Dental Assistant

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): New Orleans, Louisiana

Salary Range: $32114 - $62409 Per Year

Job Summary: The staff dental assistant serves 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. Some complex patient procedures are performed under indirect supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.

Major Duties:

Customer Service Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public; Assists customers with questions or concerns. Patient Care Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover; Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently; Assists in routine general dental procedures using four-handed dentistry concepts, basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures; Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration; Assists with basic restorative procedures; Responds to basic medical emergencies; Uses knowledge of vital signs to measure and record vital signs; Provides pre- and post-operative and other appropriate patient education instructions; Maintains a field of operation during dental procedures through the use of retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing and removing cotton rolls; Mixes basic dental materials; Assists in preparation of laboratory prescription forms; Applies pressure indicator paste to removable prostheses; Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably; Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions; Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection-control protocols; Monitors, and performs basic interpretation of, 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; Removes plaque and soft debris from removable prostheses; Provides procedure-specific, patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction; Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays; Performs other dental laboratory functions as needed; Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards; Relays patient concerns to treating dentist; May perform other duties as required Dental Imaging Possesses ability to identify normal anatomy; Exposes and processes basic dental radiographs; Mounts and labels dental radiographs and/or saves digital imaging to electronic medical records; Evaluates radiographs for diagnostic quality; Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider; Captures images characterized by diagnostic quality that are accurately oriented and exposed; Utilizes dental-imaging safety techniques; Accomplishes imaging requests within desired time frame; Maintains routine dental equipment per manufacturer and dental service standards. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories; Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination; Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPS 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 in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments; Initiates computerized progress note; Assists 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 The 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 training sessions Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:30am-4pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 629-00651-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications: Applicants pending the completion of certification 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. (1) Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR (2) Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). OR (3) 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. (1) Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence (a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR (b) 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 (c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). (2) Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment. (3) Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. (4) 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, 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-3 Dental Assistant (a) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignment. 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 Dental Assistant (a) Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR Education. 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: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 1. Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling. 2. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies. 3. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval. 4. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment. 5. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements. GS-5 Dental Assistant (a) Experience or Education. (1) 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 (2) Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA. (3) In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 1. Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality. 2. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement. 3. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures. 4. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA. 5. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol. GS-6 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level) (a) 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: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 1. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy. 2. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures. 3. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs. 4. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist. 5. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. 6. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry. 7. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. 8. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures. Preferred Experience: Expanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA) certification preferred. 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 in the range of GS-03 to GS-06. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/14/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12829191. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-14