Summary The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET. Responsibilities The Miami VA Healthcare System (Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center) Dental Service is seeking an experienced and dynamic Dental Assistant. Our ideal applicants are those who want to contribute to the achievement of quality care standards, as well as the growth and development of a VA academic hospital program. Other duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Chairside Assisting Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic, and periodontal care and procedures. Sets up operatory suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably. Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions. Accomplished all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols. Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry. Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration. Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental standards. Restores teeth prepared by dentist with permanent and temporary fillings: places bases and liners; selects, adapts and places matrices to normal and abnormal teeth; places, condenses, carves, finishes and polishes amalgam restorations, including those involving grossly decayed teeth requiring cusp replacement and retentive pins; places, compresses and finishes synthetic restorations including multi-surfaced anterior restorations; places and contours temporary restorations. Supports dentist in endodontic treatments by applying rubber dam, removing temporary filling using low speed handpiece, and cleansing and drying operative field. After dentist treats patient, assistant irrigates tooth, applies prescribed medications and closes tooth with temporary filling. Takes preliminary impressions for study models, modifying impression tray as needed. Pours and trims models. Constructs custom impression trays. Retracts gingiva from tooth for final impressions by placing and removing retraction cord. Selects, adapts and seats stainless steel crowns; constructs and cements temporary acrylic crowns and bridges. Assists in surgical treatment by applying and removing periodontal and post-extraction dressings and removing sutures. Instructs patient in preventive dental care measures, general nutrition as related to dental health, the common causes of tooth decay, and the care of prosthodontic appliances. Applies desensitizing agents, tissue conditioners and other topical agents prescribed by dentist to specified areas of the oral cavity. Provides chair side assistance, fully anticipating dentist's needs for various instruments, materials and services. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization Proficient, and demonstrates competency and the abi81ity to set up and/or reprocess Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) for all equipment, as required by sterilization guidance. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories. Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination. Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPD for sterilization. Follows all Standard Operating Procedures (SOP} for RME. Works closely with SPD to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in exposing images. Clerical Functions Assists in filling gaps in the provider's schedule due to late cancellations or failed appointments by working with the clinic scheduler/Medical Support Assistant, Administrative Officer, and/or facility GPM. Information Management Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPM with written and verbal information. Follows computer security regulations. Patient Safety Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position}. Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. Selectee may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs). Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen. Experience and Education. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work - OR - Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation (CODA). Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Certification. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must 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 be certified as radiographers in their field. (1) Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence- Documentation Submitted - a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; - OR - b) Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry - OR - c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). (2) Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment. (3) Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. (4) Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)-Documentation Submitted. The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions above the full performance level. Grandfathering Provision. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-6 Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. Examples of experience included: responds to basic medical emergencies; measures and records vital signs; provides pre- and post- operative instructions; maintains a field of operation during dental procedures through the use of retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing and removing cotton rolls; using the concepts of four- handed dentistry, assists with basic restorative procedures; mixes basic dental materials; assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms; applies pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses; exposes and processes basic dental radiographs; mounts and labels dental radiographs. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: Ability to identify normal oral anatomy. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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 for 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. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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.
