Dental Assistant
for section headings
- Use - for lists
- Use
for prose
- Don't repeat job title as heading
- Don't put Job ID/requisition numbers as headings
- Preserve ALL substantive information
- Remove boilerplate (EEO, scam warnings, application instructions)
- Only include sections with real content
- No filler/placeholder text
- Output only HTML fragment
Let me structure this:
1. Summary section - has specific vacancy info
2. Qualifications section - this is large with many subsections. I'll use h3 for main "Qualifications" and maybe h4 for subsections? But the rule says use h3 for section headings. The examples given: About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. So h3 for main sections. For subsections within Qualifications, I could use h4 or just use lists. Since the rule says "use
for section headings", I'll use h3 for main sections only. For subsections, I'll use nested lists or maybe h4? The rule doesn't forbid h4, but says "use for section headings". I think using h4 for subsections is okay as long as main sections are h3. But to be safe, I'll use h3 for main sections and for subsections I'll use strong or just list items. However, the content has clear subsections like "Basic Requirements", "Grade Determinations: GS-03", etc. I'll use h4 for those to keep structure.
But the instruction: "use for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It doesn't say not to use h4. I'll use h3 for top-level sections and h4 for subsections within Qualifications.
Let me outline:
Summary
This position has 3 vacancies at the Seattle VA Medical Center and 1 vacancy at the American Lake VA Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements
- Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States
- English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403
Experience and Education
- Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the work or provides familiarity with the work
- 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
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, 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.
- 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
- 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 (applicable for grade levels 3/4/5/6 of this series)
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:
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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-03 Dental Assistant (Entry Level Developmental)
No additional requirements beyond the basic requirements
GS-04 Dental Assistant
Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements to qualify for the GS-4 grade you must possess one of the following:
- One (1) year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-03)
- Two (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)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies
- Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling
- 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-05 Dental Assistant
Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-05 you must meet the requirements listed at the GS-04 above, and you must possess one of the following:
- One (1) year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-04)
- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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
GS-06 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level)
Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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
- Certification in basic life support methods
- Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)
DANB certification is 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.
Reference
For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
Full Performance Level
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.
Physical Requirements
There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.
Duties
- Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
- Obtains and records vital signs in the medical record
- Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
- 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 using concepts of four-handed dentistry
- Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration with guidance from more experienced Dental Assistants (including Lead and/or Supervisory Dental Assistants)
- Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, Hours Variable:
for prose - Don't repeat job title as heading - Don't put Job ID/requisition numbers as headings - Preserve ALL substantive information - Remove boilerplate (EEO, scam warnings, application instructions) - Only include sections with real content - No filler/placeholder text - Output only HTML fragment Let me structure this: 1. Summary section - has specific vacancy info 2. Qualifications section - this is large with many subsections. I'll use h3 for main "Qualifications" and maybe h4 for subsections? But the rule says use h3 for section headings. The examples given: About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. So h3 for main sections. For subsections within Qualifications, I could use h4 or just use lists. Since the rule says "use
for section headings", I'll use h3 for main sections only. For subsections, I'll use nested lists or maybe h4? The rule doesn't forbid h4, but says "use for section headings". I think using h4 for subsections is okay as long as main sections are h3. But to be safe, I'll use h3 for main sections and for subsections I'll use strong or just list items. However, the content has clear subsections like "Basic Requirements", "Grade Determinations: GS-03", etc. I'll use h4 for those to keep structure.
But the instruction: "use for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It doesn't say not to use h4. I'll use h3 for top-level sections and h4 for subsections within Qualifications.
Let me outline:
Summary
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It doesn't say not to use h4. I'll use h3 for top-level sections and h4 for subsections within Qualifications.
Let me outline:
Summary
This position has 3 vacancies at the Seattle VA Medical Center and 1 vacancy at the American Lake VA Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements
- Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States
- English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403
Experience and Education
- Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the work or provides familiarity with the work
- 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
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, 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.
- 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
- 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 (applicable for grade levels 3/4/5/6 of this series)
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:
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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-03 Dental Assistant (Entry Level Developmental)No additional requirements beyond the basic requirements
GS-04 Dental AssistantExperience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements to qualify for the GS-4 grade you must possess one of the following:
- One (1) year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-03)
- Two (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)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies
- Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling
- 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
Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-05 you must meet the requirements listed at the GS-04 above, and you must possess one of the following:
- One (1) year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-04)
- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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
Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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
- Certification in basic life support methods
- Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)
DANB certification is 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.
Reference
For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
Full Performance Level
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.
Physical Requirements
There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.
Duties
- Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
- Obtains and records vital signs in the medical record
- Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
- 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 using concepts of four-handed dentistry
- Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration with guidance from more experienced Dental Assistants (including Lead and/or Supervisory Dental Assistants)
- Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, Hours Variable: