Dental Assistant

Summary

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT, applications will be accepted until 30-Nov-2026 or until vacancies are filled. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. This Dental Assistant position is located at the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Dental assistants assist the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and perform other clinical and clerical functions.

Duties

This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMENT, applications will be accepted until 30-Nov-2026 or until vacancies are filled. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. VA offers a Comprehensive TOTAL REWARD$ package. This Dental Assistant position is located at the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Dental assistants assist the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and perform other clinical and clerical functions. Duties include but are not limited to: Shows courtesy, respect, and positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public. Assists customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery. Sets up operatory 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. Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissue 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 specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration. Monitors, and performs basic interpretation of, patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure. Responds to basic medical emergencies. Remove sutures. Remove temporary crown or bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris. Recement and fabricate temporary crowns. Coronal polishing of teeth. Takes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication. Provides procedure-specific, patient-preventative education and oral hygiene instruction. Possess ability to identify normal anatomy. Pours impressions and prepares study models as needed. Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories. Work Schedule: Full-time | Monday to Friday. Compressed/Flexible Hours: Available. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized. 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). 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 Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 554-54840A, 554-54841A, 554-54842A, 554-54843A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates Experience and Education. Experience. Six (6) months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. - OR - Education. Successful completion of a one (1) year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Certification (required). Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. 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). Note: 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. Additional Certifications (not required but highly desirable). Certification in basic life support methods 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 not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions up to the GS-6 (full performance level). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). GRADE DETERMINATIONS GS-3 Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, one (1) year of experience at the next lower level (GS-3). - OR - 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. - AND- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and [medical emergencies. 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-5 Experience or Education. In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate] at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. - OR - Successful comp