The Dental Assistants will be assigned to Dental Service within the Fayetteville VA Health Care System. The Lead Dental Assistant works with the supervisor or Chief of the Dental Service to monitor and make work assignments, provide input on performance, resolve daily workplace issues, and maintain efficient flow of patient care, provide training to staff dental assistants; may recommend special advancements and promotions, disciplinary actions, etc. May also perform ancillary assignments.
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: Must speak and write the English Language English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's 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. 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. (1) Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence (a) 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, (c) 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 under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This will result in removal from the GS-681 series and may result in termination of employment. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is required 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. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. Grandfather Provisions: All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification(for positions above the full performance level) 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) Such employees 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) Employees 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) Employees 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. GS-7 Lead Dental Assistant Experience At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities a. Advanced knowledge of dental assisting across multiple areas of practice, and demonstrated ability to provide guidance to staff dental assistants. b. Skill in coordinating clinical work flow and assignments. c. Ability to assist in dental program development, outcome management, and strategic planning. d. Skill in acting as liaison between staff dental assistants and the supervisor. e. Ability to provide professional oversight and consultation for staff dental assistants Assignment. The Lead Dental Assistant works with the supervisor or Chief Dental Service to monitor and make work assignments, provide input on performance, resolve daily workplace issues, and maintain efficient flow of patient care; may approve brief periods of leave, provide training to staff dental assistants, students and/or trainees; may recommend special advancements and promotions, disciplinary actions, etc. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: provides instruction to other assistants in achieving diagnostic quality radiographs, provides instruction in maintenance of all dental service equipment, provides primary support to the chief for the daily delivery of department programs, reporting, staffing and scheduling, coordinates the patients' care plans to reduce redundancies and delay in patient treatment. Lead Dental Assistants generally would be found in Complexity Level 1 (High Complexity) or Complexity Level 2 (Medium Complexity) facilities, or in facilities of lesser complexity levels where large dental services are found. Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36 Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Stand for long periods of time, use hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
Lead: Coordinates clinical workflow/assignments and provides guidance using advanced knowledge of dental-assisting principles across multiple areas of practice; Assists in dental-program development, outcome management, and strategic planning; Acts as liaison between dental-assisting staff and supervisor; Maintains professional oversight and serves as consultant to staff dental assistants; Provides guidance to other assistants in achieving quality radiographs; Instructs in maintenance of all dental service equipment. Provides primary support to the Dental Chief for the daily delivery of department programs, reporting, staffing and scheduling; Coordinates patients' care plans to reduce redundancies and delay in patient treatment. Other Higher-Level/Clinical: 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 and matrix bands; Places and removes retraction cord; Places and removes intracoronal temporary restoration; Removes temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris; Fabricates, adjusts and cements temporary crowns; Removes permanent cement from supragingival surfaces; Removes sutures; Places and removes surgical dressings; Monitors nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesic; Performs coronal polishing of teeth; Removes hard accretions from and polishes removable prostheses. Customer Service: Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public Chairside Assisting: Sets up operatory, bedside and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover; Possesses advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care; Monitors, and performs basic interpretation of, patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure; Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry; Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently; 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; Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards; Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure; Takes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication; Provides procedure-specific, patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction; Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration. Dental Imaging: Possesses comprehensive knowledge of advanced imaging techniques in order to provide instruction (e.g. cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, TMJ, etc.); Possesses ability to identify anatomy; Exposes both standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e. TMJ, cephalometric, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats; Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider; Captures images characterized by diagnostic quality and accurately oriented and exposed; Utilizes dental-imaging safety techniques and retakes are minimized; Accomplishes imaging requests within desired time frame. 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 SPS for sterilization; Follows all Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment; Demonstrates proper infection-control procedures in exposing images. Dental Laboratory Functions: Pours impressions and prepares study models; Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims; Removes plaque and soft debris from removable prostheses; Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays; Performs other dental laboratory functions as needed and requested. Patient Safety: Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position); Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients; Participates in patient identification and time out per The Joint Commission requirements; Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; compressed - 7:00am -5:30pm Telework: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required