Clarification from the agency

Current, Permanent VA Employees

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Employees at this level serve as staff dental assistants below the full-performance level with the ability to perform routine dental-assisting duties. They receive guidance from more experienced staff members or the treating dentist for more complex patient issues and require direct daily contact with the work-site supervisor.

Customer Service

• Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public
• Assists customers with questions or concerns.

Patient Care

• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover;
• Assists in routine general dental procedures using four-handed dentistry concepts, basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures;
• Assists with basic restorative procedures;
• Responds to basic medical emergencies;
• Uses knowledge of vital signs to measure and record vital signs;
• Provides pre- and post-operative and other appropriate patient education instructions;
• Maintains a field of operation during dental procedures through the use of retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing and removing cotton rolls;
• Mixes basic dental materials;
• Assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms;
• Applies pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses;
• 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;
• Monitors, and performs basic interpretation of, patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure;
• Applies topical anesthetic at the injection site;
• Provides procedure-specific, patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction;
• Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays;
• Performs other dental laboratory functions as needed;
• Maintains dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards;
• Relays patient concerns to treating dentist;
• May perform other duties as required.

Dental Imaging

• Possesses ability to identify normal anatomy;
• Exposes and processes basic dental radiographs;
• Mounts and labels dental radiographs and/or saves digital imaging to electronic medical records:
• Evaluates radiographs for diagnostic quality;
• Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider;
• Captures images characterized by diagnostic quality that are accurately oriented and exposed;
• Utilizes dental-imaging safety techniques;
• Accomplishes imaging requests within desired time frame;
• Maintains routine dental equipment per manufacturer and dental service standards.

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 SPS for sterilization;
• Follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment;
• 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 The 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 training sessions.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday-Friday, Variable based on needs of the service and at the supervisor's discretion
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91319
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Basic Requirements:
Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

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).
• 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, and is required for all positions above the full performance level.

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:

Creditable Experience
Knowledge of Current Professional Dental Assistant Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics (also referred to as "core competencies") associated with current professional dental assisting practice. Evidence of such experience includes graduation from a certified dental assisting training program, experience in private practice, VHA, Department of Defense (DoD), or other federal, state, community or charitable health care agency.
Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable after the training program certifies that the individual has completed all required courses, an internship if it is part of the program, and graduated with passing grades.
Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a dental assistant is credited according to its relationship to full-time workweek. For example, a dental assistant would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work.

GS-3
Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4
Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR
Education. Two (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.

Experience. In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. OR,
Education. 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 the requirements above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's:
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 (GS-5) 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 perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures

The full performance level of this position 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.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36

Physical Requirements: Ability to stand for at least 1hr at a time multiple times throughout a shift; use both hands to lift up to 50 lbs.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Areas of Consideration - Applicants will be considered based on the following areas of consideration.

• First Area of Consideration (Facility Employees) - Current, permanent VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System employees (this includes Outpatient Clinics, permanent employees of the Veteran Canteen Service assigned to this facility, Office of Information & Technology employees assigned to this facility, CPAC bargaining unit employees located at the Cleveland VAMC, and Virtual CBOPC bargaining unit employees under station 541 located at the Cleveland VAMC.
• Second Area of Consideration (Other VA Employees) - Current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees (VA employees who are located at other VA medical centers).

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.