Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be January 30, 2026. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Total Rewards: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistants perform assigned selected procedures with some independence. Performs the full range of duties for routine patient care with indirect supervision from the lead or supervisory Dental Assistant or the treating Dentist.

Duties include, but not limited to:
A. Expanded Function Duties - comprise at least 25% of the time

• 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, matrix bands, retraction cord, intracorneal temporary restoration, and surgical dressings..
• Removes temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris.

B. Customer Service

• Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public.
• Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns and provides service recovery.

C. Chairside Assisting

• Sets up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover.
• 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 and specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration.

D. Dental Imaging

• Exposes both standard and specialty dental imaging, (i.e. TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats.
• Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider.
• Accomplishes imaging requests within the desired time frame.

E. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization

• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories.
• Disinfects oral appliances to prevent cross contamination. Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPD for sterilization.
• Follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment.
• Works closely with SPD to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed.

F. Clerical Functions

• Assists patients in scheduling appointments.
• Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments.
• Assists dentists in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records.

G. Information Management

• Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information. Follows computer security regulations.

H. Patient Safety

• Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position).
• Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients.

I. Employee Education

• Complies with Employee Education requirements. Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions.

J. Dental Laboratory Functions

• Pours impressions and prepares study models.
• Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims.
• Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays.

K. Direct Patient Care

• Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure.
• Applies topical anesthetic at the injection site and topical fluoride.
• Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication.
• Removes plaque and soft debris from removable prostheses.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 6:30am - 3:00pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 59941F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: 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.
• Experience and Education - To fulfill this requirement, you must meet one of the following:
  • Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your 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. You must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in this 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:
    1. Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. OR,
    2. 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,
    3. Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD).
  • Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
  • Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) is required.

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).

Grandfathering Provision. All Dental Assistants employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (04/19/2011) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Dental Assistants grandfathered under this provision may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees must meet the certification requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
2. Dental Assistants who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Dental Assistants initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
4. If a Dental Assistant who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:
GS-07 Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant
GS-07 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-07, you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06).

• GS-06 Assignment: Employee serves at the full performance level with the ability to perform full range of duties with some independence in assigned specialties, with indirect supervision from the lead dental assistant, dental assistant supervisor or treating dentist. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: using the concepts of four-handed dentistry; assists with specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic and implant placement and restoration; anticipates surgeons/specialists needs at each stage of treatment; takes preliminary impressions; selects and manipulates a variety of gypsums and waxes; pours, trims and evaluates the quality of diagnostic casts; fabricates custom trays.

GS-07 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs (must be clearly demonstrated in your resume):

• Ability to perform dental assisting expanded functions.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of advanced imaging techniques in order to provide instruction (e.g. cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, TMJ, etc).

Preferred Experience: Must maintain a DANB certification at the GS-7 level.

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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying 15-44 pounds; reaching above shoulder; use of finger and both hands required; Waling four hours; standing 6 hours; repeated bending with both legs required; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; fair vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other eye.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.