Dental Assistant

About the role

This Announcement is open to all U.S. citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Responsibilities

• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedures and cleans dental unit for timely turnover.
• Receives and prepares patients for treatment including seating, positioning chair, and placing napkin.
• Performs disinfection and sterilizing procedures.
• Prepares procedural trays/armamentaria setups.
• Performs basic chairside assistance with direct instruction from the treating dentist.
• Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably.
• Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection-control protocols.
• Assists in routine general dental procedures.
• Maintains a field of operation during dental procedures using retraction, suction, irrigation, drying, placing, and removing cotton rolls.
• Provides patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction.
• Maintains dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards.
• Relays patient concerns to the dentist.

Requirements

Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation.

Qualifications

• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and abilities: In addition to the experience listed above the candidate must demonstrate the following 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 requirements.

• 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.
• 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.

• Preferred Experience: Experience must be within the last 2 years