- Position Title
- Dental Assistant
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBSY-12710016-25-AA Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Friday, March 14, 2025 to Friday, March 21, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Preferences
1.
Select the location(s) you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one location.
2.
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.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
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).
3.
In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English?
If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
4.
Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
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 you confirm that the above information is clearly stated for each work entry you are claiming experience for, and that each entry is full time unless otherwise annotated with part-time hours?
- Name and Contact Information
- Job title
- Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2019 to April 2021)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week if part-time)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held.
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 you confirm that the above information is clearly stated for each work entry you are claiming experience for, and that each entry is full time unless otherwise annotated with part-time hours?
If applying as an internal or status candidate with current or former Federal Service, you must provide a copy of your most recent non-award SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action", showing the highest grade or promotion potential held, dated within the last year.
All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in your application may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA to demonstrate how you have gained each one in your application package or on a supplemental document. Please see the announcement for KSA requirements.
Assessment 1
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
1.
English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English.
Are you proficient in spoken and written English?
Are you proficient in spoken and written English?
2.
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.
Do you meet the above requirements?
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.
Do you meet the above requirements?
3.
Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, you must have successfully completed an education 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 (CERTIFICATE REQUIRED). Do you meet one of the following provisions for certification of radiologic competence? (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assistant 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.
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 Dental Assistant position and may result in termination of employment.
Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assistant 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.
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 Dental Assistant position and may result in termination of employment.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
4.
GS-4
Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, GS-3, 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
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
Do you meet these requirements?
Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, GS-3, 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
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
Do you meet these requirements?
5.
GS-5
Experience or Education: In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-4, that demonstrates the core competencies described at the 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
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's:
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 above requirements?
Experience or Education: In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-4, that demonstrates the core competencies described at the 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
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's:
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 above requirements?
6.
GS-6
Experience: 1 year at or equivalent to the next lower, GS-5, and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level (GS-5), that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSA's:
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 above requirements?
Experience: 1 year at or equivalent to the next lower, GS-5, and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level (GS-5), that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSA's:
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 above requirements?