Summary The GS-6 dental assistants assists the dentists, specialists, hygienists, and technicians in many aspects of patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions. Responsibilities Major Duties: Aiding customers either directly or by telephone with questions or concerns, provides service recovery Maintaining inventory levels of required expendable operatory supplies and equipment as needed for upcoming procedures. Assisting the dentist and service chief with ordering new equipment or repairs if needed. Reviewing daily clinic schedule for provider in advance to anticipate needs. Setting up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Assisting in routine general dental procedures and specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, prosthodontics, endodontics, and periodontics. Assisting dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in Dental Record Manager. Assisting in maintenance, cleanliness of dental equipment/environment. Assisting patients in scheduling appointments and filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations/no-­shows. Knowledgeable in the use of the functionalities applicable to medical record documentation and patient management contained in both the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Dental Record Manager (DRM). Compliant with meeting their role in the Medication Reconciliation Process, IMED consent process, Dental Assistant Checklist process, and with work orders and aiding with dental equipment/supply inventory. Maintaining patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements Monitoring patient condition (BP, pulse oximeter, oxygen saturation) during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress Maintaining Basic Life Support Certification. Promptly reporting all accidents and notifies supervisors of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace. Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) - All employees shall possess the knowledge and skills required to effectively implement the GEMS. Monitoring will be performed by annual audits, questionnaires, and trending of staff knowledge. Information pertaining to monitoring staff knowledge will be processed and reviewed by the GEMS Committee and forwarded to the Environment of Care Committee for review. Fabricating custom impression trays, bite rims, vacuum-formed stents, soft mouth guards, and fluoride trays Pouring, pinning, and sectioning crown and bridge models/dies Removing temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris, without the use of rotating or power-driven instruments. Cementing and fabricating temporary crowns/bridges with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist. Placing and removing temporary restorations by a non-powered method with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist. Taking intra- and extra-oral photographs. Applying cavity liners and bases with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist. Inserting and adjusting athletic mouth guards, bleaching trays, and fluoride trays with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist. Recording pertinent medical history information/pain assessment after seating the patient for interpretation by the supervising dentist. Provides pre- and post-operative instructions along with other appropriate patient education. All personnel who are involved with the reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) are responsible for knowing what is reusable. Employees involved with the use of RME must be familiar with which items are reprocessed locally (on unit) and/or which items are sent to sterile processing and/or SPD for reprocessing and/or sterilization. If items are to be transported for reprocessing, personnel must be aware of the initial decontamination steps that must be taken prior to transport of items and the appropriate method of transport. Responsible for following the local Standard Operating procedure (SOP) drafted in accordance with the manufacturer's written recommendations. SPS and Infection Prevention and Control should be consulted when clarification of written instructions are needed. Employees must have documented training in the setup, reprocessing, and maintenance of specific equipment. Validation of competency will be done, minimally, on an annual basis. Reprocessing reusable medical equipment can suspend the reuse of any RME if they suspect that the device was not properly cleaned, disinfected or sterilized according to the SOP and manufacturer's guidelines. Employees must understand the importance of reprocessing RME and the significant impact on our Veteran population through the risk of infection disease. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, M-F Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 23008F 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. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. 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). Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and 2 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). 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. 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, and is required for all positions above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, walking, and bending are required. Work involves the danger of exposure to radiation and communicable diseases. The assistant uses lead shields to protect against radiation and wears face masks, gloves, gowns, and eye protection during treatment procedures. Grade Determinations: GS-6 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level): (a) Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (see below) that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. Experience at the next lower grade GS-5 level includes: Responds to basic medical emergencies; measures and records vital signs; provides pre- and post- operative instructions; maintains a field of operation during dental procedures through the use of retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing and removing cotton rolls; using the concepts of four- handed dentistry, assists with basic restorative procedures; mixes basic dental materials; assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms; applies pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses; exposes and processes basic dental radiographs; mounts and labels dental radiographs and/or saves digital imaging to electronic medical records; evaluates radiographs for diagnostic quality; maintains routine dental equipment per manufacturer and dental service standards (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: 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 the GS-6. 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 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 well-being. 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. 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. 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.