Dental Assistant (Fee Basis)

About the role

This is a Fee Basis Provider position. Fee basis appointments are temporary, excepted appointments of persons in professional and technical occupations under the authority of Title 38 of the United States Code, specifically section 7405(a)(2). Fee basis appointments provide services on a facility's premises when health services are otherwise readily available, cost effective, based on services provided rather than on an hour or tour basis, and when determined to be cost effective to the agency.

Responsibilities

• Serves as staff dental assistants at the full performance level for more routine patient care and performs some complex patient procedures under general supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.
• Aids the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision.
• 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, ensuring diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed.
• Utilizes dental imaging safety techniques and minimizes retakes while meeting the desired time frame for imaging requests.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories, disinfecting oral appliances, preparing instruments for sterilization, and working closely with the SPD to ensure instrument availability.
• Assists patients in scheduling appointments, handling telephone calls, and entering RTC orders when necessary.
• Assists in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments.
• Assists the dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records.
• Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information, adheres to computer security regulations, and follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment.
• Performs direct patient care tasks such as monitoring patient vital signs, applying topical anesthetic, applying topical fluoride, making impressions for diagnostic casts, providing postoperative and other appropriate patient education, and applying topical fluoride.
• Monitors patient condition during treatment and recovery, participating in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements.
• Complies with Employee Education requirements and completes mandatory annual safety training sessions.
• Pours impressions and prepares study models, makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims, fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays, and performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow.
• Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and recovery, applies topical anesthetic at the injection site, and provides postoperative patient education.

Requirements

• Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's 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).
• 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).
• English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Experience and Education: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work; or successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA); or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• 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).
• English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a.