Dental Assistant

Summary

The dental assistants facilitate direct patient care by working together with the dentist in restorative, prosthodontic, maxillofacial prosthodontic, periodontal, endodontic, and oral surgery procedures. They prepare the patients for treatment, schedule appointments, assist with the aspirating of air/water syringes, expose dental radiographs, and take impressions for provisional crowns.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

04/26/2024 to 05/06/2024

• Salary

$46,987 - $61,085 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 6

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Location

2 vacancies in the following location:

• West Palm Beach, FL

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent -

• Work schedule

Full-time -

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0681 Dental Assistant

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

Yes

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTC-12401606-24-KLJ

• Control number

788728500

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This job is open to

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is opened to US citizens. Current, permanent Federal Employees should apply to the internal announcement, CBTC-12401607-24-KLJ. There is NO need to apply to both announcements.

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Duties

The dental assistant is an oral healthcare professional trained to provide supportive procedures for the dentist and for the patients. The incumbent performs a wide range of intra-oral dental procedures and provides chair side assistance in the clinic and operating room setting, as needed. Assistants should use time out protocols to confirm patients' identity with at least two hospital approved identifiers before seating and preparing patients for treatment. The dental assistant will:

• Prepare patient, sterilize and disinfect materials, and assist dentist during dental procedures.

• Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.

• Take dental histories and vital signs of patients.

• Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.

• Provides administrative support to the clinical staff rendering care to those Veterans eligible to receive treatment.

• Responsible for the maximum utilization of centralized scheduling to encompass both outpatient and inpatient appointments and coordination of Dental Providers at the WPB VAMC, for the master control of all Dental clinics and appropriate notification to Veterans for future appointments.

• Responsible for assuring compensation and pension examinations are scheduled within mandated guidelines.

• Continually monitors patient flow, maintains contact with clinical support staff to resolve delays and miscommunication in the clinical aspect of providing dental care.

• Ensures patient access to care by having dental appointments properly scheduled. Accurately inputs data requesting follow-up appointments or treatment and generates letters to patients informing them of clinic appointments.

• Provides advisory and technical assistance to both patients and staff with regard to eligibility for dental treatment, as well as other special programs (i.e. Beneficiary Travel, Fee Basis, Nursing Home and Domiciliary Care.

Work Schedule: Full Time, 4 ten hour days.

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 40166F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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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 probationary period.

• Subject to background/security investigation.

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.

English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, of VA Handbook 5005, Qualification Standards.

Basic Experience and/or 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.

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 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.

*Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.

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 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 met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

(1) Such employees 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.

(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 or permanent 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.

Grade Determinations:

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met:

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 (ON THE RESUME) the [following] technical KSAs:

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1.Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

8.Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures]

(c) Assignment. [Employee serves at the full performance level with the ability to perform full range of duties with some independence in assigned specialties, with indirect supervision from the lead dental assistant, dental assistant supervisor or treating dentist. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: using the concepts of four-handed dentistry; assists with specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic and implant placement and restoration; anticipates surgeons/specialists needs at each stage of treatment; takes preliminary impressions; selects and manipulates a variety of gypsums and waxes; pours, trims and evaluates the quality of diagnostic casts; fabricates custom trays.

References: VA Handbook 5005/46, Part II, Appendix G36, Dental Assistant Qualification Standard.

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: The physical demands of the work include moderate lifting (15-44 lbs), heavy carrying (45 lbs and over), ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, good distant vision in one eye, ability to hear whisper voice. There is moderate walking (3-4 hrs.) and some extended periods of standing (3-4 hrs.).

Education

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

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.

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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• Benefits

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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 window

Learn 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.