Veterans Health Administration Logo
Position Title
Dental Assistant
Agency
Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number
CBSU-12699776-25-TJB Opens in new window
Open Period
Friday, February 21, 2025 to Tuesday, September 30, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
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2. Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
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3. Are you a current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduate?

An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.

To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
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4. Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
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Preferences
1. Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?

If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
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Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages or encrypted, and digitally signed documents linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
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By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001). (limit characters)
2. I authorize my application information being shared with hiring managers for similar positions. I understand this option may not result in further consideration for additional positions nor will it impact my application for this announcement. (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Dental Assistant GS-0681-3-6 position with the Veterans Health Administration. Please select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. (limit characters)
Basic requirements (limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
1. English Language Proficiency: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 2, Section D, Paragraph 5: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.

Are you proficient in spoken and written English?
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2. Education / Experience:

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.

Do you posses the required Education / Experience as noted above?
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Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
3. 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.

Do you posses either of the above three provisions?
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4. Do you possess a certification by DANB (not required but desired)?
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5. Grade Determination GS-3:

None beyond the basic requirement listed above.

Do you meet the basic requirements as stated above?
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6. Grade Determination 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).

Do you meet either education or experience list above for the GS-4 Dental Assistant?
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7. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities For the GS-04.
In addition, candidates must fully meet the KSA's at the GS-4 grade level.
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.

Do you meet the KSAs as described above?
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8. Grade Determination GS-5:
Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower 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).

Do you meet the qualification at the GS-05 Level, as stated above?
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9. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities For the GS-5 In addition to the experience above, you must be able to 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

Do you meet the KSAs as described above?
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10. Grade Determination GS-6:
Experience At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.

Do you meet the grade requirement as described above?
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11. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities For the GS-6
In addition to the experience above, you must be able to demonstrate the following 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.

Do you meet the KSAs as described above?
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RESUME REMINDER - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. (limit characters)