The Dental Assistant assigned to this position will be instrumental part of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) Dental Service and will assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently or under direct supervision.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities of the Dental Assistant include but are not limited to: Customer Service - Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public - Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery Chairside Assisting - Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover - Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently - Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably - Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions - Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols - Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry - Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration - Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards - Displays a working knowledge of dental materials. Dental Imaging - Demonstrates proper infection control procedures when exposing images - Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized - Exposes both standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e. TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats - Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider - Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed - Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame - Obtains accurate information necessary for the radiology request and closes pending imaging consults in a timely manner. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization - Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories - Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination - Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPD for sterilization - Follows all Standard Operating Procedures, i.e., Reusable Medical Equipment - Works closely with SPD to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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 (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. 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). (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. Grandfathering Provision. 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). Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06. Grade Determinations: GS-3 Experience or Education. None beyond the 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 KSAs: 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. GS-5 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. In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality. 2. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement. 3. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures. 4. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA. 5. 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 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. Preferred Experience: 5 to 7 Years Dental Assisting Experience in various specialties: Restorative, Endodontics, Periodontics, Removable and Fixed Prosthodontics, Orthodontics Experience with digital x-rays: FMXRs, Periapical, Panoramic Experience with electronic records Familiarity with IV/surgical procedures: Oral Surgery, Periodontal Surgery, Implant Surgery Customer Service oriented Commitment to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) organization goals References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36. DENTAL ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-681 Veterans Health Administration APRIL 19, 2011 Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (4 hours); Standing (4 hours); Kneeling; Repeated bending; DVA&NVA binocular 20/20; Both eyes required; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Mental/Emotional stability

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

If your school was accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CODA website Search for Dental Programs | Commission on Dental Accreditation (ada.org), you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

Contacts

• Address Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]