Dental Laboratory Technician

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 67,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Dental Laboratory Technician to create and repair dental prosthetics. In this full-time role, you will utilize your technical knowledge and skills to fabricate various dental appliances, ensuring they meet the specific needs of patients while adhering to high standards of quality. As part of a healthcare team, your contributions will restore functionality and improve patient experiences. This position requires expertise in working with dental materials and laboratory standards.

Qualifications

• Experience with dental laboratory materials like acrylics, metals, and porcelain.
• Proficient in using laboratory equipment and precision instruments.
• Strong knowledge of oral anatomy and dentition.

Responsibilities

• Fabricates dental appliances such as crowns, dentures, and orthodontic devices.
• Produces appliances based on dentist's specifications and anatomical considerations.
• Utilizes dental laboratory equipment to execute tasks.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Technical Competence

Applies Technology to Tasks

Education

Two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree

Licensed professional dentists will be considered

Tools

Dental laboratory equipment

Job description

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provided pay range

This range is provided by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$67,407.00/yr - $87,627.00/yr

Summary

The Dental Laboratory Technician performs technical work in the fabrication and repair of both conventional and complicated dental prosthetic appliances that conform to the dentist's prescription, restore mastication, facilitate normal speech, maintain or correct facial dimension and contour, are natural in appearance, and can be worn or used with maximum comfort.

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Duties

• *THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***
  
  

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Fabricates dental appliances such as complete dentures, removable partial dentures, crowns, fixed partial dentures, or combinations of fixed and removable partial dentures
• Constructs orthodontic appliances, or dental splints and obturators, when the construction of the appliance is complicated because of the unusual nature or intricacy of the design required to overcome acute abnormalities
• Identifies spatial and anatomical functions and esthetic relationships at all stages of the construction of the prosthesis to produce a finished product that meets the dentist's requirements
• Uses dental laboratory equipment to fabricate dental appliances
• Applies a thorough technical knowledge of both normal and abnormal oral anatomy and dentition as these affect the design, fabrication, function, and esthetics of the dental prosthesis being constructed
• Surveys master casts for partial dentures to implement design prescribed by the dentists
• Sets up and contours artificial teeth for full and partial dentures
• Surveys, interprets designs, and fabricates fixed, semi-fixed, or removable partial dentures or complete dentures for cases that involve such abnormalities as acute malocclusion, or other conditions that present particular problems
• Fabricates acrylic or porcelain crowns, bridges, and facings
• Constructs stone, amalgam, or electroformed copper dies, or casts with removable dies, for use in fabricating crowns, inlays, or fixed partial dentures
• Fabricates acrylic or cast metal splints for the reduction or fixation of maxillary and mandibular fractures, or obturators to close an opening in the palate
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:45am-4:15pm.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  
  

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-8) in the Federal Service, that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Dental Laboratory Technician, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Experience should include use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials; use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment; use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers; and construction of dental prosthetic appliances. At this grade level, qualifying specialized experience also includes: experience constructing porcelain or acrylic fixed or semi-fixed bridge restorations, full or removable partial dentures, or orthodontic appliances, or dental splints and obturators, when the construction of the appliance is complicated because of the unusual nature or intricacy of the design required to overcome acute abnormalities; applying a thorough technical knowledge of both normal and abnormal oral anatomy and dentition as these affect the design, fabrication, function, and esthetics of the dental prosthesis being constructed.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. :OR:

EDUCATION: Successful completion of two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree that is directly related to the work of the Dental Laboratory Technician position. Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

NOTE: Licensed professional dentists will be considered qualified for any grade level if they have, in the aggregate, the required experience in dental laboratory procedures. (Transcripts, unofficial or official, must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.) :OR:

COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully complete graduate education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above.

NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY:

In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English to meet the requirements of this position.

• A Quality Ranking Factor has been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. The quality ranking factor for this position is: Proficiency in crown, bridge, implant (fixed) fabrication, and experience in scanning, 3D printing, and CEREC crown fabrication.
• Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor.
  
  

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Analytical Thinking
• Applies Technology to Tasks
• Medicine and Dentistry
• Quality Assurance
• Quality Ranking Factor
• Technical Competence
  
  
  

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.



Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment:

The work involves sitting for extended periods, stooping, bending, and constant use of detail vision under bright illumination. Lifting of heavy supplies occurs with some regularity. Above-average dexterity and above-average grip strength are necessary. Work of short duration in the proximity of high dry heat, hot steam, and/or unpleasant odors is necessary. The technician works with high-speed rotary equipment; high-temperature baths, torches and ovens; potentially caustic and toxic chemicals; particulate matter than can pose pulmonary and ophthalmological threats; and sustained loud high-frequency noise. The lab technician will routinely be required to wear face masks and eye protection. Frequent need is encountered for work conducted under a fume hood, the use of a dust mask, and ear protection.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education


IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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• Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Research, Analyst, and Information Technology

• Industries

  Hospitals and Health Care

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