Dental Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a dental assistant to perform duties in an outpatient VA dental clinic, supporting clinical procedures and radiographic imaging.

The role requires completing a CODA-accredited program or six months of related experience and compliance with VA radiographic certification standards.

Qualifications

• Six months experience demonstrating ability to perform the work or familiarity with the work.
• Successful completion of a 1-year CODA-accredited dental assistant program.
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

Responsibilities

• Perform duties of a dental assistant in an outpatient clinic.
• Assist with clinical procedures and radiographic imaging.
• Maintain infection control and patient privacy standards.

Skills

Dental assisting

Radiography procedures

English proficiency

Education

CODA-accredited program

Tools

Radiography certification

Job description

The incumbent will be responsible for performing the duties of a dental assistant in an outpatient dental clinic. John D. Dingell VA Outpatient dental clinic provides a full range of ambulatory health care services to eligible veterans. 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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and 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.

• 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.

• • 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).

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.

Knowledge of Current Professional Dental Assistant Practices.

To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities [(KSAs)], and other characteristics (also referred to as "core competencies") associated with current professional dental assisting practice. Evidence of such experience includes graduation from a certified dental assisting training program, experience in private practice, VHA, Department of Defense (DoD), or other federal, state, community or charitable] health care agency.

Quality of Experience

Experience is only creditable after the training program certifies that the individual has completed all required courses, an internship if it is part of the program, and graduated with passing grades.

Part-Time Experience.

Part-time experience as a dental assistant is credited according to its relationship to full-time workweek. For example, a dental assistant would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work

GS-3 Experience

None beyond the basic requirements. Employees at this level serve in dental assistant career development positions. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex patient issues, and require daily close supervision.

GS-4: Experience

At least 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR 2 years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation [(CODA)]. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling.
• Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies.
• Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval.
• Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment.
• Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.

GS-5 : Experience OR Education

In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate] at least 1 year of experience [equivalent to] at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. OR

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by [CODA.

In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's:

• 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

GS-6 (Full Performance Level): Experience

At least 1 year of experience [equivalent to] the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. 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.

Preferred Experience

4 years of Dental Assisting experience

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Physical Requirements

Light lifting (under 15 lbs; light carrying (under 15 lbs); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (6-8 hours); standing (6-8 hours); bending (6-8 hours); both eyes required; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shade of colors; hearing (aid permitted); hearing without aid.