry Career Context

Of the 46 active Dentist listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 46% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Florida is 103.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$144k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $139k in an average-cost state. 58.1% of Florida clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Florida has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$144k midpoint, that is roughly $6k–$10k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Dentist Jobs

26 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution26 jobs · 21 employers

9
<$285k
10
$285k-350k
3
$390k
2
$415k-480k
2
$500k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks23 jobs · 21 employers

401k / retirement match
74% this job
CME allowance
57%
Relocation assistance
26%
Sign-on bonus
22%
Loan repayment
17%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Endodontist

Freedom Dental Health · Wilmington, Delaware

$500K+
#2

General Dentist

Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics · Waco, Texas

$300k-$500k
#3

Dentist

$230k-$461k
#4

General Dentist

$200k-$450k
+ 24 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 1.5
Better work-life than 20% of Dentist listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,154 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Palatka

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$229k≈ 1.7× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,384/mo≈ 12% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

State of Florida logo

About State of Florida

Government Administration
Tallahassee
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Annual and Sick Leave
Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday
State Group Insurance (health, life, dental, vision)
Retirement plan options
Flexible Spending Accounts
Tuition waivers