Dental Laboratory Technician

United States Department of Veterans Affairs•Portland, OR

11d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located within the Portland VA Medial Center in Portland Oregon. He/she is responsible for fabricating a variety of dental appliances when abnormalities of the mouth are involved. To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement - 12/17/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation - but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. English Proficiency - In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Using dental laboratory material such as impression materials - plasters - stones - hydrocolloids - waxes - metals - acrylics - porcelain - and similar materials; using laboratory equipment such as hand tools - dental lathes - engines - and hand pieces - furnaces - casting machines - presses - flasks - CAD/CAM technology and related equipment; using precision instruments such as articulators - surveyors - and microanalyzers; constructing dental prosthetic appliances; maintaining a laboratory area in a clean and orderly fashion; properly sterilizing and/or disinfecting critical/semi-critical items in the fabrication of dental appliances as well as laboratory equipment; ensuring ongoing review of laboratory chemicals and expiration dates; and maintaining inventory of laboratory chemicals. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title - duties - month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. 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; religions; spiritual; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily performed while seated; however - working to close tolerances requires bending and crouching over the work table. Manual dexterity is required to fabricates appliances to exacting specifications. Keen vision is essential. Incumbent is required to lift up to 35lbs when filling plaster bins.

Requirements

Applicants must meet all time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement - 12/17/2025.
Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.
English Proficiency - In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
Using dental laboratory material such as impression materials - plasters - stones - hydrocolloids - waxes - metals - acrylics - porcelain - and similar materials
Using laboratory equipment such as hand tools - dental lathes - engines - and hand pieces - furnaces - casting machines - presses - flasks - CAD/CAM technology and related equipment
Using precision instruments such as articulators - surveyors - and microanalyzers
Constructing dental prosthetic appliances
Maintaining a laboratory area in a clean and orderly fashion
Properly sterilizing and/or disinfecting critical/semi-critical items in the fabrication of dental appliances as well as laboratory equipment
Ensuring ongoing review of laboratory chemicals and expiration dates
Maintaining inventory of laboratory chemicals
Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title - duties - month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week.
Manual dexterity is required to fabricates appliances to exacting specifications.
Keen vision is essential.
Incumbent is required to lift up to 35lbs when filling plaster bins.

Nice To Haves

Experience with all phases of removable design and fabrication
Familiarity with digital lab equipment
Experience with design and fabrication of maxillofacial prosthetics
5+ years experience as a Dental Laboratory Technician

Responsibilities

Fabricating appliances which correct abnormal for conditions of the mouth including missing teeth - obturators and splints for the replacement of lost oral tissues and the reduction of jaw fractures
Constructing and repairing prosthetic appliances from prescriptions prepared by staff dentists - using an articulator in the fabrication of appliances
Fabricating all types of precious and metal crowns - acrylic jackets - veneers and inlays - precision attachments - and fixed bridge restorations of gold alloys - porcelain ad acrylic resin - as well as unusually complex porcelain-to-gold restorations
Such work includes using hydrocolloid impressions - duplicating refractory models - trimming dies - and placing dowel pins as well as the proper preparations of wax patterns - investing - casting and polishing crowns
The technician is responsible for the proper articulation and occlusion of cases to include full arch models with multi-unit castings to be articulated in the full range of mandibular excursions
Fabricating artificial denture restorations according to dentist's prescription - choosing stock teeth - mounting them on an articulator - setting teeth in wax with regard to proper occlusion - articulator - and esthetic appearance as well as ridge and arch contour and jaw relationship
After approval of the setup of teeth - the technician carves and contours the pattern of the denture resin which is chosen on the basis of color to match the patient's mouth
Repairs all types of denture fractures - replacing broken or missing denture teeth and soldering and replacing broken clasps
Maintains equipment at safe efficient operating levels
Essential routine oiling - cleaning - etc must be regularly performed
Should assist in seeing that materials and supplies are adequately stocked
Some teaching and training of students from career development program - special work study students SETA program candidates - or other trainees