SUMMARY

The GS-6 dental assistants assists the dentists, specialists, hygienists, and technicians in many aspects of patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions.

QUALIFICATIONS

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.
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).
• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and 2 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).
• 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.
• 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.

Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, walking, and bending are required. Work involves the danger of exposure to radiation and communicable diseases. The assistant uses lead shields to protect against radiation and wears face masks, gloves, gowns, and eye protection during treatment procedures.

EDUCATION

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/.

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; 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.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

DUTIES

Major Duties:

• Aiding customers either directly or by telephone with questions or concerns, provides service recovery
• Maintaining inventory levels of required expendable operatory supplies and equipment as needed for upcoming procedures.
• Assisting the dentist and service chief with ordering new equipment or repairs if needed.
• Reviewing daily clinic schedule for provider in advance to anticipate needs.
• Setting up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover.
• Assisting in routine general dental procedures and specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, prosthodontics, endodontics, and periodontics.
• Assisting dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in Dental Record Manager.
• Assisting in maintenance, cleanliness of dental equipment/environment.
• Assisting patients in scheduling appointments and filling gaps in the doctor’s schedule due to late cancellations/no-shows.
• Knowledgeable in the use of the functionalities applicable to medical record documentation and patient management contained in both the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Dental Record Manager (DRM).
• Compliant with meeting their role in the Medication Reconciliation Process, IMED consent process, Dental Assistant Checklist process, and with work orders and aiding with dental equipment/supply inventory.
• Maintaining patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information
• Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements
• Monitoring patient condition (BP, pulse oximeter, oxygen saturation) during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress
• Maintaining Basic Life Support Certification.
• Promptly reporting all accidents and notifies supervisors of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace.
• Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) - All employees shall possess the knowledge and skills required to effectively implement the GEMS. Monitoring will be performed by annual audits, questionnaires, and trending of staff knowledge. Information pertaining to monitoring staff knowledge will be processed and reviewed by the GEMS Committee and forwarded to the Environment of Care Committee for review.
• Fabricating custom impression trays, bite rims, vacuum-formed stents, soft mouth guards, and fluoride trays
• Pouring, pinning, and sectioning crown and bridge models/dies
• Removing temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris, without the use of rotating or power-driven instruments.
• Cementing and fabricating temporary crowns/bridges with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist.
• Placing and removing temporary restorations by a non-powered method with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist.
• Taking intra- and extra-oral photographs.
• Applying cavity liners and bases with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist.
• Inserting and adjusting athletic mouth guards, bleaching trays, and fluoride trays with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist.
• Recording pertinent medical history information/pain assessment after seating the patient for interpretation by the supervising dentist.
• Provides pre- and post-operative instructions along with other appropriate patient education.
• All personnel who are involved with the reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) are responsible for knowing what is reusable.
• Employees involved with the use of RME must be familiar with which items are reprocessed locally (on unit) and/or which items are sent to sterile processing and/or SPD for reprocessing and/or sterilization. If items are to be transported for reprocessing, personnel must be aware of the initial decontamination steps that must be taken prior to transport of items and the appropriate method of transport.
• Responsible for following the local Standard Operating procedure (SOP) drafted in accordance with the manufacturer’s written recommendations. SPS and Infection Prevention and Control should be consulted when clarification of written instructions are needed.
• Employees must have documented training in the setup, reprocessing, and maintenance of specific equipment. Validation of competency will be done, minimally, on an annual basis.
• Reprocessing reusable medical equipment can suspend the reuse of any RME if they suspect that the device was not properly cleaned, disinfected or sterilized according to the SOP and manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Employees must understand the importance of reprocessing RME and the significant impact on our Veteran population through the risk of infection disease.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, M-F
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 23008F

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Enrollment
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcrip

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/08/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12776008.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package