Dental Assistant

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. Open to all US Citizens and current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
• Obtains and records vital signs in the medical record
• Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
• Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues 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 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 with guidance from more experienced Dental Assistants (including Lead and/or Supervisory Dental Assistants)
• Maintains both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Hours-Variable: American Lake: 0700-1530 Seattle: 0730-1600
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• 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 evaluation.
• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by of the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States
• English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with with 38 U.S.C. 7403.
• Experience and Education
  • Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR,
  • Education: Successfulcompletion 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. You must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in this 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). OR,
    • 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. (This is applicable for grade levels 3/4/5/6 of this series)
• Grandfathering Provision: All Dental Assistants employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (04/19/2011) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification 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. Dental Assistants grandfathered under this provision 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. Dental Assistants 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. Dental Assistants 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.
  4. If a Dental Assistant who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, they lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:
GS-03 Dental Assistant (Entry Level Developmental) - No additional requirements beyond the basic requirements.

GS-04 Dental Assistant - Experience/Education Requirement:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements to qualify for the GS-4 grade you must possess one of the following:
   • One (1) year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-03) 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
2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   1. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies.
   2. Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling.
   3. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval.
   4. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment.
   5. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.

GS-05 Dental Assistant - Experience/Education Requirement:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-05 you must meet the requirements listed at the GS-04 above, and you must possess one of the following:
   • One (1) year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-04) OR
   • Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA AND
2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   1. Knowledge of anatomy and ability to evaluate diagnostic quality.
   2. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement.
   3. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures.
   4. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA.
   5. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol.

GS-06 Staff Dental Assistant (Full Performance Level) Experience Requirement:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). AND
2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   1. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.
   2. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.
   3. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.
   4. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.
   5. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.
   6. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.
   7. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.
   8. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures.

Preferred Experience:

• Certification in basic life support methods.
• Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). DANB certification is highly desirable 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.

Physical Requirements: There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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