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:

Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.

English Language Proficiency: Dental Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, VA Handbook 5005, Part II

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 are: 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).

AND,

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***

GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

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.

Expanded Function Level. Expanded function level is defined as possessing the training and ability to provide independent and expert dental procedures as well as providing clinical assistance to the treating dentists in more complex procedural cases.

The expanded function dental assistant has an increased depth and breadth of dental practice skills, and has mastered a range of dental procedures and interventions and provides direct patient care within the scope of practice. Examples of procedures may be diagnostic, restorative and/or surgical in nature.

The expanded function dental assistant will make independent professional decisions and recommendations to the treating dentist and interdisciplinary care teams.

The expanded functional dental assistant has the expertise to participate in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching.

Preferred Experience:

• 3 years of progressive experience working as a Dental Assistant.
• Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.

GRADE DETERMNATION: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-7 Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant (Above Full Performance)

At this level, dental assistants serve either as a Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant. For all position above the full performance level, duties must be assigned to the position at least 25% of the time.

Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, this position requires one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-6) or equivalent that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level in Federal Service to be creditable.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience includes (this experience must be clearly detailed on your resume to be found qualified): gathering diagnostic information, pulp vitality testing, charting of existing conditions, placing of rubber dam and matrices, selecting shades, placing retraction cord, placing and removing temporary restorations, fabricating temporary crowns and removing permanent cement from supragingival surfaces.

In addition, the expanded function assistant may place and remove surgical dressing, monitor nitrous oxide analgesia, and perform coronal polishing and the cleaning and polishing of removable prostheses (Your experience must be detailed in your résumé to receive full credit.).In addition to the qualifications above, candidates must demonstrate the following technical knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below to qualify for this position:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Ability to perform dental assisting expanded functions.
2. Comprehensive working knowledge of advanced imaging techniques in order to provide instructions (e.g. cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, TMJ, etc.).

And

Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)(Certified Dental Assistant - CDA). 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/46, Part II, Appendix G36, Dental Assistant Qualification Standard, dated April 19, 2011.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Drug Testing: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a drug 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 the VA. In addition, any offer of employment will be rescinded with a verified positive drug test. VA employees in drug testing designated positions are also subject to post appointment random drug testing.

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.