Chairside Dental Assistant

Summary

This position serves as a general dental assistant at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis - which includes assisting the staff dentists and residents in the general practice of dentistry performed in the dental clinic and is directly supervised by an assigned staff dentist.

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.

• 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
  • (2)
    
    Education:
    
    Successful completion of a 1‑year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
  • (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, and must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, be accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.
• 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.
  • (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.
  • (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 justifies 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 is highly desirable for appointments up to the full‑performance level and is required for all positions above the full‑performance level.
• (5) Loss of Credential:
  An employee who fails to obtain or maintain required licensure/certification/registration within the required timeframe must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
• 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:
  • GS3 – (a) Experience or
    
    Education:
    
    None beyond the basic requirements.
  • GS4 – (a) 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 CODA.
  • GS4 – (b) Demonstrated 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…