Dental Assistant

Summary

Washington - DC VAMC is filling one or more vacancies for a Dental Assistant - GS-0681-3/4/5/6. Opening Date:
December 14 - 2025 Closing Date:
June 30 - 2026 Cut-Off Date:
December 28 - 2025 - January 11 - 2026 - January 25 - 2026 - February 8 - 2025
-February 22 - 2026 - March 8 - 2026 - March 22 - 2026 - April 5 - 2026 - April 19 - 2026 - May 3 - 2026 - May 17 - 2026 - May 31 - 2026 - June 7 - 2026 - June 21 - 2026. The cut-off date will be used to evaluate candidates for the initial available vacancies.

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
• English Language Proficiency
• Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 - section D - paragraph 5a - this part.
  
  - 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)
• OR 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
• Grade Determinations: GS-3 - Dental Assistant Experience or
  
  Education:
  
  None beyond the basic requirements
• 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 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)]
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities:
  In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs
• 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
• GS-5 - Dental Assistant 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 GS-4 grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level
• Examples of GS-4 experience include: receiving and preparing patient for treatment
• reporting medical emergencies to dentist
• preparing procedural trays/armamentaria set-ups
• exposing and processing basic dental radiographs with direct supervision
• mounting and labeling dental radiographs and/or saving digital images to the electronic medical record…