Dental Assistant

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. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

01Basic Requirements

Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience and Education (1) Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR, (2) Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). 3) Experience/Education Combination.

Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. c. Certification. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75.

Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field. (1) 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). (2) 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 under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment.

This will result in removal from the GS-681 series and may result in termination of employment. (3) Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. (4) Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants.

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. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

02Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-3 Dental Assistant (a) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 Dental Assistant (a) Experience or Education.

In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR 2 years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies.

Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements. GS-5 Dental Assistant (a) Experience or Education.(1) In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate] at least 1 year of experience equivalent to at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.

OR,(2) Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA.(3) In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement.

Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol GS-6 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to identify normal oral anatomy. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.

Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

03Physical Requirements

Dental assistants must possess the physical stamina to stand and walk for extended periods, frequently moving between rooms and workstations. They may also be required to sit for an hour or more during procedures. The role involves staying physically active for several hours at a time, performing tasks that require bending, squatting, and reaching. Manual dexterity is essential, as the position demands precise and repetitive movements of the hands and fingers to handle delicate dental instruments and equipment.

Tasks such as preparing dental materials, operating equipment, taking X-rays, and assisting in procedures all require a high level of manual skill. Acute vision is necessary to observe patient responses, discern fine details in dental materials, accurately assess colors and shades, and monitor instruments. Additionally, sufficient auditory ability is required to effectively communicate with patients and the dental care team. The ability to lift up to 25 pounds is also required.

Eastern Oklahoma - Please watch to learn more - Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties and Responsibilities: Receives and prepares patients for dental treatment, including seating, chair positioning, and placing napkin. Ensures adherence to infection control protocols and safe instrument handling procedures. Performs disinfection and sterilization of instruments and work area.

Assists chairside with a full range of dental procedures, including restorative, surgical, endodontic, periodontal, prosthodontic, and oral surgery, using four-handed dentistry concepts. Responds to medical emergencies, reports to dentists, and records vital signs as needed. Prepares procedural trays and other armamentaria set-ups for dental treatments. Recognizes dental instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures; anticipates provider's needs during treatments.

Captures, processes, mounts, labels, and retrieves dental radiographic images; evaluates radiographs for diagnostic quality; saves images to electronic medical records. Recognizes oral anatomy to ensure quality radiographs, and captures both standard and specialty dental images. Provides accurate entry and retrieval of patient records via electronic dental record systems.

Provides patient instructions according to established protocols; independently offers procedure-specific patient education and refers patient concerns as appropriate. Mixes dental materials and assists with laboratory procedures, such as taking impressions, pouring, trimming and evaluating diagnostic casts, and fabricating custom trays.

Maintains, cares for, and performs routine and specialty maintenance on dental equipment as per manufacturer and service standards; ensures proper storage of equipment and materials. Complies at all times with patient privacy and confidentiality requirements. Directs patients to appropriate staff for scheduling and follow-up visits. Responsible for all other assigned administrative and operational duties as required. Work Schedule: Intermittent; Monday - Thursday, based on the needs of the service.

Appointment Type: Temporary - Not-to-Exceed 1 year 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) 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) Functional Statement #: 52816-A, 52817-A, 52818-A, 52819-A