Dental Assistant

Veterans Health Administration•Aspinwall, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Dental Assistant position is located at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The incumbent serves at the full-performance level for routine patient care and performs some complex procedures under the general supervision of more experienced dental assistants or a dental supervisor. The position supports dentists in direct patient care and performs clinical and clerical functions, with guidance from experienced staff for complex patient issues and daily direct contact with the assigned supervisor. Duties include preparing and seating patients; positioning the dental chair and placing napkins; performing disinfection and sterilization; providing chairside assistance; reporting medical emergencies; preparing procedural trays and instruments; taking, processing, mounting, labeling, and evaluating dental radiographs or saving digital images to electronic records; maintaining dental equipment; retrieving patient records; and directing patients to staff for scheduling. At the GS-5 level, duties also include responding to basic emergencies, recording vital signs, providing pre- and post-operative instructions, maintaining the operative field, assisting with basic restorative procedures, mixing dental materials, and helping prepare laboratory prescription forms. At the GS-6 full-performance level, the assistant works with some independence under indirect supervision, assists with specialty procedures such as oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontics, prosthodontics, and implant placement and restoration, anticipates provider needs, takes preliminary impressions, handles impression materials and cements, and pours, trims, and evaluates diagnostic casts. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling and telework are not authorized; this is not a virtual position. Recruitment incentives are authorized, but permanent change of station is not authorized. The full-performance level is GS-6, and selection may be at GS-3 through GS-6.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, except where non-citizen appointment is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Six months of qualifying experience, successful completion of a one-year CODA-accredited dental assistant program, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Radiologic competence certification through an accepted dental radiation health and safety examination or an approved radiation health and safety program or examination.
For GS-4, one year of experience at the next lower level or qualifying post-high-school education that includes a CODA-accredited dental assistant program, plus basic knowledge of infection control, safe instrument handling, dental procedures, medical emergencies, radiographic image capture and processing, equipment care, and patient privacy.
For GS-5, qualifying experience at the next lower level or completion of a four-year course of study that included or was supplemented by a CODA-accredited dental assistant program, plus knowledge of anatomy, diagnostic image quality, medical emergencies, vital signs, dental instruments and procedures, VHA software, and patient instruction.
For GS-6, at least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and the ability to identify normal oral anatomy; knowledge of instruments, materials, and procedures across restorative, surgical, endodontic, and periodontal care; ability to monitor and interpret basic vital signs, educate patients, capture diagnostic-quality dental images, maintain dental equipment, use electronic dental records, and perform appropriate laboratory procedures.
Applicants selected for a testing-designated position must undergo urinalysis for illegal drug use; refusal results in denial of employment.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Must be subject to and pass a background/security investigation and pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
Must complete online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
Must complete all application requirements in the announcement's Required Documents section.
Must serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification for continued employment after that period.
Required licensure, certification, or registration must be obtained and maintained within required time frames; failure may result in removal from the occupation or termination.

Nice To Haves

Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) certification is highly desirable for appointments up to and including the full-performance level.

Responsibilities

Prepare and seat patients for treatment, position the chair, place napkins, and perform disinfection and sterilization procedures.
Provide chairside assistance, including maintaining the operative field through retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, and placement or removal of cotton rolls.
Report and respond to medical emergencies and measure and record vital signs.
Prepare procedural trays, instruments, and armamentaria set-ups.
Expose, process, mount, label, and evaluate dental radiographs, and save digital images to electronic medical records.
Retrieve pertinent patient records before seating patients and direct patients to appropriate staff for scheduling.
Provide pre- and post-operative instructions and procedure-specific patient education.
Assist with basic restorative procedures and specialty procedures, including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontics, prosthodontics, and implant placement and restoration.
Mix dental materials and assist in preparing laboratory prescription forms.
Take preliminary impressions; select and manipulate impression materials and cements; and pour, trim, and evaluate diagnostic casts.
Maintain dental equipment in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and dental service standards.
Enter and retrieve data using electronic dental records.