Dental Assistant

Description:

Serves as staff dental assistant at the full performance level for routine patient care and performs a full range of duties with indirect supervision from the lead or supervisory dental assistant or the treating dentist. Performs assigned selected procedures with some independence. Some complex patient procedures are performed under indirect supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.

Requirements:

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. (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)]. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
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.
(MUST SUBMIT CERTIFICATION)

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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

GS-3
Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
Assignment. Employees at this level serve in dental assistant career development positions. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex patient issues, and require daily close supervision.

GS-4
Experience or Education.
In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level,
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)].

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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
Experience or Education.
In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience [equivalent to] at the next lower grade level 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.

In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's):
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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 (Full Performance Level)
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:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
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.

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).

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 certification 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.

Preferred Experience: Certification requirements for basic life support methods through the American Red Cross Association. Candidates, must also possess a Certification of Radiologic. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/46, Part II, Appendix G-36, Dental Assistant Qualification Standard.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS03 to GS04..

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.