Dental Assistant

Summary

This is an Open and Continuous Announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applicants will be reviewed 15 days after announcement opens and will continue to be reviewed every 15 days until the vacancy is filled.

The dental assistant assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision.

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Duties

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Dental assistants at this level serve as staff dental assistants at the full performance level for more routine patient care and perform some complex patient procedures under general supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.

Customer Service: Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, coworkers and the public.

Chairside Assisting: Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover, Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently, Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortable. Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instruction. Accomplishes all intraoperative procedures within standard infection control protocol. Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of fourhanded dentistry. 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 Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized, Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame.

Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization: Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories. Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination. Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPD for sterilization. Follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment.

Clerical Functions: Assists patients in scheduling appointments. Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments. Assist 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). Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients. 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: Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions.

Dental Laboratory Functions: Pours impressions and prepares study models. Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims. Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays. 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. Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication. Provides postoperative and other appropriate patient education.

Work Schedule : Mon. - Fri, 7:45 am - 4:30 pm, or compressed tour may be offered

Compressed/Flexible :May be authorized

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not 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 : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 60151-F

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.
• 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 :

To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

• Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States
• English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Experience and Education - To fulfill this requirement, you must meet one of the following:
  
  
  1. Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your 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). OR,
• 1. 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. You must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in this regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.
  
  
  1. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence:
     
     
     1. Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. OR,
• 1. 1. 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,
• 1. 1. Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). OR,
• 1. 1. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant. (This is applicable for grade levels 3/4/5/6 of this series)
  2. Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
  3. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). 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.

Grandfathering Provision. All Dental Assistants employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (04/19/2011) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Dental Assistants grandfathered under this provision may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees must meet the certification requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
2. Dental Assistants who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Dental Assistants initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
4. If a Dental Assistant who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

GS-06 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level) Experience Requirement:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05).
2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   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.

Preferred Experience: Three (3) consecutive years of chairside dental assisting experience in General Dentistry.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary but involves fine motor movements when assisting. Typically, the employee sits at a desk or table or on adjustable stool in the treatment room with some walking and standing as patients are seated or clean and dirty dental instruments area. Items carried are typically light objects and lifting of moderately heavy objects is not normally required.

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.

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.