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Summary Dental Assistants will have the ability to perform routine dental-assisting duties. They receive guidance from more experienced staff members or the treating dentist for more complex patient issues and require direct daily contact with the work-site supervisor. At the full performance level Dental Assistants perform clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Receives and prepares patient for treatment including seating, positioning chair, and placing napkin. Retrieves all pertinent patient records prior to seating patient. Performs disinfection and sterilizing procedures. Prepares procedural trays/armamentaria set ups. Performs basic chairside assisting with direct instruction from treating dentist. Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably. Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection-control protocols. Reports medical emergencies to dentist. Assists in routine general dental procedures. Assists with basic restorative procedures. Maintains a field of operation during dental procedures via retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing, and removing cotton rolls. Mixes basic dental materials. Assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms. Provides patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction. Maintains dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards. Work Schedule: 7:45am - 4:15pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 - Dental Assistant Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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. You may be required to serve a 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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 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 and Education: 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.(1) 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). NOTE: 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 of38 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. BLS: Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. 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 GS-6, and is required for all positions above the full performance level. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations: GS-3:Experience or Education: (None beyond the above basic requirements) 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). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: 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: 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.(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: 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 (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 KSA's: 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: BLS, CDA, Certificate from CODA for approved Dental Assistant course. 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: Dental assistants frequently use hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls; repeat the same movements; stand and sit throughout the day; bend or twist their body. It is important for dental assistants to be able to see details of objects that are less than a few feet away; use fingers or hands to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects; hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm; speak clearly so listeners can understand; understand the speech of another person; make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls; see differences between colors, shades, and brightness; move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place. Education 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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). Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in the VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including certification [(for positions above the full performance level)] 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 me the qualifications applicable to the position at the time the were appointed to it, the follow provisions apply: [(1)] Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial position. Such employees [MUST] meet the [certification] requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. [(2)] Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. [(3)] Employees 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. [(4)] If an employee who was retained under this provision leaves [the] occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Additional Information 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. 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. 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.