Supervisory Dental Assistant (Expanded Function)

Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:
Dental Assistant Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

• Instructs, updates, and orients dental staff to new materials and techniques, clinical equipment, and safety and infection control procedures.
• Plans and prepares for upcoming clinic needs based on historical needs data and adjusting for varying staffing patterns and CDE courses.
• Dental prophylaxis, TBI, fluoride treatment and dental sealants.
• Assists the dentist at chairside to perform all dental procedures done at the Service Unit. This assistance includes retraction of tissues, evacuation of debris from the oral cavity, anticipation of the dentist's needs so as to select the appropriate instrument to pass during the procedure and the proper handling of all dental materials needed in the procedure.
• Correctly exposes processes and mouths both intra and extra-oral dental radiographs and operates both the panoramic and cephalometric units.
• Obtains and records patient identification according to procedure.
• Ensures the dental unit is cleaned at all times in accordance to the clinic's established infection control standards.

Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
Schedule: Monday to Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement:
This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
Individual Occupational Requirements:
Note: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (1) have successfully completed an education program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and (2) be certified as radiographers in their field. The following meet these requirements:

1. Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel prior to the effective date of the regulation (January 13,1986) who show evidence of current or fully satisfactory performance or certification of such as a Doctor of Medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic who prescribes radiologic procedures to others.
2. Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel after the effective date of the regulation who (a) received training from institutions in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not accredit training in that particular field at the time of graduation, or (b) practiced in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not license that particular field or did not allow special eligibility to take a licensure examination for those who did not graduate from an accredited educational program, provided such persons show evidence of training, experience, and competence, as determined by OPM or the employing agency.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-07: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Make adjustments as needed for minimizing the disruption of patient care. Assign workload and duties of dental assistant personnel. Develop and evaluate employee work performance. Perform administrative supervision of multiple employees. Provide chair-side assistance and dental therapy duties for general dentists and dental specialists in all aspects of dentistry. Supervises the maintenance of clinic records being recorded by subordinates. Specialty experience examples include: Clinical Emphasis: Perform in a lead role with experience in dental assisting duties in a clinic setting. Record patient complaints. Provide guidance for patience related to form completion and triage of patients. Community Outreach: Attend dental community outreach as a lead dental assistant at events such as dental screenings, fluoride application and similar outreach events. Infection control: performed as a lead a dental department in all matters pertaining to infection control, including adherence to policies and conduct training as needed;

OR

Completed 1 year (18 semester hours) of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position. Transcripts must be submitted.

OR

Special Requirements for GS-5 and above Dental Assistant (Expanded Function): Applicants for Dental Assistant (Expanded Function) positions must have completed l year of acceptable course work, preceptorship, or other formal training and/or work assignments specifically designed to equip them with knowledge and skills required to perform intra-oral procedures involved in the position to be filled. Examples of acceptable training are:

• Courses in a dental hygiene or dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that are directly related to the intra-oral procedures (also referred to as expanded functions) that are to be performed in the position to be filled.
• U.S. Army's Dental Therapy Assistant Training Program.
• Continuing education courses in expanded functions for dental assistants offered by the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Other training comparable to the above in private or governmental hospitals, clinics, or schools that included formal classroom instruction and clinical training in the knowledge and skills required to perform intra-oral procedures in the position to be filled.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

How You Will Be Evaluated - Structured Interview
To ensure a fair and consistent hiring process, IHS uses a multi-hurdle assessment process. Each "hurdle" must be passed before moving to the next step. This helps us evaluate applicants based on job-related qualifications, competencies, and experience.
Below is what applicants can expect:
________________________________________
1. Minimum Qualifications Review - Hurdle 1
HR reviews your resume to confirm you meet the minimum qualifications for the position (education and/or experience, listed above).
Note: the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications.
If you meet minimum qualifications, you move to the next hurdle.
2. Technical Assessment (Structured Interview) - Hurdle 2
A panel of trained interviewers will ask all applicants the same set of job-related questions to determine if you possess the following competencies:

• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Managing Human Resources
• Planning and Evaluating
• Technical Competence

Your score determines whether you move forward. Candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within each of these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-preference eligibles.
The following links below provide information on how you may be eligible for various hiring authorities. If you are a Veteran, qualified CTAP and ICTAP eligible, or an individual with a disability, please refer to the following links below for additional guidance. CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Workforce Restructuring Career Transition website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

• Veterans, i.e. (VEOA, VRA, and 30% or more disabled) - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide-for-hr-professionals/
• Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) - http://www.ihs.gov/jobs/support-documents/
• Interagency Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
• Schedule A Appointments for the Disabled - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/

Click here to view vacancy questions: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13020245. All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of, 08/18/2026, to be considered.

Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, annual salary, and description of job duties. Include name and address of employer; supervisor name and telephone number.

Required as applicable for the purposes of specific eligibility and appointment claim(s), and position requirements:
Indian Preference Applicants: If claiming Indian preference, applicants must provide a completed copy of the Form BIA-4432, "Verification of Indian Preference for Employment in the BIA and IHS Only." Indian preference will not be given unless a properly signed and dated form is submitted with your application, including any verification by an authorized Tribal Representative or BIA Official of tribal enrollment records. For detailed instructions, see form BIA-4432. Refer to BIA-4432 link: Verification of Indian Preference for Employment in the BIA and IHS When an Indian Preference candidate possesses Veterans preference the rules regarding Veterans preference apply under ESEP and the applicant must provide documentation in order to receive preference.
Veterans Preference: If claiming Veteran's Preference provide a copy of your DD214 Form (Member 4 copy). To claim 10-Point Veterans Preference, submit a SF-15 Application (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) along with the appropriate supporting documentation. For additional information regarding Veterans Preference visit: http://www.fedshirevets.gov.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP, follow the instructions below: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf.
Transcripts: You are encouraged to submit copies of transcripts (official or unofficial) although not required at the time of application. You must list your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Official transcripts will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer.
Licensure, Certifications: Applicants should list their license/certifications on their resume, along with the expiration date, if applicable. Certification of licensure/certification will be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer.

You must meet the requirements of the job by 11:59 (PM Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date: 08/18/2026

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