Dental Assistant

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is currently seeking a Dental Assistant to join our team. Dental assistants at this level serve in dental assistant positions independently performing more complex work in assigned specialties while receiving general supervision.

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Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Employees al this level serve at full performance level for routine patient care. They perform a full range of duties with direct and indirect supervision from a lead or supervisory dental assistant or an independent dental care provider (dentist dental specialist) or hygienist. They perform assigned selected procedures. Some complex patient care procedures are performed under the direct or indirect supervision of more experienced dental assistants, independent dental care providers (dentists, dental specialists) or hygienists.

Duties include but not limited to:
a. Customer Service

• Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public.

b. Chairside Assisting

• Sets up the dental treatment area/surgical suite for planned dental/surgical treatment procedures prior and during patient care encounters.
• Passes instruments safely, accurately and efficiently to facilitate safe, efficient, and effective patient care.
• Stocks, cleans and disinfects the dental treatment area.
• Competent in four-handed dentistry for general dental procedures.
• Assist in specialty dental care.

c. Dental Imaging

• Competent in exposure of diagnostic quality standard.
• Competent in the troubleshooting of image quality problems.
• Performs dental imaging duties utilizing radiation safety techniques/practices for patient safety and worker safety.

d. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization

• Performs duties utilizing proper infection control technique.
• Removes bioburden from used instruments.
• Maintains instrument and equipment inventory.
• Handles, cares for, and manages equipment in accordance with current Standard Operating

e. Clerical/ Administrative Duties

• The dental assistant helps the provider(s) fill in open appointments created by (I) a late cancellation, (2) failed appointments, (3) scheduling error.
• Chart exam findings identified by the provider(s).
• Will assist the provider(s) in meeting monitoring thresholds.
• Responsible to ensure that accurate and appropriate information if available for patient scheduling.

f. Information Management

• Maintains patient confidentiality in accordance with HlPAA standards, VHA, VISN I 0. Cincinnati VA Medical Center, and Dental Service policy.

g. Patient Safety

• Competently monitors patient vital signs.

h. Employee Education

• The dental assistant completes mandatory annual training sessions.

i. Dental Laboratory Duties

• Pours impressions, prepares study models. and trims study models to meet the needs of the provider(s).
• Fabricates custom impression trays to meet the needs of the provider(s).
• Performs other assigned laboratory duties as time and competency allows.

j. Direct Patient Care

• Under the supervision of the provider(s), and at the direct request of the provider(s) will (if individual qualification allows)

i. Remove sutures
ii. Remove periodontal dressings
iii. Impress for diagnostic casts
iv. Impress preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication
v. Remove temporary crowns/bridges
vi. Clean teeth of cement, operative debris
vii. Perform coronal polishing

Work Schedule: Monday-Thursday, 6:40a.m.-4:00p.m.
Compressed/Flexible: Yes
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)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 92627-0

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:

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

• 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).

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

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

GS-6 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.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs): 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.

Preferred Experience: X-ray certified, chairside dental assisting and BLS certified

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-06.

Physical Requirements: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently to move objects. This could include moving objects such as pieces of equipment and assistance in moving clients.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• 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.