Job opening: Dental Assistant
Salary: $36 047 - 65 607 per year
Published at: Sep 20 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
The Dental Assistant will be part of the Dental Service that provides restorative, endodontic, periodontal, removable and fixed prosthodontic, including implant restorative, and minor oral surgery procedures. The Dental Service is aligned under the Surgical/Specialty Care Service Line.
Duties
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
Duties Include but are not limited to the following:
Chairside Assisting:
sets up operatory for planned dental procedures and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
passes instruments safety and accurately and efficiently
prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions
accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols
assists in general dental procedures
assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral maxillofacial surgery, endodontics and surgical periodontics
Dental Imaging
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
Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization by SPD standards
Clerical Functions:
Assists patients in scheduling appointments
Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments
Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records
Patient Safety
Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities
Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients
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 fluoride trays
Direct Patient Care
Remove sutures and removal of periodontal surgical dressing
impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication
Remove temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris
Recement and fabricate temporary crowns
Coronal polishing of teeth
Care Coordination and Patient Management
Is actively involved in the case planning process for each patient
Questions patient as to chief complaint and identifies conditions needing immediate intervention
Reviews scheduled patient's medical records and initiates necessary precautions
Will actively participate in clinic system redesign activities
Work Schedule: Monday-Thursday 7:30am to 5:00pm, Friday on 7:30am to 4; every other Friday off
Compressed: Available
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation Incentives MAY BE authorized for highly qualified individuals
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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
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 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.
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.
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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
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
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.
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] at 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.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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
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
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 enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.
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 in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.
Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
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/.
Contacts
- Address Royal C Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital
2501 West 22nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
US
- Name: Amy Bakner
- Phone: 612-629-7180
- Email: [email protected]
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