Dental Assistant

This announcement is for a Dental Assistant in the Dental service, located at the Providence VA Medical Center in Providence RI. This position is full time/40 hours a week.

Dental Assistants assist the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and perform many other clinical and clerical functions independent of direct supervision. Duties include but not limited to: Receive telephone messages and respond appropriately. Communicate with VA administrative staff on any care referral questions. Sort and forward requests for service from community dental offices for review by lead dentist. Communicate needed supporting documentation requests to offices. Sets up operatory 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. Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry. Pours impressions and prepares study models. Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims. Performs other dental laboratory functions as needed. Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental-service standards. Relays patient concerns to treating dentist. 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. Work Schedule: Full time; Monday-Friday 7:30a-4:00p. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement). Telework: Not Authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F04906, F04907, F04908, F04909. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Notifications: Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is a LIUNA Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.