Dental Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Fayetteville, NC

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at the Fayetteville, North Carolina VA Medical Center. The Dental Assistant performs higher-level, complex clinical assignments and applies advanced clinical skills while supporting routine and specialty dentistry. The work includes assisting dentists with diagnostic, restorative, surgical, and other dental procedures; providing patient education; maintaining equipment; and using electronic dental records and advanced dental imaging techniques.

The role also includes fabricating temporary appliances, handling referred laboratory cases, and following Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for clinical and laboratory operations. The schedule is Monday through Friday, four days per week, with 10-hour shifts. Compressed or flexible scheduling is available. The position is not telework or virtual.

Requirements

• Six months of experience demonstrating ability to perform the work or familiarity with it; or successful completion of a one-year CODA-accredited dental assistant program; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Radiologic competence certification through one of the accepted pathways: the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by DANB; the specified VA Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations; or a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense.
• At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level or equivalent, demonstrating the core competencies at that level.
• Ability to perform dental assisting expanded functions.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of advanced imaging techniques sufficient to provide instruction, including cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic, and TMJ imaging.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and meet applicable background, security, and onboarding requirements.
• Must participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
• DANB certification is highly desirable for Dental Assistant appointments up to and including the full performance level.
• Certified dental assistant with three or more years of chairside experience in all areas of dentistry.

Responsibilities

• Gather diagnostic information, perform pulp vitality testing, and chart existing conditions.
• Place rubber dams, matrices, and retraction cord; select shades; and place and remove temporary restorations.
• Fabricate temporary crowns and other temporary appliances, including hard and soft occlusal guards, lab-fabricated temporary crowns, denture base plates, and wax rims.
• Remove permanent cement from supragingival surfaces.
• Place and remove surgical dressings, monitor nitrous oxide analgesia, perform coronal polishing, and clean and polish removable prostheses.
• Anticipate the dentist’s needs and prepare complete treatment instrument setups with all necessary supplies.
• Apply advanced knowledge of oral structures and surgical procedures when assisting the dentist.
• Monitor vital signs and perform basic interpretation of them.
• Provide procedure-specific patient education independently and refer patient concerns appropriately to the treating dentist.
• Maintain dental equipment used in routine and specialty dentistry.
• Enter and retrieve data using electronic dental records.
• Provide instruction on advanced imaging techniques, including cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic, and TMJ imaging.
• Ship and receive referred laboratory cases.
• Follow OSHA standards for clinical and laboratory operations.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA staffing needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k), with VA contributions up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Selected applicants may qualify for annual leave accrual credit based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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