Dental Lab Technician

About the role

The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Collaborates with prosthodontists, oral surgeons, periodontists and implantologists to design and fabricate complex dental or intra-oral maxillofacial appliances.
• Constructs routine full and partial dentures, dental splints and obturators, model work for fixed prostheses and other laboratory products to support the treatment needs of staff dentists.
• Functions include pouring primary and final impressions; fabricating custom trays; fabricating bite· rims; mounting casts on articulators; setting teeth for trial dentures/partials; investing, packing, processing and finishing dentures/partials; polishing prosthesis following adjustment; fabricating night guards; fabricating provisional prostheses; repairing broken prostheses; adding teeth to prostheses; pouring and pinning final crown and bridge impressions; sectioning dies; fabricating fluoride trays; fabricating stints; fabricating transitional partials, managing implant fabrication process and fabricating wrought wire clasps.
• Consults with patients concerning their complaints regarding the esthetics of any present prosthesis. Incumbent makes recommendations concerning corrections to the dentists. These are generally accepted and incorporated without significant modification.
• Researches latest materials and technology associated with prosthesis fabrication and modification or repair.
• Provides training to dental hygienists, dental assistants, volunteers, dental students and dental residents regarding the use of materials, equipment and techniques involved with dental laboratory duties.
• Submits articulated casts to outside agencies such as VA Central Dental Laboratories and contracted laboratories.
• Observes dental abnormalities which may present design problems which require special treatment plans or suggestions, which called chair side by dentists and other professional dental specialists to observe dental abnormalities, which present design problems requiring special treatment planning and suggestions.
• Provides recommendations, which may be accepted and incorporated, into the patient treatment plan without significant modification. Also consults in the laboratory concerning the follow-up actions with ongoing cases.
• Advises in the design of unique prostheses for trauma and cancer patients where oral tissue is mutilated or missing and independently completes all laboratory procedures on these complex cases.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Requirements

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. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position.

Specialized Experience (GS-09): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-08).

• Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials;
• Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment;
• Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers;
• and Construction of dental prosthetic appliances.

Qualifications

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.