Dental Assistant

Summary Dental assistants facilitate direct patient care by working with the Dentist in restorative, prosthodontic, maxillofacial prosthodontic, periodontal, endodontic, and oral surgery procedures. They prepare patients for treatment, schedule appointments, assist with the aspirating of air/water syringes, expose dental radiographs, ad take impressions for provisional crowns. Among other ancillary procedures with the objective of helping clinicians achieve optimal oral health for veteran patients. Responsibilities Functions: Duties listed in this section (a) comprise at least 25% of the clinical expanded function dental assistant's time. Performs mouth mirror inspection of the oral cavity Gathers diagnostic information Performs pulp vitality testing Charts existing restoration and conditions Selects shades for fixed and removable prostheses Places and removes rubber dams and matrix bands Places and removes retraction cord Places and removes intracoronal temporary restoration Removes temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris Fabricates, adjusts and cements temporary crowns Removes permanent cement from supragingival surfaces Removes sutures Places and removes surgical dressings Monitors nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesic Performs coronal polishing of teeth Removes hard accretions from and polishes removable prostheses Customer Service Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery Chairside Assisting Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration Dental Imaging Exposes both standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e. TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination Follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment Clerical Functions Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments Initiates computerized progress note Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records. Information Management Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Follows computer security regulations Patient Safety Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position) Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress Employee Education Complies with Employee Education requirements Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions Dental Laboratory Functions Pours impressions and prepares study models Makes initial or preliminary denture impression. Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow Direct Patient Care Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure Applies topical anesthetic at the injection site Applies topical fluoride Provides patient preventative education and oral hygiene instruction Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 7am - 3:30pm, Monday through Friday 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 50256F Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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. 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. 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: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) Experience and Education: 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 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 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 required for all positions above the full performance level of GS-6. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date (4/19/2011) of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification for positions above the full performance level that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-7 Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level or equivalent that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to perform dental assisting expanded functions. Comprehensive working knowledge of advanced imaging techniques in order to provide instruction (e.g. cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, TMJ, etc). Assignment: In this position, the employee performs a higher level, scope, complexity and variety representing the clinical assignment, and applies advanced clinical skills. Representative duties at this level include, but are not limited to: gathering diagnostic information, pulp vitality testing, charting of existing conditions, placing of rubber dam and matrices, selecting shades, placing retraction cord, placing and removing temporary restorations, fabricating temporary crowns and removing permanent cement from supragingival surfaces. In addition, the expanded function assistant may place and remove surgical dressing, monitor nitrous oxide analgesia, and perform coronal polishing and the cleaning and polishing of removable prostheses. Preferred Experience: Do you possess at least one year demonstrating proficiency in chairside assisting, dental radiography, and infection control procedures? Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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 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. 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.