Dental Lab Technician

Summary

The Dental Laboratory is an experienced technician. By applying an in-Depth knowledge of a full range of Dental Laboratory Services and Functions, and exhibiting the seasoned judgement normally expected by this journeyman specialist, he/she performs the following lab functions of that involve normal situations in the mouth.

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Duties

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• Waxes, invests, boils out, cures and deflasks acrylic bases for partial and complete dentures.
• Blocks out master casts, waxes complete dentures for try-in, according to dentist prescription, for checking final tooth arrangement appearance and speech function in the patients mouth by the prescribing dentist.
• Shapes wax to contours desired in the final dentures, and to the thickness required to maintain facial contours, insure comfort and provide proper fit.
• This includes presenting a finished Maxillary denture with a nearly uniform thickness of 2.5mm.
• Carves and contours wax to duplicate the appearance of natural oral tissues.
• Removes excess wax, smoothes and polishes surfaces, exercising extreme care at all stages of bbricat1on not to disturb the position of the artificial teeth.

Through knowledge of dental laboratory materials, and skill in their use. Them must be able to use laboratory tools and equipment such as dental laboratory drills and lathes and surveying instruments with skill and precision.

Reproduces dentures with high degree of precision and accuracy; carefully recording the relationship of teeth and ridge; removing the teeth from the dentures, repositioning and waxing teeth for processing.

Removes excess acrylic from dentures, grinds and selects methods to simulate contours of natural tissue. Polish denture carefully to remove all scratches. Preserve anatomical borders developed by the dentist by skillfully applying specialized tools to the denture in finishing.

Knowledge of instruments. materials, and standardized dental procedures used in the fabrication of fixed and removable implants retained dentures and crowns.

Familiar with the process and procedures in modern digital laboratory techniques such as, but not limited to, digital impressions, cad/cam milling, digital designs for stents, frameworks, and crowns.

Works with higher level laboratory technicians for cases involving acute abnormalities of the mouth and in the design and fabrication of dental splints or obturators.

Manage and utilize dental laboratory database for data tracking of workload and case input/out.

Maintains records of workload for various reporting purposes in a timely and accurate manner.

Perform additional administrative duties and clerical assignment by the Chief of Dental services.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Dental Lab Technician / PD06324A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/24/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement-SF-50 Submitted : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6.

For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7

For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR).

Specialized Experience:

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include : Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials. Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment. Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers. Construction of dental prosthetic appliances.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-7 grade level, you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE : One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Ability to utilize digital dentistry and be familiar with the process and procedures in the modern digital laboratory techniques. Ability to provide advices in the design and unique prostheses for the best outcomes. Ability to design and construct teaching models of different prosthetic appliances Carves and contours wax to duplicate the appearance of natural oral tissues. Removes excess wax, smooths and polishes surfaces, exercising extreme care at all stages of bbricat1on not to disturb the position of the artificial teeth.

OR

GRADUATE EDUCATION : Successfully completed 1 full year of graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application . Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR

COMBINATION : Possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-8 grade level , you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Blocks out master casts, waxes complete dentures for try-in, according to dentist prescription, for checking final tooth arrangement appearance and speech function in the patients mouth by the prescribing dentist. Shapes wax to contours desired in the final dentures, and to the thickness required to maintain facial contours, insure comfort and provide proper fit. This includes presenting a finished Maxillary denture with a nearly uniform thickness of 2.5mm. Carves and contours wax to duplicate the appearance of natural oral tissues. Removes excess wax, smooths and polishes surfaces, exercising extreme care at all stages of bbricat1on not to disturb the position of the artificial teeth.

OR

GRADUATE EDUCATION: Successfully completed 2 full years of graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application . Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR

COMBINATION: Possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE : One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Construct wrought wire buccal arm clasps to reduce tension on teeth and prolong their life. Reproduces dentures with high degree of precision and accuracy. Fabricates crown, inlays and fixed partial dentures from gold alloys, porcelain or acrylic materials, alone or in combination, according to the requirements of the case. Selects appropriate porcelain or acrylic facings of proper shade, size and shape. Articulates casts, adapts wax to die and carve pattern to proper anatomical contour and occlusion. Work closely with oral surgeons, prosthodontists, and other dental, medical, and laboratory specialists in the design and fabrication of intraoral maxillofacial appliances and restorations.

OR

GRADUATE EDUCATION-Documentation Submitted: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree that is directly related to the work of the Dental Laboratory Technician position. Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

OR

COMBINATION: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary with occasional standing and lifting of up to 50 pounds.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

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

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.