Dental Assistant

Summary This position is located in the Dental Service at the Salem VA Medical Center (VAMC). Performs the duties of a dental assistant in a hospital based dental clinic. At this level serves as a staff assistant - assisting the provider and utilizing techniques of four-handed dentistry. Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 07/16/2026 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: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work - or provides familiarity with the work - OR- Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) - OR- 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- 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- Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD) 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 GS-03: Experience: None beyond the basic requirements GS-04: Experience: In addition to the basic requirements - 1 year of experience at the next lower level - OR 2 years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation [(CODA)] In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval Basic knowledge of maintenance - care -and storage of dental equipment Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements Assignment: Developmental dental assistants work under daily - direct supervision and receive guidance from senior staff for complex tasks Duties include preparing and seating patients positioning dental chairs placing napkins performing sterilization and disinfection providing basic chairside assistance reporting medical emergencies preparing trays and instrument setups exposing and processing basic dental radiographs with supervision mounting and labeling images or saving digital files to the medical record and following equipment maintenance guidelines GS-05: Experience or Education:(1) In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above - applicants must demonstrate] at least 1 year of experience [equivalent to] at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level OR - (2) Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA.(3) In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above - the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's: Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement Basic knowledge of instruments - materials - and standardized dental procedures Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol Assignment: Employees at this level serve as staff dental assistants [for routine dental procedures Direct supervision is given for any complex patient procedures from more experienced dental assistants or the treating dentist] [Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: responds to basic medical emergencies measures and records vital signs provides pre- and post operative instructions maintains a field of operation during dental procedures through the use of retraction - suction - irrigation - drying - placing and removing cotton rolls using the concepts of fourhanded dentistry - assists with basic restorative procedures mixes basic dental materials assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms applies pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses exposes and processes basic dental radiographs mounts and labels dental radiographs and/or saves digital imaging to electronic medical records evaluates radiographs for diagnostic quality maintains routine dental equipment per manufacturer and dental service standards GS-06: Experience At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) demonstrating the core competencies described at that level In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: Ability to identify normal oral anatomy Advanced knowledge of instruments - materials - and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative - surgical - endodontic - and periodontal care and procedures Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records 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 Physical Requirements: Work involves regular and recurring exposure to potential hazards of radiation and communicable diseases Assistant uses lead shielding or takes other acceptable measures for protection against radiation and disease and uses personal protective equipment (e.g surgical gowns - masks - eye wear - gloves - etc.) during clinical procedures and in accordance with service guidelines and policies Long periods of standing - walking - sitting - and bending are required for the entire shift.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06 The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Dental Assistant assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions under direct supervision.Duties include but are not limited to: Customer Service: Shows courtesy - respect and a positive attitude for patients - co-workers - and the public Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns - provide service recovery Chairside Assisting: Set up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover Pass instruments safely - accurately - and efficiently Keep operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably Dental Imaging: Images are characterized by diagnostic quality - accurately oriented and exposed Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized - and retakes are minimized Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization: Demonstrate proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories Clerical Functions: Assist patients in scheduling appointments Assist in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records Information Management: Maintain patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Follow computer security regulations Patient Safety: Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position) Provide accurate and understandable instructions to patients Employee Education: Complies with Employee Education requirements Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions Dental Laboratory Functions: Coordination of Dental Laboratory cases with the doctor and the laboratory Direct Patient Care: Provide post-operative and another appropriate patient education Four-Handed dental procedures - assisting the dentist Work directly supporting the GS-8 supervisory dental assistant and Hygienist during patient care Chairside assistant to all specialty providers Clean & Polish or dental appliances/prosthetics Work Schedule: 7:30 AM- 4:00 PM and every other Friday off Compressed/Flexible: Authorized Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade) Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr