Dental Assistant

Summary

This position is located in the Mid-Atlantic Service Unit in Madison Heights, Virginia at the new Monacan Health Clinic, Division of Dental Health Services, under supervision of the Supervisor of Dental Services. The purpose of this position is to provide chairside assistance for the dentists on staff in restorative, prosthodontic, oral surgery, endodontic, pediatric and periodontal treatment along with other supportive services in the dental clinic.

Duties

GS-04 and GS-05 Grade Level Dental Assistant:

• Performs chairside assistance in restorative, prosthodontic, oral surgery, endodontic, pediatric and periodontal treatment along with other supportive services.
• Greets and receives patients, follows departmental guidelines, maintains equipment, cleans and prepares dental mobile unit and department.
• Assists and records medical history of patient; when required routes patients for test and services. Schedule patients for treatment.
• Expose, process and mount intra and extra-oral radiographs.
• Other duties as assigned.

GS-05 and GS-06 Grade Levels with Expanded Function (In addition to the duties listed above):

• Provides routine prophylaxis and topical fluoride treatments. Carving and polishing routine and complex alloy restorations. Takes preliminary impressions. Places and contours restorations, fabricates.
• Performs complex oral prophylaxis and applies topical fluoride treatments.
• Provides chair side assistance and other supportive services in the dental clinic and mobile health unit.
• Maintains supply levels and cleanliness of dental station, sterilizes instruments, materials and equipment.
• Records examination and treatment information as relayed by dentist.
• Instructs patient in preventive dental care; demonstrates brushing and flossing techniques and use of disclosing tablets; explains the common causes of decay and its relationship to general diet.
• Performs routine dental laboratory procedures.
• Restores teeth and performs other reversible intra-oral procedures.

Requirements Conditions of Employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period.
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Measles and Rubella immunization required for selectees born after 1957 and seasonal influenza immunization is required for all staff working in Indian Health Service health care facilities.

COVID-19 vaccination is required for all selectees prior to entrance on duty.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit .

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation: If you are selected for this vacancy, you must undergo a pre-employment fingerprint check and background investigation. Fingerprint results and background investigation documentation must be cleared prior to hire. After you begin your employment, your continued employment is contingent upon the outcome of a complete background investigation as determined by the sensitivity level of your position. The investigation must find that you are suitable for Federal employment in your position. If you are found not suitable, you will be terminated after you begin work. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or subject to possible criminal charges. You may be subject to a credit check as a part of the background investigation process.

Qualifications To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
Individual Occupational Requirements
NOTE: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (l) 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 (2) be certified as radiographers in their field. The following meet these requirements:

1. Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel prior to the effective date of the regulation (January 13, 1986) who show evidence of current or fully satisfactory performance or certification of such from a licensed practitioner such as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic who prescribes radiologic procedures to others.
2. Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel after the effective date of the regulation who (a) received training from institutions in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not accredit training in that particular field at the time of graduation, or (b) practiced in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not license that particular field or did not allow special eligibility to take a licensure examination for those who did not graduate from an accredited educational program, provided such persons show evidence of training, experience, and competence, as determined by OPM or the employing agency.

Specialized Experience(for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience in dental assistance to general or specialized dentistry, dental assistant (expanded function) work, or any combination of these appropriate to the position being filled.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-04 Grade Level: Your resume must demonstrate 6 months of general experience that demonstrates the ability to perform or a familiarity with patient scheduling; and dental terminology to ensure accurate recording of dental treatment; AND 6 months of specialized experience in dental assistance to general or specialized dentistry, dental assistant (expanded function) work, or any combination of these appropriate to the position being filled. Examples include: Experience setting up for and assisting dental procedures; providing oral hygiene and post-operative instructions; providing point of care cleaning, disinfection, and instrument/equipment maintenance; Treating basic cases of gingivitis, utilizing ultrasonic scalers and hand instruments. Restore class I posterior restorations, complete coronal polishing and placing fluoride. Inventory management; documenting in an electronic dental record; taking radiographs and mounting them in an electronic dental record; monitoring dental patients and providing general hygiene education. OR Successful completion of a 2-year dental assistant program or completion of a 2-year dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that included at least 12 semester hours of courses such as radiation physics; radiation biology; radiation health, safety, and protection; X-ray films and radiographic film quality, radiographic techniques; dark room and processing techniques; and film mounting; OR Combination of experience and post-high school education. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position.

GS-05 Grade Level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples include: In addition to the GS-04 grade level examples; Ability to fabricate single unit temporary restorations, placing hemostatic agents. Providing point of care cleaning, disinfection, and instrument/equipment maintenance; inventory management; documenting in an electronic dental record; taking radiographs and mounting them in an electronic dental record; monitoring dental patients; experience providing direct patient care services and patient education on dental procedures; experience working with children under the age of 4. OR Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in a dental assistant or dental hygiene program that included at least 24 semester hours in courses as shown above for GS-3. OR Combination of experience and post-high school education. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position.

Expanded Function Experience Examples GS-05: In addition to GS-04/05 dental assistant examples; Ability to treat moderate cases of gingivitis with mild to moderate supra gingival calculus utilizing ultrasonic scalers and hand instruments, provide specific hygiene education on adjuncts. Restore class I and II posterior and anterior restorations, place cavity liners and provide patient education on deep fillings.

GS-06 Grade Level: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples include: In addition to the GS-05 grade level examples; ability to treat severe cases of gingivitis with moderate to severe supra gingival calculus ultrasonic scalers and hand instruments, provide specific hygiene education on adjuncts and medications to treat gingival disease. Complete cuspal coverage restorations, fabricate multiple unit temporary restorations, ability to educate patient on post-operative pain management and infection control. Monitoring dental patients; experience providing direct patient care services; experience working with children under the age of 4; performs simple prophys and periodontal debridements; places temporary fillings.

Special Requirements (Expanded Function):Applicants for Dental Assistant (Expanded Function) position must have completed 1 year of acceptable course work, preceptorship, or other formal training and/or work assignments specifically designed to equip them with knowledge and skills required to perform intra-oral procedures involved in the position to be filled. Examples of acceptable training are:

• Courses in a dental hygiene or dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that are directly related to the intra-oral procedures (also referred to as expanded functions) that are to be performed in the position to be filled.
• U.S. Army's Dental Therapy Assistant Training Program.
• Continuing education courses in expanded functions for dental assistants offered by the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Other training comparable to the above in private or governmental hospitals, clinics, or schools that included formal classroom instruction and clinical training in the knowledge and skills required to perform intra-oral procedures in the position to be filled.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

If you meet the minimum qualifications requirements for this position, your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of your qualifications will be conducted to determine if you are qualified for this job. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within each of these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-preference eligibles.

Please note that if, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your category rating can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

To determine if you are qualified for this position, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against the qualifications as defined in the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement and your responses to the assessment questions. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume (your resume must state specific duties that relate to this position) and your responses to the assessment questions will be evaluated against the duties you provided in your resume, along with your submitted documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following.

• Dental Instrument Application
• Interpersonal Skills
• Medical Documentation
• Technical Competence

The following links below provide information on how you may be eligible for various hiring authorities. If you are a Veteran, qualified CTAP and ICTAP eligible, or an individual with a disability, please refer to the following links below for additional guidance. CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Workforce Restructuring Career Transition website at: . CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

• Veterans, i.e. (VEOA, VRA, and 30% or more disabled) -
• Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) -
• Interagency Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) -
• Schedule A Appointments for the Disabled -

Click here to view vacancy questions: . All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of, 06/28/2024, to be considered. Required Documents

Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, annual salary, and description of job duties. Include name and address of employer; supervisor name and telephone number.

Required as applicable for the purposes of specific eligibility and appointment claim(s), and position requirements:
Indian Preference Applicants: If claiming Indian preference, applicants must provide a completed copy of the Form BIA-4432, "Verification of Indian Preference for Employment in the BIA and IHS Only." Indian preference will not be given unless a properly signed and dated form is submitted with your application, including any verification by an authorized Tribal Representative or BIA Official of tribal enrollment records. For detailed instructions, see form BIA-4432. Refer to BIA-4432 link: . When an Indian Preference candidate possesses Veterans preference the rules regarding Veterans preference apply under ESEP and the applicant must provide documentation in order to receive preference.
Veterans Preference: If claiming Veteran's Preference provide a copy of your DD214 Form (Member 4 copy). To claim 10-Point Veterans Preference, submit a SF-15 Application () along with the appropriate supporting documentation. For additional information regarding Veterans Preference visit: .
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP, follow the instructions below: .
Transcripts: You are encouraged to submit copies of transcripts (official or unofficial) although not required at the time of application. You must list your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Official transcripts will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer.
Licensure, Certifications: Applicants should list their license/certifications on their resume, along with the expiration date, if applicable. Certification of licensure/certification will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer.

You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 06/28/2024

The first Cut-off date for receipt/referral of applications to be considered for available vacant positions will be 14 days after the JOA open date.

Your resume and any documents submitted will be retained for three months and may be used at any time during this period. After 3 months, you must reapply to this announcement in order to be considered.

This position is being announced concurrently under Merit Promotion Procedures. Please review vacancy announcement number IHS-23-NA-12030558-ESEP/MP; for eligibility requirements. NOTE: Applicants must apply separately for each announcement in order to be considered.

ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED

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