Dental Assistant

Summary

The Dental Assistant position is located in the Dental Service Line at the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Medical Center, West Haven Connecticut. This position is a Full-Time position at 40 hours per week.

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Duties

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Serves as a Staff dental assistant at the full performance level for routine patient care and performs a full range of duties with indirect supervision from the lead supervisory dental assisting or the treating dentist.

Customer Service:

• Show courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public.
• Provide assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery.

Chairside Assisting:

• Set up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover.
• Pass instruments safely, accurately and efficiently Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably.
• Prepare dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols.

Dental Imaging:

• Image are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed.
• Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimize.
• Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame.

Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization:

• Ensures that all elements of infection control meet the standards for outside review groups, medical center standards and Dental Service standards.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization by SPD standards Instruments are prepared in a manner that does not delay clinical care.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in exposing images.

Clerical Functions:

• Assist patients in scheduling appointments.
• Assist in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments.
• Charts findings, treatment plans and treatment provided in patients' electronic 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 JCAHO requirements;
• Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress;
• Monitors patient's blood pressure during recovery period following procedure.

Employee Education:

• Complies with Employee Education requirements and provides post-operative and other appropriate patient 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.
• Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow.

Direct Patient Care:

• Remove sutures and periodontal surgical dressing Impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication.
• Remove temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris.
• Recement and fabricate temporary crowns Coronal polishing of teeth.

Work Schedule : Full-Time, 40 hours a week, 8:00AM-4:30PM, EST.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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 # : FS Dental Assistant.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

NOTIFICATIONS:

• This position is in the Excepted Service.
• No EDRP/SLRP.
• Valid Drivers License needed.
• Salary Covered OPM LPS West Haven CT Pay Scale.
• This Position is covered by a Bargaining Union.

Requirements

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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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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.

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. 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).

English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

GS-06 (Full Performance Level)-

Experience. At least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. Examples of experience includes: 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 four-handed dentistry, assists with basic restorative procedures; mixes basic dental materials.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs ) In addition, 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Preferred Experience: CDA (Certified Dental Assistant) is preferred but not required

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

Physical Requirements: Stand for long periods of time, use hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

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.