Summary The Dental Laboratory Technician performs a full range of technical work in the fabrication and repair of fixed prostheses and removable prostheses. Responsibilities Responsibilities Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Surveys master casts for partial dentures to implement design prescribed by the dentist. Using a surveying instrument, assures the most favorable path for the insertion of the denture. Studies master cast to identify the undercuts and teeth to be used for retention of the denture and blocks out undesirable undercuts. Considers the number and location of missing teeth, the arch, shape, and contour of remaining natural teeth, tissue formation, and other anatomic features, in designing those portions of the dental restoration not preindicated by the dentist. Sets up and contours artificial teeth for full and partial dentures when this work is complicated by the acute abnormalities to be overcome. Surveys, interprets designs, and fabricates fixed, semi-fixed, or removable partial dentures or complete dentures for cases that involve such abnormalities as acute malocclusion, or other conditions that present particular problems in (1) providing for retention of the denture, and (2) improving or restoring mastication or other mouth functions. Constructs acrylic crowns, bridges, or facings, when this involves (1) forming and carving a wax pattern of the size, contour, and characteristics required, (2) investing and boiling out the pattern, (3) mixing acrylic dough of the prescribed color shades, and (4) packing, curing, characterizing (applying designated markings to simulate the appearance of the natural tooth), and finishing the case. Constructs stone, amalgam, or electroformed copper dies, or casts with removable dies, for use in fabricating crowns, inlays, or fixed partial dentures. This involves (1) checking and boxing the impression, (2) mixing and pouring the material from which the die is to be made, (3) processing the poured impression, or (4) electroplating and reinforcing the electroformed copper die; using the materials and sequence of techniques appropriate to the @type of die being constructed. Checks completed dies for exact reproduction of the tooth to be restored, and for the exact reproduction of its relationship to surrounding and occluding teeth. Fabricates porcelain crowns, fixed partial dentures, or facings, when this involves (1) forming a platinum foil matrix over the die, (2) opaquing the platinum with a layer of porcelain to mask the silver color and form the base for building the porcelain tooth, and (3) firing the opaqued matrix in a porcelain furnace; or (1) making a wax pattern, (2) sprucing, investing and casting gold, (3) finishing the casting to permit the porcelain to be fused directly to the gold, and (4) opaquing and firing the opaqued gold. Mixes and blends porcelain powders with distilled water and forms an anatomically accurate reproduction of the tooth. Fires porcelain in a high temperature vacuum furnace. Trims and finishes the tooth to the precise fit and contour required and applies and bakes the final glaze. Fabricates acrylic or cast metal splints for the reduction or fixation of maxillary and mandibular fractures, or obturators to close an opening in the palate. The fabrication of dental splints involves (1) duplicating the cast, (2) following the dentist's prescription in fabricating the splint, (3) shipping and adapting wire hinges, and (4) waxing, flasking, packing, processing, and finishing acrylic splints; or (1) blocking out undercuts and duplicating the master cast, (2) designing, waxing, investing, casting, finishing, and polishing cast metal lingual splints. The fabrication of dental obturators involves (1) making dentist-designed individualized impression trays and the master and duplicate casts, (2) surveying, designing, blocking-out waxing, investing, casting, and finishing the framework and metal parts, and (3) packing, processing, and finishing the appliance. Equipment used includes, but is not limited to; the dental laboratory hand piece, burnout oven, casting machine, porcelain oven, CAD/CAM (Computer-Assisted Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacturing) equipment, bench lathe, electric soldering machine, flame soldering machine and gas torch, vacuum spatulator, precision model trimmer, pressure pot, boil out tank, flask press and denture bath. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Dental Lab Technician/PD04362A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/10/2025. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. 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. 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-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials. Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, CAD/CAM technology and related equipment. Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers. Construction of dental prosthetic appliances. Repair of dental prosthetic appliances. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed: two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Note: Licensed professional dentists will be considered qualified for any grade level if they have, in the aggregate, the required experience in dental laboratory procedures. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Communications Technical Competence Technology Application 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: Long periods of standing, sitting, and bending are required. it is necessary to climb onto counters in order to replenish plaster bins. The ability to lift plaster boxes weighing 30 pounds from the floor to the counter to the plaster bins is required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
