Dental Assistant

<p>GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES. 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.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>Customer Service Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public Assists customers with questions or concerns. Patient Care Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently Assists in routine general dental procedures using four-handed dentistry concepts, basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration Responds to basic medical emergencies Uses knowledge of vital signs to measure and record vital signs Provides pre- and post-operative and other appropriate patient education instructions Maintains a field of operation during dental procedures through the use of retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing and removing cotton rolls Mixes basic dental materials Assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms Applies pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection-control protocols; Monitors, and performs basic interpretation of, patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure Applies topical anesthetic at the injection site Applies topical fluoride Removes plaque and soft debris from removable prostheses Provides procedure-specific, patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards May perform other duties as required Dental Imaging Possesses ability to identify normal anatomy Exposes and processes basic dental radiographs Mounts and labels dental radiographs and/or saves digital imaging to electronic medical records Evaluates radiographs for diagnostic quality Captures images characterized by diagnostic quality that are accurately oriented and exposed Utilizes dental-imaging safety techniques Accomplishes imaging requests within desired time frame Maintains routine dental equipment per manufacturer and dental service standards Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPS for sterilization Works closely with SPD to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed Demonstrates proper infection-control procedures in exposing images Clerical Functions Initiates computerized progress note Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records Information Management Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Patient Safety Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients Participates in patient identification and time out per The Joint Commission requirements Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress Employee Education Complies with Employee Education requirements Completes mandatory annual training sessions Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the facility) Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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 #: GS-03-00648-F, GS-04-00649-F, GS-05-00650-F, GS-06-00651-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized</p><h3>Requirements</h3>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. 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.<h3>Education</h3>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/.