Like any experience in dentistry, it depends on which VA hospital you
would work at.

My experience with the VA was as a perio resident from 1988-1990. After
nine years as a GP in the Army, I decided to pursue further training. In
the Army, we were monitored by our peers and the Commander, not only for
quantity i.e. production numbers, but also quality of care. We were
adequately staffed and had the newest and best equipment available. Our
eligible patients were seen immediately for emergencies and within 1 - 2
weeks for regular care according to a treatment plan for that specific
soldier.

Now for the VA. We had one dental assistant for 4 dentists, regular
staff and resident included. We would rotate the use of the assistant
between us. All patients, including those with emergencies, had to go
through a bureaucratic maze before they were seen. Recently discharged
servicemen who had 90 days of VA access, were hardly ever seen, as the
appointments were booked out about 3 months and we had hundreds of
Korean War and WWII disabled vets who needed treatment, badly, and were
seen preferentially. Most of the GP's had had a 2yr. GPR, but only saw 2
patients per day! Just like in dental school. A 3 hour block in the AM
and a 3 hour block in the PM. The dentist would set up for the
appointment, see the patient, then clean-up in that 3 hour period.
Usually no dental assistant. The medical side of the hospital was
different. They had plenty of RN's and LNA's as well as tons of MD's on
staff and as residents. The budget for the dental clinic was controlled
by the medical side, so we were the last area to get funding, hence the
short staffing. The dentists stayed until retirement at 65. No new
positions were made available until someone quit, retrired, or died.
Getting a staff dentist position was extremely difficult and a new staff
dentist position never opened up in the 2 years I was there which
encompassed 4 different VA facilities. Oh, and there was NO active
mentoring for the perio resident. The periodontist was the Clinic Chief
and he was never around - for 2 years. Self directed program I guess.

So, if you have any conscience about your profession and the care of
patients, you will not like working for the VA. If you just like to take
it easy, then the VA is the place. But the positions are few and far
between.

Just my experience. Maybe it is not representative of the VA dental care
program, or maybe things have changed. But we have many thousands of NEW
disabled vets which will overwhelm the system even though the WWII vets
will be passing on. You should look long and hard.