Dental Assistant

Summary

The Dental Assistant assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care with the ability to perform full range of duties with some independence in assigned specialties and clerical functions, with indirect supervision from the dentist or supervisor. Duties will be performed in the VA NCHCS facilities.

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Prepares the operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit ??????for timely turnover, ensuring all needed equipment, materials, and supplies for planned dental procedure(s) are prepared prior to seating the patient.
• Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably.
• Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions.
• Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols.
• Assists in routine general dental procedures.
• Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, and periodontics.
• Complies with patient identification requirements.
• Compliant with meeting their role in the Medication Reconciliation Process.
• Compliant with meeting their role in the Time-Out process.
• Compliant with meeting their role in the IMED consent process.
• Compliant with infection control protocols in all aspects of the care process. Follows standard operating procedures for all reusable medical equipment (RME) in use in the dental clinical area.
• Keeps patients informed of clinic delays.
• Directly communicates with patients when treatment will not commence within 20-minutes of the patient's scheduled appointment time.
• Provides patient with an anticipated time that the patient will be seen, asks the patient if that time is acceptable or if the patient desires to reschedule.
• Charts initial findings, initial existing conditions, and treatment plans in Dental Record Manager as appropriate.
• Completes electronic return to clinic orders using the Computerized Patient Record System.

Work Schedule : Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 11041-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and Education - (1) Experience - Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work OR (2) Education - Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation (CODA).
• Experience/Education Combination - Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.
• Certification - Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.
• Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence - (a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. OR b) Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry. OR, (c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or OR (d) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD).
• Physical Requirements - A pre-employment physical is required for the position.
• English Language Proficiency - Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a.

Preferred Experience:

• Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
• Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level and is required for all positions above the full performance level.

Grade Determinations :

GS-6 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level)

• Experience - At least 1 year of experience [equivalent to] the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• 1. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.

• 2. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.

• 3. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.

• 4. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.

• 5. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.

• 6. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.

• 7. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.

• 8. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures.

• Assignment - Employee serves at the full performance level with the ability to perform full range of duties with some independence in assigned specialties, with indirect supervision from the lead dental assistant, dental assistant supervisor or treating dentist. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: using the concepts of four-handed dentistry; assists with specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic and implant placement and restoration; anticipates surgeons/specialists needs at each stage of treatment; takes preliminary impressions; selects and manipulates a variety of gypsums and waxes; pours, trims and evaluates the quality of diagnostic casts; fabricates custom trays.

References: VA Handbook 5005/46, Part II, Appendix G36, Dental Assistant Qualification Standard, dated April 19, 2011.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: (See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services).

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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