Career Center

The Muskogee VA Medical Center, Dental Service is currently recruiting for several Dental Assistant position in the Tulsa Dental Clinic and Muskogee Dental Clinics. Relocation/Recruitment incentive may be authorized for highly qualified individual To qualify for this announcement, you must meet all the requirement by the closing date:09/30/2022 BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English Experience and Education Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR, Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). 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. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. OR, 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, Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. 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. GRADE REQUIREMENTS Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-5 Experience or Education 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, Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA. In addition to meeting the areas above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's: a. Knowledge of anatomy and [ability to evaluate diagnostic quality. b. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement. c. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures. d. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA. e. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol GS-6 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level) 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: 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. Preferred Experience: DABA Certification The full performance level of this announcement is a GS-06, we will be only considering applicants at the GS- 5 and 6 grade level. Physical Requirement: Able to meet the physical demands for the position, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Must have a good manual dexterity. Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken or written word. Must be able to view and read information on computer screens. ["**This is an open continuous announcement. We accept applications for this occupation on an ongoing basis; Applicants will be referred to selecting official on a continual basis until all vacancies are filled OR until the closing date of this announcement. Applicants need not re-apply once the application is referred to the selecting official.**Duties to include but not limited to: Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery. Administers and records patients' blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and medical history. Cleans dental prostheses, both fixed and removable. Administers topical anesthetic, fabricates, places and removes temporary dental restorations and crowns, places and removes rubber dams and matrix bands. Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication. Performs coronal polishing of teeth, provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education, accomplishes all patient care procedures within standard infection control protocols. Assists in routine general dental procedures as well as specialized dental procedures such as oral maxillofacial surgery, endodontics and surgical periodontics. Sets up and cleans operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedures and timely turnover, handles and passes instruments safely, accurately and efficiently. Keeps operative field clear of debris, including retracting oral tissues effectively and comfortably. Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions. Completes imaging requests within the desired time frame and accomplishes all dental imaging procedures within standard infection control protocols. Pours impressions and prepares diagnostic study casts, makes final denture impression trays and bite rims. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning equipment. Prepares instruments properly and timely for sterilization by SPD standards. Scheduling appointments, maintaining patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Work Schedule: 0700-1730, Mon - Friday, 40 hours a week, Day Off TBD.\nCompressed/Flexible: Yes\nTelework: No\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nRecruitment / Relocation Incentive: Authorized if qualified. Position Title/Functional Statement #:Dental Assistant/PD000000 and PD50868A\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]