Dental Assistant

Austin Community College; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 46,949 - 61,033; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Phased paid time off

Federal health, vision, dental, and life insurance

Traditional federal pension and 401K

Job summary

A healthcare facility in Pittsburgh is seeking a Dental Assistant to perform routine patient care and support dental procedures. You will prepare patients, assist during treatments, and manage records. The ideal candidate must be a U.S. citizen, proficient in English, and possess certifiable experience in dental assisting. Benefits include competitive salary, paid time off, and federal health insurance. The work schedule is Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Six months of experience or equivalent education required.
• Certification in radiologic competence necessary.

Responsibilities

• Prepare patients for treatment and assist during procedures.
• Expose and process dental radiographs.
• Provide patient education and maintain equipment.

Skills

Proficient in spoken and written English

Ability to perform dental assisting duties

Certification in radiologic competence

Basic life support certification

Education

Completion of a 1-year accredited dental assistant program

Job description

Dental Assistant – Pittsburgh VA Medical Center

Position: Dental Assistant – Full Performance Level (GS‑6) located at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, Aspenwall, PA.

Salary: $46,949 to $61,033 per year.

Summary

The Dental Assistant performs routine patient care and assists with a range of procedures under the supervision of more experienced staff or a dental supervisor. Responsibilities vary by grade level (GS‑4, GS‑5, GS‑6) with increasing independence and complexity.

Responsibilities

• Receive and prepare patients for treatment, including seating, positioning, disinfection, and sterilization.
• Assist with basic chair‑side assisting and direct instruction from the treating dentist.
• Report medical emergencies and provide pre‑ and post‑operative instructions.
• Prepare and set up procedural trays and armamentarium.
• Expose and process basic dental radiographs, mount and label images, and save digital images to the electronic medical record.
• Maintain a field of operation using retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, cotton rolls, and other instruments.
• Assist in preparation of laboratory prescription forms and apply pressure‑indicator paste to removable prostheses.
• Assist in specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic, and implant placement.
• Take preliminary impressions, select and manipulate impression materials and cements, and fabricate custom trays.
• Trims, evaluates, and pours diagnostic casts.
• Provide patient education and routine equipment maintenance and storage.
• Retrieve and manage patient records and assist in scheduling visits.
• Support a variety of dental operations through four‑handed dentistry concepts.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• U.S. citizenship.
• Proficient in spoken and written English.
• Six months of experience demonstrating ability to perform dental assisting duties, or completion of a 1‑year accredited dental assistant program, or an equivalent experience/education combination.

Certification:

• Certification in radiologic competence (e.g., Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination or equivalent). Demonstrated compliance with 42 CFR Part 75.
• Basic life support certification highly desirable.
• Dental Assistants National Board (DANB) certification beneficial and required for full performance and higher grades.

Preferred Experience:

• One year or more of work as a Dental Assistant, with clear start and end dates.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular increases.
• Phased paid time off: 13–26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays.
• Parental leave: up to 12 weeks of paid leave after 12 months of employment.
• Child‑care subsidy support for eligible employees.
• Traditional federal pension and 401K with up to 5% VA contribution.
• Federal health, vision, dental, life, and long‑term care insurance.

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Additional Information

Telework and virtual work are not available. Must be U.S. citizen, subject to background investigation, drug screening, and mandatory influenza vaccination.