Dental Assistant

Summary

Dental Assistants support dentists during clinical procedures and handle key clinical and administrative tasks independently. At the full performance level, they manage more complex duties, including specialty care, equipment readiness, infection control, and patient coordination, performing higher-level tasks at least 25% of the time.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but not limited to:

• 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.
• Chair side assisting Sets up operatory 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 comfortably.
• Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions.
• 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.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories.
• Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization by SPS standards.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in exposing images.
• Assists patients in scheduling appointments.
• Assists 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 record.
• Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information.
• Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements.
• Impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication.
• Remove temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris.
• Re-cement and fabricate temporary crowns.
• Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education.

Work Schedule : Full-time, Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

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)

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 # : 5355F

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.
• 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: 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,
• 1. Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). OR,
  2. 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.

• 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). OR,
  • 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).
• Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
• 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.

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).

Grade Determinations :

GS-06: 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:

• At least 2 plus years' experience as a dental assistant.
• Excellent Customer Service and Communication Skills.
• Must be able to work under pressure and plan workload without halting operation as a whole while showing initiative in completing priority tasks.
• Experience with Microsoft office, Microsoft Excel, Multi phone line.
• Experience in coordinating clinic workflow and assignments.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Pushing; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (4-8 hours); Standing (4-8 hours); Repeated bending (2 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted).

Education

IMPORTANT: 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:

Accreditation Information. The education must be fully accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from CODA.

NOTE : If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE : If your school was accredited by CODA at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CODA website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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.