Bryan,
You've asked some good questions, and that is important because all too often people don't ask these questions until AFTER they've signed on the dotted line.
I don't know much about dentistry in the Air Force, but my father is a physician in the Air Force, so I do have SOME perspective on the whole package. I also have friends whose fathers are dentists, and it seems as though their ideas are not too far from mine, meaning that it seems both dentists and physicians in the Air Force have similar experiences (which would make sense).
My first observation would be to ask why you are considering the Air Force. If it is because you want to fulfill your passion for dentistry AND serve your country (yes it is serving your country) then I would advise you to continue your path to find answers to the questions you have.
If you are looking at the AF because you want to avoide debt in the dental school process, then I would RUN (don't walk, RUN) as far away from the Air Force as possible. As a sidenote, I think the AF treats their health officers the best out of any branch of the armed forces.
A student who chooses to enlist in the AF and a student who doesn't have anything to do with the AF will both come out with the same $$ in their bank account after 4 or 5 years.
Sure, the AF will pay for your education and give you a stipend, but then you have to repay that "scholarship" period with a service period. You can expect to earn $35-50,000 a year during that period, while many of your classmates will be earning double that amount (or higher!). Of course, you don't have loan repayments to worry about, but in 4 or 5 years everything pretty much evens out.
At the end of that period there may be AF enlistees who come out ahead, but odds are that your classmates who stayed away from the armed forces will be earning far more than you and handling their student loans quite nicely.
My advice to stay away from the AF comes because I am the son of a physician in the AF. From personal experience I can tell you that not knowing where you will live can be a signifigant factor.
A recruiter may tell you that you get to "choose" where you will be stationed, but they make no mention of the fact that your choice is typically not even taken into consideration.
Having a family makes the commitment to the Air Force an even greater burden, as dragging a wife and kids across country is never fun, especially when they haven't seen much of you during four or five years of dental school.
Another piece of information to remember is that many dentists and physicians STAY with the Air Force after their time is up, simply because it is a cushy life (in SOME respects, but by no means ALL respects).
The Air Force does the booking of patients and provides you with an office and equipment. Sometimes this equipment is new, but most often it is the best equipment they could get for the lowest price they could muster.
Typically an Air Force dentist doesn't have to worry about payroll, accounting procedures, hiring staff, etc. To many dentists this is extremely appealing!
Remember, though, that in this type of environment your income is going to max out at $65-75,000, and that probably includes bonuses. Speaking from experience I can tell you that my father, who is a specialist, earns 1/3 to 1/4 as much as his counterparts (and fellow classmates!) who are in civilian private practice. So what is more worth it? Would you rather schedule your own patients, do your own books, hire assistants, and pay for office supplies so you could make 3 to 4 times more than an Air Force dentist?
Hopefully this answered some of your questions. Of course, everybody has different experiences, and a large part of that will be based on where you are stationed. My experience, as a kid who had to put up with the crap the Air Force dishes out, is to stay away from the program. Doing it just to relieve the debt load isn't typically a good way to go. You will have VERY little say in your life during those repayment years, so be fully sure you are making the correct decision.
Good luck!
