The Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System, Dental Service, is currently recruiting for one (1) Dental Assistant at the Tulsa, OK location. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure 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 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). 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Dental Assistant, GS-3 Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Dental Assistant, GS-4 Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR 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). AND In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and [medical emergencies. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements. Dental Assistant, 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. AND In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of anatomy and [ability to evaluate diagnostic quality. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol. Staff Dental Assistant, GS-6 (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. AND In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Ability to identify normal oral anatomy. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures Preferred Experience: 5+ years as Dental Assistant; 5+ years working with insurance coordination or Care in the Community 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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: Reference VA Handbook 5019 ["The Dental Assistant is located within Dental at the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System. Employees at this level serve in dental assistant career development positions. This position plans and completes tasks based on established protocols/accepted dental practices. A dentist is available for professional guidance when required. The Dental Assistant informs the supervisor of problems or unusual situations with recommendations for appropriate action. Work is reviewed on an overall basis by the supervisor for conformity to Dental Service policy and requirements. Major duties and responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the following: Performs mouth mirror inspection of the oral cavity. Gathers diagnostic information. Performs pulp vitality testing. Charts existing restoration and conditions. Selects shades for fixed and removable prostheses. Places and removes rubber dams and matrix bands. Places and removes retraction cord. Places and removes temporary restoration. Removes temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris. Fabricates, adjusts and cements temporary crowns. Removes permanent cement from supragingival surfaces. Removes sutures. Places and removes surgical dressings. Monitors nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesic. Performs coronal polishing of teeth. Removes hard accretions from and polishes removable prostheses. Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Possesses advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care. Monitors, and performs basic interpretation of, patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure. Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry. Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. 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. Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry. Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration. Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 5:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 623-52816-A; 623-52817-A; 623-52818-A; 623-52819-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
