Dental Assistant

Staff Dental Assistant

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

• 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

• 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.

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.

US Department of Veterans Affairs