Dental Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Aspinwall, PA

13d • Onsite

About The Position

The Dental Assistant position is located at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The role serves at full performance for routine patient care and performs some complex procedures under general or indirect supervision from more experienced dental assistants, a dental assistant supervisor, or a treating dentist. The assistant supports direct patient care and performs clinical and clerical functions, with guidance for complex issues and regular contact with the assigned supervisor.

Duties include preparing and seating patients; assisting chairside; responding to medical emergencies; taking and recording vital signs; giving pre- and post-operative instructions; preparing procedure trays and materials; maintaining the treatment field using suction, irrigation, retraction, and related techniques; and assisting with routine and specialty dental procedures. The assistant also obtains and processes radiographs, maintains dental equipment, retrieves patient records, helps direct patients for scheduling, takes impressions, works with impression materials and cements, and performs dental laboratory tasks.

The full performance level is GS-6; selection may be at GS-3 through GS-6. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, and virtual work are not authorized. Recruitment incentives are authorized; permanent change of station is not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Six months of qualifying experience, or completion of a one-year CODA-accredited dental assistant program, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Radiologic competence certification through an accepted examination or program, or eligibility for a temporary graduate dental assistant appointment while obtaining certification.
• Meet the experience or education requirements for the grade sought; GS-6 requires at least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• For GS-4, demonstrate basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling, dental procedures and medical emergencies, radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval, equipment care and storage, and patient privacy requirements.
• For GS-5, demonstrate knowledge of anatomy and diagnostic image quality, common medical emergencies and vital-sign measurement, instruments and standardized procedures, ability to learn VHA software, and communication skills for patient instructions.
• For GS-6, demonstrate knowledge of normal oral anatomy and dental instruments, materials, and procedures across restorative, surgical, endodontic, and periodontal care; ability to monitor and interpret basic vital signs; provide patient education and refer concerns; capture diagnostic-quality dental images; maintain equipment; use electronic dental records; and perform appropriate laboratory procedures.
• Meet pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, drug screening when applicable, physical examination, onboarding, and required identification documentation.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
• Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) certification is highly desirable, but is not required for appointment up to and including the full performance level.

Responsibilities

• Prepare patients for treatment, including seating and positioning them and placing a napkin.
• Perform disinfection and sterilization procedures.
• Assist dentists chairside with basic and specialty procedures, including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic, and implant procedures.
• Report or respond to medical emergencies and measure and record vital signs.
• Prepare procedural trays and armamentaria set-ups and mix basic dental materials.
• Maintain the field of operation through retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, and placement or removal of cotton rolls.
• Provide pre- and post-operative instructions and procedure-specific patient education.
• Expose, process, mount, and label dental radiographs and save digital images to electronic medical records; evaluate images for diagnostic quality.
• Maintain dental equipment according to manufacturer instructions and dental service standards.
• Retrieve pertinent patient records before seating patients and direct patients to appropriate staff for scheduling.
• Anticipate provider needs during treatment.
• Take preliminary impressions; select and manipulate impression materials and cements; pour, trim, and evaluate diagnostic casts.
• Assist with laboratory prescription forms and perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures.
• Apply pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses.
• Enter and retrieve data using electronic dental records.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefit eligibility depends on position type and other applicable conditions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed