This position is located in the Dental Services Four Corners Regional Health Center, Red Mesa, AZ. The purpose of this position is primarily to perform a broad range of preventative and clinical dental assisting function in order to allow the dental team to function as effectively as possible and serve the intended population in an efficient and professional manner. Incumbent reports to Supervisory Dental Assistant.

Duties

GS-03 and GS-04 Grade Levels: Greets and receives patients, follows guidelines, maintains equipment, cleans and prepares dental unit, schedule patients for treatment. Responsible for accurate recording of examination information and treatment performed. Keeps all instruments sharpened and properly sterilized. Responsible for routine chairside assisting. Expose, process and mount intra and extra-oral radiographs. GS-05 and GS-06 Grade Levels, Expanded Function (In addition to the duties listed above): Provide routine prophylaxis and topical fluoride treatments. Carving and polishing routine and complex alloy restorations. Takes preliminary impressions. Places and contours restorations, fabricates. Receives patients and schedules appointments. Assists and records medical history of patient; when required routes patients for test and services. Performs complex oral prophylaxis and applies topical fluoride treatments. Provides chair side assistance and other supportive services in the dental clinic. Maintains supply levels and cleanliness of dental station, sterilizes instruments, materials and equipment. Records examination and treatment information as relayed by dentist. Instructs patient in preventive dental care; demonstrates brushing and flossing techniques and use of disclosing tablets; explains the common causes of decay and its relationship to general diet. Performs routine dental laboratory procedures. Restores teeth after the dentist has accomplished cavity preparation. Position Re-announced to solicit for additional applicants. Applicants who previously applied have the option to update their application during the re-announcement.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S): Individual Occupational Requirements NOTE: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (l) 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 (2) be certified as radiographers in their field. The following meet these requirements: Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel prior to the effective date of the regulation (January 13, 1986) who show evidence of current or fully satisfactory performance or certification of such from a licensed practitioner such as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic who prescribes radiologic procedures to others. Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel after the effective date of the regulation who (a) received training from institutions in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not accredit training in that particular field at the time of graduation, or (b) practiced in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not license that particular field or did not allow special eligibility to take a licensure examination for those who did not graduate from an accredited educational program, provided such persons show evidence of training, experience, and competence, as determined by OPM or the employing agency. Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience in dental assistance to general or specialized dentistry, dental assistant (expanded function) work, or any combination of these appropriate to the position being filled. In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-03 Grade Level: Your resume must demonstrate 6 months of general experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position; OR Successful completion of (a) 1-year dental assistant program or completion of 1 year of a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that included a course in radiation physics; radiation biology; radiation health, safety, and protection; X-ray films and radiographic film quality, radiographic techniques; dark room and processing techniques; and film mounting; or (b) practical nurse training approved by the appropriate State, territory, or District of Columbia accrediting body; OR Combination of experience and post-high school education with course(s) related to the occupation. GS-04 Grade Level: Your resume must demonstrate 6 months of general experience that demonstrates the ability to perform or a familiarity with patient scheduling; and dental terminology to ensure accurate recording of dental treatment; AND 6 months of specialized experience in dental assistance to general or specialized dentistry, dental assistant (expanded function) work, or any combination of these appropriate to the position being filled. Specialized experience is further defined as: prepares sterile trays and packs; provides chair-side assistance during in general dentistry; passes instruments and materials to and retrieves them from the dentist; operates oral evacuator and suction tip to keep area of operation clear; operates dental X-ray equipment to take radiographs; and relays to patient post-treatment instructions from dentist; OR Successful completion of a 2-year dental assistant program or completion of a 2-year dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that included at least 12 semester hours of courses such as radiation physics; radiation biology; radiation health, safety, and protection; X-ray films and radiographic film quality, radiographic techniques; dark room and processing techniques; and film mounting; OR Combination of experience and post-high school education. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. Special Requirements (Expanded Function): Applicants for Dental Assistant (Expanded Function) position must have completed 1 year of acceptable course work, preceptorship, or other formal training and/or work assignments specifically designed to equip them with knowledge and skills required to perform intra-oral procedures involved in the position to be filled. Examples of acceptable training are: Courses in a dental hygiene or dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that are directly related to the intra-oral procedures (also referred to as expanded functions) that are to be performed in the position to be filled. U.S. Army's Dental Therapy Assistant Training Program. Continuing education courses in expanded functions for dental assistants offered by the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services. Other training comparable to the above in private or governmental hospitals, clinics, or schools that included formal classroom instruction and clinical training in the knowledge and skills required to perform intra-oral procedures in the position to be filled. GS-05 Grade Level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: advanced duties under a dentist such as restorative fillings expanded functions duties, cleaning or surgical expanded function duties. Other examples include monitor nitrous oxide, take x-rays; coronal polishing; apply sealants, place and carve restoratives; take final impressions under close supervision, apply sealants and fluoride; OR Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in a dental assistant or dental hygiene program that included at least 24 semester hours in courses as shown above for GS-3. OR Combination of experience and post-high school education. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. GS-06 Grade Level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: advanced duties under a dentist such as restorative fillings expanded functions duties, cleaning or surgical expanded function duties. Other examples include monitor nitrous oxide, take x-rays; coronal polishing; apply sealants, place and carve restoratives; take final impressions under close supervision, apply sealants and fluoride. Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

For positions requiring positive education requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume.

When there is a positive education requirement, or you are using education to qualify as a substitution for experience, transcripts (unofficial) are required at the time of application to verify that you meet the educational requirement or substitution. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Four Corners Regional Health Center HCR 61 Box 30 TeecNosPos, AZ 86514 US
• Name: Navajo Area IHS Human Resources
• Email: [email protected]