Job Summary

The Dental Assistant will assist the dentist in all aspects of direct patient care and perform other clinical and clerical functions.

Job Description

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's 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. 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. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence (a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR (b) 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 (c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Dental Assistant GS-3: Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Dental Assistant GS-4: 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). (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 1. Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling. 2. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and [medical emergencies 3. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval. 4. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment.5. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements. Dental Assistant GS-5: Experience or Education: 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 Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs; 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)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: 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] Preferred Experience: 5 Year dental assisting experience 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 Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Heavy Lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy Carrying (45 lbs and over); Light Carrying (15-44 lbs); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 4 hours); Standing (up to 4 hours); Both legs required; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Mental and emotional stability required. This position requires some exposure to blood borne pathogens, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.