Dental Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 37,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Staff Dental Assistant to provide routine patient care under indirect supervision. The role involves performing dental imaging, infection control, clerical functions, and direct patient care while ensuring compliance with safety procedures and maintaining patient confidentiality. Candidates should possess relevant certification and prior experience in dental assisting.

Qualifications

• Six months of dental assistant experience or completion of a dental assistant program.
• Certification in radiologic procedures and basic life support methods is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Exposes standard and specialty dental imaging in traditional and digital formats.
• Assists patients with scheduling appointments and managing clinical records.
• Monitors patient vital signs during treatment and provides postoperative patient education.

Skills

Dental Imaging

Infection Control

Patient Safety

Clerical Functions

Education

Completion of 1-year dental assistant program

Job description

Serves as staff dental assistant at the full performance level for routine patient care and performs a full range of duties with indirect supervision from the lead or supervisory dental assistant or the treating dentist. Performs assigned selected procedures with some independence and performs complex patient procedures are performed under indirect supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.
Duties

Dental Imaging: Exposes both standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e. TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider, Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized, Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame.

Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization: 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 for Reusable Medical Equipment. 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 patients in scheduling appointments. This includes clerical functions such as receiving and making telephone calls, scheduling appointments from RTC orders, and entering RTC orders when necessary. Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments. Assist dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records.

Information Management: Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA 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. Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements. Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress.

Employee Education: Complies with Employee Education requirements. Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions.

Dental Laboratory Functions: Pours impressions and prepares study models. Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims. Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays. Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow.

Direct Patient Care: Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure. Applies topical anesthetic at the injection site, Applies topical fluoride. Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication. Provides postoperative and other appropriate patient education.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am-4:00 pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 30003-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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.

Dental Assistant Basic Requirement

To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

1. Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States

2. English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

3. Experience and Education - To fulfill this requirement, you must meet one of the following:

a. Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work.

OR,

b. Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

OR,

c. Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

4. Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. You must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in this regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.

a. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence:

i. Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.

OR,

ii. 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,

iii. Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD).

b. Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.

c. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). 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.

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: GS-6 (Full Performance Level )

GS-06 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level) Experience Requirement:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05).

2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

a. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.

b. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.

c. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.

d. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.

e. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.

f. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.

g. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.

h. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the range GS-06.?

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary but involves fine motor movements when assisting. Typically, the employee sits at a desk or table or on adjustable stool in the treatment room with some walking and standing as patients are seated or clean and dirty dental instruments area. Items carried are typically light objects and lifting of moderately heavy objects is not normally required.