Clarification from the agency

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW. This announcement is open to The Public - US Citizens Veterans' Preference: Does not apply to this announcement per OCHCO Bulletin, Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages, dated October 1, 2024

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Patient Care

• Compliant with patient identification requirements, medication reconciliation process, time-out process, informed consent process, and in infection control protocols.
• Keeps patients informed of clinic delays.
• Charts findings and treatment plans.
• Accurately takes and records patient Health History.
• Completes electronic return-to-clinic orders.
• Captures and saves intra and extra-oral digital radiological images.
• Maintains an inventory of expendable dental materials and replenishing.
• Working knowledge of dental eligibility and scope of care.
• Has knowledge of and skill in detecting signs of syncope, shock or other adverse reactions and observes the patient throughout treatment.
• Has knowledge of the specialized instruments, materials, dental procedures, and techniques used.
• Prepares the operatory with all needed equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Employs proper techniques and dexterity in the practice of four-handed dentistry.
• Prepares dental materials.
• Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures.
• Removes sutures and post-extraction dressings.
• Removes periodontal dressings.
• Takes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions.
• Removes crown/bridge temporaries and cleans the prepared tooth of debris.
• Fabricates temporary acrylic, stainless steel and polycarbonate crowns.
• Fits and cements temporary restorations in patients' mouth.
• Accomplishes coronal polishing of teeth as part of prophylaxis.
• Applies desensitizing agents, tissue conditioners, topical anesthetic and other topical agents prescribed.
• Instructs patients in dental care practices. Independently provides procedure-specific patient education and provides appropriate referral of patient concerns to the treating dentist.
• Provides patient post-operative education.
• Performs routine maintenance of dental equipment used.
• Collects samples for testing dental unit water-line.

Dental Laboratory

• Pours primary impressions for acceptable stone models and trims stone models.
• Constructs custom impression trays.
• Polishes dentures and other prosthetic appliances.
• Fabricates bite rims, vacuum-formed stints, soft mouth guards and fluoride trays.
• Performs other dental laboratory functions.

Administrative/Clerical Duties

• Effectively participates in staff meetings and service conference calls.
• Collaborates and effectively communicates.
• Has knowledge and expertise in the use of the functionalities applicable to medical record documentation and patient management contained in both the EHRM, (DRM), MiPAC® radiology software as well as other computer programs.
• Knowledgeable and compliant with Dental Service Infection Control, Universal Precautions and Reusable Medical Equipment standard operating processes. Knowledge and expertise in scheduling patients.
• Prints daily schedule for each provider while observing privacy directives/policy.
• Prints medication reconciliation lists.
• Efficiently provides coverage of reception when needed.
• Answers phone takes messages and efficiently passes messages.
• Provides timely Dental Telephone Care/Triage and appropriately dispositions patients to a dentist.
• Dispositions patients at the time that the patient presents for scheduling or calls to cancel and/or reschedule their appointment.
• Schedules patients within clinically appropriate date range.
• Assists Reception Area.
• Performs DRM notation.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 000000
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.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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
    1. Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR
    2. 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
    3. 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, and is required for all positions above 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.
• 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:

GS-6 Staff Dental Assistant
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:

• 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.

Assignment: Employee serves at the full performance level with the ability to perform full range of duties with some independence in assigned specialties, with indirect supervision from the lead dental assistant, dental assistant supervisor or treating dentist. Assignments at this 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.

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.

Physical Requirements: This work requires light carrying (under 15lbs), straight pulling, pushing, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, standing, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, emotional and mental stability, critical thinking, reaching, twisting, full dexterity of both arms, writs, hands/fingers, and work independently. Environmental facts are working in intermittent excessive noise, fumes, smoke, or gases, unusual fatigue factors of excessive standing, working closely with others, and bodily fluids.

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.

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.