Dental Laboratory Technician

Summary

This position is in the Dental Clinic at the Washington DC VA Medical Center (DC VAMC). The Dental clinic provides General Dentistry as well as specialty care in Prosthodontics, Periodontics, Endodontics and Oral Surgery for eligible outpatient, inpatient, community living center (CLC) and homeless Veterans.

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Duties

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Duties include but not limited to:

Production 40%

• Independently accomplish all aspects of fabrication for a wide range of complex dental prostheses supporting dental laboratory operations. For assignments at this level, dental laboratory technicians must have developed and demonstrated a degree of expertness in all aspects of the dental laboratory work and will be relied upon to carry out all aspects of their fabrication independently or with minimum supervision.
• The technician receives lab cases and prescriptions from dental staff and residents, confers with the treating doctor regarding design and fabrication, labels the cases, and determines the urgency of the work so that cases with the highest urgency are completed first, while creating a work plan to get the remaining cases done in a timely manner.
• The dental laboratory technician directly collaborates with Restorative Dentists, Prosthodontists, or Oral Surgeons to design and fabricate complex dental or intra-oral maxillofacial appliances. This involves (1) receiving and interpreting dental laboratory prescriptions, (2) working with these specialists in developing the design of the appliance, (3) confers with the treating specialist to determine a work flow that will ensure prioritization of cases with highest urgency, (4) personally fabricating, or overseeing the fabrication of the appliance, and (5) resolving problems in its fabrication.
• The technician is involved in complex removable and fixed oral-maxillofacial appliance including fixed, semi-fixed, or removable implant cases, partial and complete dentures when the severe nature of the dental abnormalities to be overcome require working to unusually
  close tolerances, resolving particularly difficult problems of esthetics, retention, balance, reducing tension on natural teeth and tissue, and similar problems. The technician must be skilled in prosthesis design, which may involve novel design elements to accommodate the patient's functional needs and unique anatomy.
• Functions include pouring primary and final impressions; fabricating custom trays; fabricating bite rims; mounting casts on articulators; setting teeth for trial dentures/partials; investing, packing, processing and finishing dentures/partials; polishing prosthesis following adjustment; fabricating night guards; fabricating provisional prostheses; repairing broken prostheses; adding teeth to prostheses; pouring and pinning final crown and bridge impressions; sectioning dies; fabricating fluoride trays; fabricating stints; fabricating transitional partials, fabricating wrought wire clasps, and fabricating fixed prostheses including metal and ceramic restorations.
• Fabricates complex crowns and fixed partial dentures, removable partial denture frameworks, acrylic partial and complete dentures. Provide consultation to Oral Surgeons, Prosthodontists, and other dental, and laboratory specialists in the design and fabrication of difficult intraoral maxillofacial appliances and restorations. This involves (1) working with dental specialists in developing the design of the appliance, (2) personally fabricating the appliance, and/or (3) resolving problems in its fabrication.

Laboratory Maintenance 30%

• The technician is responsible for maintaining the laboratory at the main hospital and at the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). These duties include, but are not limited to: ordering and maintaining laboratory supplies and equipment, researching new techniques
  and equipment, inventory and shipment of laboratory cases, act as facilitator between CDL North Texas, VAMC DC and dental community based clinics, maintenance of the infection control protocol within the laboratory, oversight of laboratory cleanliness and orderliness, etc.

Teaching/Instruction 20%

• The Dental Laboratory Technician provides education, training and instruction to other clinic personnel.
• Responsible for initial and on-going dental laboratory orientation and for year-round one-on-one and group instruction of dental residents. Teaching responsibilities include lab machine safety, equipment maintenance, use of caustic, acidic and flammable chemicals, and laboratory technique.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Dental Laboratory Technician / PD688-25187-0 and PD04042A

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period
• 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 dentification 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)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/02/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Individual Occupational Requitements: Specialized Experience for positions at GS-4 and above: Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials.
• Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment.
• Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers.
• Construction of dental prosthetic appliances.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-8 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Fabricate acrylic or porcelain crowns, bridges, or facings.
• Inspects completed work for precision, workmanship, and conformity with the prescription.
• Resolve the majority of problems independently while performing a full range of functions required in the construction of (1) porcelain or acrylic fixed or semi-fixed bridge restorations, (2) full or removable partial dentures, or (3) orthodontic appliances, or dental splints and obturators, when the construction of the appliance is complicated because of the unusual nature or intricacy of the design required to overcome acute abnormalities.
• Visualize the relationships of the parts to the whole at each step in the construction process and remain constantly alert to those elements of design and construction that are essential to the fit of the finished appliance

OR,

Education - To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have One full year of graduate education.

GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Receives lab cases and prescriptions from dental staff and residents, confers with the treating doctor regarding design and fabrication, labels the cases, and determines the urgency of the work so that cases with the highest urgency are completed first, while
  creating a work plan to get the remaining cases done in a timely manner.
• Collaborates with Restorative Dentists, Prosthodontists, or Oral Surgeons to design and fabricate complex dental or intra-oral maxillofacial appliances. This involves (1) receiving and interpreting dental laboratory prescriptions, (2) working with these specialists in developing the design of the appliance, (3) confers with the treating specialist to determine a work flow that will ensure prioritization of cases with highest urgency, (4) personally fabricating, or overseeing the fabrication of the appliance, and (5) resolving problems in its fabrication.
• Ordering and maintaining laboratory supplies and equipment, researching new techniques and equipment, inventory and shipment of laboratory cases, act as facilitator between CDL North Texas, VAMC DC and dental community based clinics, maintenance of the infection
  control protocol within the laboratory, oversight of laboratory cleanliness and orderliness, etc
• Teaching responsibilities include lab machine safety, equipment maintenance, use of caustic, acidic and flammable chemicals, and laboratory technique. The technician is a partner in the educational program for the residents and is expected to serve as an important resource in their instruction.
• Contacts are with patients, patients' families, dental specialists, staff dentists, and other Dental Service staff. Contacts also include sales representatives within the healthcare industry involved in providing supplies and dental instrumentation and equipment. Contact with other employees in the hospital includes nurses on the patient wards, clerical staff, and administrative staff.

. OR,

Education: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two full years of graduate education or a master's degree in a degree relevant to the position..

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Oral Communication
• Technical Competence

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Preferred experience: Preferred at least 2 years experience utilizing CAD-CAM Technology.

Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, sitting and bending are required. It is necessary to replenish plaster bins, and move heavy flasks in processing cases. It is required to move heavy case pans from one area of the lab to another and it is required to use a step stool to check top shelves of case storage areas.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

GS-8 Requirement - To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have One full year of graduate education.

GS-9 Requirement - To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two full years of graduate education or a master's degree in a degree relevant to the position

NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

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

• Whole Health Statement

"Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care."

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.