Dental Assistants at this level serve staff dental assistants at the full performance level for more routine patient care and perform some complex patient procedures under general supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor. The Dental Assistants assist the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision.

Duties

***This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 29, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 02, 2023. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.*** Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to: Chairside Assisting- Sets up operatory 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 tissue 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- Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics- spends 25% of clinical time assisting the following: complicated periodontics such as periodontal surgery, complicated endodontic treatment, prosthodontic treatment and oral surgery procedures. Dental Imaging- Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed- Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes and minimized- Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame Direct Patient care- Remove sutures- Impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication- Remove temporary crown or bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris- Recement and fabricate temporary crowns- Coronal polishing of teeth- Place rubber dams and matrix bands- Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education. Dental Lab Functions- Pours impressions and prepares study models if needed- Performs other laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 7:30-5:00 Compressed/Flexible: Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 56685-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English. Education and/or Experience: 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). (Must attach supporting document to application showing completion) 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. 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 GS-03 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 certifcation is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including 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. 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). Grade Determinations: 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). Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate in their resume the following KSAs: 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. 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 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. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate in their resume 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. Staff Dental Assistant, 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. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate in their resume the following 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. Preferred Experience: 5+ years experience as a chairside dental assistant. References: 5005/46 Part II Appendix G36.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS06. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying, use of both hands, fingers, reaching above shoulders, walking, standing, sitting, depth perception, rapid mental and muscular coordination.

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.

Contacts

• Address VA SALT LAKE CITY HCS 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 US
• Name: Dominique Johnson
• Phone: 801-582-1565
• Email: [email protected]