Dental Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Cape Coral (FL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Dental Assistant at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System to support the dental treatment team. The role includes assisting the dentist in direct patient care, performing dental laboratory tasks, and handling administrative duties with minimal supervision.

The position requires U.S. citizenship, English proficiency, and either a CODA-accredited 1-year program or equivalent experience.

Qualifications

• Citizenship in the United States is required.
• English language proficiency is required.
• Prior experience or education in dental assisting per VA Qualification Standards.
• Ability to obtain radiology credentialing per VA/DoD rules.

Responsibilities

• Assist dentist in four-handed chair-side dentistry and dental lab procedures.
• Perform radiographs with standard safety protocols and image quality.
• Maintain infection control, patient identification, and informed consent procedures.
• Prepare operatory with instruments, materials, and supplies for planned procedures.
• Handle dental materials, impressions, and temporary restorations per manufacturer instructions.
• Enter and retrieve data in electronic dental records and assist with patient education.

Skills

English proficiency

Radiology certification

Dental terminology

Education

CODA-accredited dental assistant program (1 year)

Job description

Summary

This Dental Assistant position is located at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. The dental assistant is an integral member of the dental treatment team and assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical - dental laboratory and administrative/clerical functions independently of direct supervision.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship
• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency
• Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 - section D - paragraph 5a - of VA Handbook 5005 - Qualification Standards
• Basic Experience and/or Education
• Experience: 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) OR - Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• 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
• Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board - Inc.
• OR 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 Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD)
• ***Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)
• 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.***Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable
• 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 DETERMINATION for Dental Assistant - GS-06 (Full Performance Level)
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met: Experience: At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level
• Knowledge - skills and abilities at the GS-05 grade level are: Knowledge of anatomy and [ability to evaluate diagnostic quality
• Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement
• Basic knowledge of instruments - materials and standardized dental procedures
• Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA
• Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: 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-6. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work include moderate lifting (15-44 lbs) - heavy carrying (45 lbs and over) - ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously - near vision correctable at 13"" to 16"" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - good distant vision in one eye - ability to hear whisper voice
• There is moderate walking (3-4 hrs.) and some extended periods of standing (3-4 hrs.).

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Dental Assistant provides assistance with general dentistry specialty procedures including oral surgery - periodontal therapy - endodontic - prosthodontic and implant placement and restoration services to the Veteran population enrolled in the Lee County VA Community Clinic
• Dental Assistant Duties and responsibilities of the Dental Assistant include - but are not limited to: Proficiently provides procedures commonly recognized by the dental profession for safe performance by a dental assistant: fourhanded chair-side dental assisting - dental lab procedures - and performing other such procedures as may be delegated by the dentist consistent with the Florida State Dental Practice Act
• Complies with all Patient Safety processes: Infection control - patient identification - time-out - iMed (informed) consent - medication reconciliation - and hand-off communication
• Follows standard operating procedures for all reusable medical equipment (RME) - instruments - materials - and personal protective equipment (PPE) in use in the dental clinical areas - Prepares the operatory with all needed equipment - materials and supplies for planned dental procedure(s) prior to seating the patient and cleans operatory after the patient is dismissed for timely turnover
• Captures and saves diagnostic quality digital radiographs of the mouth - gums - jaws - and/or teeth both intraoral and extraoral within the desired time frame
• Anticipates the dentist's need at each stage of the treatment procedure - including specialty procedures (in oral surgery - periodontal therapy - endodontics - prosthodontics - and implant placement and retention) - and makes instrumentation and/or materials readily available - whether in the dental clinic - operating room - or the patient's bedside
• Employs proper techniques and dexterity in the practice of four-handed dentistry
• Prepares and mixes dental materials per manufacturer's instructions
• Applies cavity bases and liners - desensitizing agents - fluoride (foam - gel or varnish) - tooth conditioners/bonding agents and topical anesthesia prescribed by dentist to specified areas of the oral cavity
• Fabricates temporary acrylic - stainless steel - and polycarbonate crowns
• Removes crown/bridge temporaries and cleans the prepared tooth of debris
• Removes sutures - periodontal dressings - and socket (post-extraction) dressings
• Provides coronal polishing of natural teeth (including removing cement and debris from teeth and restorations
• Provides accurate and understandable procedure-specific patient education including preventive dental care practices - care of prosthetic appliances - demonstration of oral health care regimens - and post-operative/restorative instructions
• Performs routine maintenance of equipment components such as suction traps and water lines
• Has a working knowledge of laboratory procedures - materials - and methods - including safety and proper handling of laboratory equipment
• Performs dental laboratory duties
• cleans and polishes dentures and other prosthetic appliances
• pours and trims dental stone models
• constructs custom impression trays
• fabricates bite rims and vacuum-formed stints - soft mouth guards and fluoride trays
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 21780F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized