Lead Dental Assistant

Lead Dental Assistant

The Veterans Health Administration is seeking a Lead Dental Assistant for the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System in Muskogee, OK. This position supports dental clinical operations by performing advanced chairside dental assisting, oral cavity inspection, dental imaging, infection control, equipment maintenance, patient education, treatment documentation, workflow coordination, and professional guidance for staff dental assistants.

Agency: Veterans Health Administration

Facility: Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System

Location: Muskogee, OK

Vacancies: 1

Salary: $66,939 - $87,023 per year

Pay Scale & Grade: GS-7

Promotion Potential: GS-7

Work Schedule: Full-time, 7:00am - 5:30pm, Monday - Friday, four total workdays

Appointment Type: Permanent

Telework: Not available

Remote/Virtual: Not available

Travel Required: 25% or less

Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed

Drug Test: Required

Security Clearance: Not required

Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk

Background Check: Credentialing and suitability/fitness required

Financial Disclosure: Not required

Federal Service: Excepted Service

Union Representation: Yes

Supervisory Status: No

Series: 0681 Dental Assistant

Functional Statement: 51289A

Announcement Number: CBSU-12967142-26-TJB

Control Number: 869983000

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform mouth mirror inspection of the oral cavity and gather diagnostic information.
• Chart existing restorations and oral conditions.
• Select shades for fixed and removable prostheses.
• Place and remove rubber dams, matrix bands, retraction cord, temporary restorations, and surgical dressings.
• Remove temporary crowns or bridges and clean tooth preparations of debris.
• Fabricate, adjust, and cement temporary crowns.
• Remove permanent cement from supragingival surfaces.
• Assist with vitality testing.
• Remove sutures.
• Monitor nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia.
• Perform coronal polishing of teeth.
• Remove hard accretions from removable prostheses and polish removable prostheses.
• Set up operatories or surgery suites for planned dental procedures and clean dental units for timely turnover.
• Use advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures across restorative, surgical, endodontic, and periodontal care.
• Monitor and perform basic interpretation of patient vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse, and pulse oximeter readings, during invasive treatment and recovery.
• Assist in routine general dental procedures using four-handed dentistry concepts.
• Pass instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Keep the operative field clear of debris and retract oral tissues effectively and comfortably.
• Prepare dental medicaments and impression materials according to manufacturer instructions.
• Complete intra-operative procedures within standard infection-control protocols.
• Assist in specialized dental procedures, including oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement, and restoration.
• Maintain routine and specialty dental equipment according to manufacturer instructions and dental service standards.
• Apply topical anesthetic at the injection site.
• Take impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication.
• Provide procedure-specific patient preventive education and oral hygiene instruction.
• Relay patient concerns to the treating dentist.
• Use comprehensive knowledge of advanced imaging techniques, including cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, and TMJ imaging.
• Identify anatomy and expose standard and specialty dental imaging in traditional or digital formats.
• Demonstrate proper infection-control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories.
• Disinfect oral appliances to prevent cross-contamination.
• Properly prepare instruments for transfer to Sterile Processing Service for sterilization.
• Follow Standard Operating Procedures for Reusable Medical Equipment.
• Assist in filling gaps in the dentist's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments.
• Initiate computerized progress notes.
• Assist dentists in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified candidates cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Must have six months of experience that demonstrates ability to perform the work or provides familiarity with the work; or
• Must have successfully completed a one-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation; or
• Must have an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Must meet radiologic credentialing standards if administering radiologic procedures.
• Certification in Basic Life Support methods is highly desirable.
• Dental Assisting National Board certification is recognized by the American Dental Association as the national certification for Dental Assistants.
• Must pass pre-employment drug testing and remain subject to testing requirements for this testing-designated position.
• Must be subject to background/security investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements.
• Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel.
• Selected applicant will be required to serve a one-year or two-year trial period.

Eligibility:

• This announcement is open to the public, including all U.S. Citizens.
• The two-page resume requirement does not apply to this position.
• This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
• This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Radiologic Competence Requirements:

• Applicants who administer radiologic procedures must meet credentialing standards under 42 CFR Part 75.
• Acceptable evidence may include successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board; or
• Successful completion of Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry; or

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