Clarification from the agency

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. This open continuous announcement is open to current, permanent VA employees. The public and employees of other federal agencies may apply to announcement number CBSY-12730141-25-AA.

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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:

Functions:
a. Customer Service
i. Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public
ii. Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery
b. Chairside Assisting
i. Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
ii. Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
iii. Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably
iv. Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions
v. Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols
vi. Assists in routine general dental procedures
vii. Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, and surgical periodontics
c. Dental Imaging
i. Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed
ii. Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized
iii. Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame
d. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization
i. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories
ii. Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization by SPS standards
iii. Complies with Reusable Medical Equipment requirements
iv. Instruments are prepared in a manner that does not delay clinical care
v. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in exposing images
e. Clerical Functions
i. Assists patients in scheduling appointments
ii. Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments
iii. Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records
iv. Performs as time-keeper, dental supply clerk and local administrative assistant.
f. Information Management
i. Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information
ii. Follows computer security regulations
g. Patient Safety
i. Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position)
ii. Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients
iii. Participates in patient identification and time out per JCAHO requirements
iv. Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress
v. Monitors patient vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximeter, pain control) and alerts dental provider if outside of normal limits
h. Employee Education
i. Complies with Employee Education requirements
ii. Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions
i. Dental Laboratory Functions
i. Pours impressions and prepares study models
ii. Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims
iii. Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow
j. Direct Patient Care
i. Remove sutures and removal of periodontal surgical dressing
ii. Impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication
iii. Remove temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris
iv. Recement and fabricate temporary crowns
v. Coronal polishing of teeth
vi. Place rubber dams and matrix bands
vii. Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education

Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
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).

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).
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:
(a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.;
OR,
(b) 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,
(c) 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.

• English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English.

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-3 Dental Assistant
Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 Dental Assistant
Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, GS-3, 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).
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling.
2. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and [medical emergencies.
3. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval.
4. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment.
5. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.

GS-5 Dental Assistant
Experience or Education: In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-4, 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.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's:
1. Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality.
2. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement.
3. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures.
4. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA.
5. 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.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:
1. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.
2. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.
3. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.
4. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.
5. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.
6. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.
7. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.
8. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures

Preferred Experience: Dental assisting experience

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.

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.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification (for positions above the full performance level) that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees MUST meet the requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(3) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
(4) If an employee who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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.