Dental Assistant

Summary

Dental assistants at this level serve in staff dental assistant positions independently performing more complex work in the dental disciplines of restorative, endodontics, prosthodontics, implantology, and oral surgery while receiving general administrative supervision. Assignments include advanced use of the computerized dental patient records system to include initiating patient consults, storing & viewing images, entry of diagnostic data & setting up for treatment planning presentation.

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Duties

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The Dental Assistant assists the dentist in many aspects in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision. At least 25% of their time is spent assisting in dental specialty procedures. The duties and responsibilities includes but is limited to:

• Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery
• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
• Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
• Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions
• Demonstrates proper procedure for importing and exporting digital radiographs
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories.
• The incumbent performs dental imaging which consists of taking digital and/or conventional radiographs of patients according to prescription, including periapical, bitewing, occlusal, panoramic, cephalometric, temporomandibular joint tomographs and cone beam CT scans.
• Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records demonstrating the advanced use of the computerized dental patient record system
• Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information
• Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress

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

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : Dental Assistant GS-0681-06

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

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.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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:
• Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your 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. 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).
• 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.
• 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:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Grade Determinations :

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).

1. 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.

1. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.

1. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.

1. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.

1. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.

1. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.

1. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.

1. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures

Preferred Experience: Two Years of experience as a Dental Assistant with Radiographs certification

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: None Provided.

Education

Please provide a transcript that displays the conferred/graduated/awarded/completion date to support your application.

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

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

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.