Dental Assistant - GS-0681-05

DHA•Fort Johnson, LA

55d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, Fort Polk, LA. Fort Polk is home to Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital. The post is located on 198,000 acres and home to 22,000 mili-tary members and their families. The land includes archaeological sites, his-torical homes, parks and preserves. BJACH has a 90% patient satisfaction rat-ing and has been recognized by the Army Surgeon General’s Office as the model for the Army Medical Department. Leesville, LA has a population of 6,540. The cost of living is 18% lower than the US average. Mild temperatures during the winter months allow you to experi-ence all the beauty Louisiana has to offer. Hunting, fishing, boating and recreational activities are in abundance just outside of Ft. Polk. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, and Dallas are all within a few hours drive. Employer matching 401K Annual 13-26 vacation days, 13 sick days and 11 paid holidays Potential paid move Possible recruitment incentive

Requirements

US Citizenship required
Basic Requirement for Dental Assistant: Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the Education and / or Experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .
Basic Requirement: Radiology Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (1) 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 (2) be certified as radiographers in their field. The following meet these requirements: (1) Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel prior to the effective date of the regulation (January 13, 1986) who show evidence of current or fully satisfactory performance or certification of such from a licensed practitioner such as a Doctor of Medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic who prescribes radiologic procedures to others. (2) Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel after the effective date of the regulation who (a) received training from institutions in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not accredit training in that particular field at the time of graduation, or (b) practiced in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not license that particular field or did not allow special eligibility to take a licensure examination for those who did not graduate from an accredited educational program, provided such persons show evidence of training, experience, and competence, as determined by OPM or the employing agency.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing intra-oral procedures, taking preliminary impressions, operating dental x-ray equipment, and charting. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-04).
OR Education: Four year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major study in a dental assistant or dental hygiene program that included at least 24 semester hours of courses in radiation physics; radiation biology; radiation health, safety, and protection; X-ray films and radiographic film quality, radiographic techniques; darkroom and processing techniques; and film mounting.
OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond two years (total semester hours minus 60) by 60. Add the two percentages.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ .

Responsibilities

Perform inter-oral procedures as directed by dentist.
Instruct patient in proper dental techniques, care of appliances, and causes of dental decay.
Operate dental X-ray equipment to take intra and extra-oral radiographs.
Receive and schedule patients for treatment.
Retrieve digital images and/or develops and finishes film.
Assist dentist at chair side.
Pour and trim model from impressions and construct custom impression trays.
Performs other duties as assigned.