Dental Assistant

Job Title

Job Description

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to:

1. Chairside Assisting

• Set up/break down operatory and provide four-handed assistance across restorative, prosthetic, periodontal, endodontic, oral surgery, and implant procedures.
• Pass instruments/materials efficiently and maintain a clear operative field (suction, retraction).
• Prepare medicaments and impression materials; take preliminary impressions, adjusting trays as needed.
• Fabricate/place temporary crowns and bridges and adapt/seat stainless steel crowns, applying knowledge of common dental disorders.
• Triage dental and medical emergencies, routing patients to appropriate staff and initiating emergency codes as needed.

• Dental Imaging

• Operate intra-/extra-oral X-ray equipment, positioning patients and adjusting settings to produce diagnostic-quality images per provider request.
• Apply radiation safety protocols to minimize retakes and complete imaging requests within required turnaround time.
• Accurately document images in patient record.

• Infection Control & Sterilization

• Disinfect operatories/oral appliances and debride/decontaminate instruments between patients.
• Prepare instruments for SPS sterilization per RME SOPs without delaying care.
• Apply infection control procedures during imaging and lab case transport, and adhere to infectious disease policies.

• Clerical Functions

• Schedule/reschedule appointments, manage phone calls, and fill schedule gaps from cancellations/no-shows.
• Initiate progress notes and record medical/dental history; assist dentist with charting findings and treatment plans.
• Monitor supply inventory and communicate needs to logistics.

• Direct Patient Care

• Greet and interact with patients and staff courteously, responding to questions/concerns and performing service recovery when issues arise.
• Obtain vital signs and take diagnostic/prosthetic-fabrication impressions
• Remove/recement/fabricate temporary crowns and bridges, cleaning prep sites and applying prescribed agents (desensitizers, fluorides, tissue conditioners)
• Clean removable prostheses, remove sutures, and apply rubber dam for endodontic procedures
• Provide oral hygiene instruction and post-op patient education
• Additional duties as assigned.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized according to agency policies.

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be authorized according to agency policies.

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)

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 #: 000000

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.