This position is located in the Clinical Support Services in the Dental Department of Surgical Services in Fort Wayne, IN. The Dental Assistant will be responsible and accountable for providing comprehensive oral health care within the established guidelines of an Expanded Function Dental Assistant.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include: Expanded function duties: Duties listed in this section (a) comprise at least 25% of the clinical expanded function dental assistant's time. Assists dental specialties, such as; Oral Surgeon, Prosthodontist, Periodontist Performs mouth mirror inspection of the oral cavity Gathers diagnostic information Performs pulp vitality testing Charts existing restoration and conditions Selects shades for fixed and removable prostheses Places and removes rubber dams and matrix bands Places and removes retraction cord Places and removes intracoronal temporary restoration Removes temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris Fabricates, adjusts and cements temporary crowns Removes permanent cement from supragingival surfaces Removes sutures Places and removes surgical dressings Performs coronal polishing of teeth Removes hard accretions from and polishes removable prostheses Placing, condensing, and craving Amalgam restorations Placing Class I resin bonded restorations Taking of final impressions for indirect restorations 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 Dental Imaging: 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- Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization: Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPD for sterilization Follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment Works closely with SPD to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in exposing images Clerical Functions: Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments Initiates computerized progress note Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records Information Management: Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Follows computer security regulations Patient Safety: Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position) Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress Employee Education: Complies with Employee Education requirements Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions Dental Laboratory Functions: Pours impressions and prepares study models Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow Direct Patient Care: Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication Removes plaque and soft debris from removable prostheses Provides patient preventative education and oral hygiene instruction Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education Work Schedule: 7:30am to 4:00pm, Monday - Friday. Schedule subject to change based on the needs of the Agency. 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

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. 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 and may be given temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certificate during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in the removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment 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.***DANB CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION*** 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: Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant, GS-7 Experience. One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. Assignments at the GS-06 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to perform dental assisting expanded functions. Comprehensive working knowledge of advanced imaging techniques in order to provide instruction (e.g. cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, TMJ, etc). References: VA Handbook 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36. DENTAL ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARD The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary but involves fine motor movements when assisting. Typically, the employee sits at a desk or table or on adjustable stool in the treatment room with some walking and standing as patients are seated or clean and dirty dental instruments area. Items carried are typically light objects and lifting of moderately heavy objects is not normally required.

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 Northern Indiana HCS 1700 East 38th Street Marion, IN 46953 US
• Name: Amanda Richmond
• Phone: 214-857-2293
• Email: [email protected]