Dental Assistant

Summary The West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System is in Palm Beach County, Florida, and its six outpatient clinics are in Stuart, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Okeechobee, Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce. Incumbent serves as the Administrative and Community Care Assistant of the Dental Service, VA Medical Center, West Palm Beach, FL and reports to the Chief, Dental Service. Responsibilities Major duties but not are limited to : Community Care (CC) clinical functions Monitors incoming consults both for internal to the clinic and external for CC Mission Act- Ensures Internal consults are received within standard time rules . Ensures the dental eligibility is correct. Ensures the patient is appointed in the correct clinic needed after the clinical review is completed by dentist. Evaluates incoming Mission Act CC consult requests- Ensures the dental eligibility is correct. Forwards the eligible consults from ADMIN to CC DENTAL consults. Contacts patients to gather dental specific requirements for the consults. Creates surrogate CC dental consults. Ensures that patients are contacted for CC appointments in conjunction with CC staff and enter the scheduled appointments in the non-count CC clinic Acts as direct clinical contact with CC dentists Interacts directly with patients and CC dental offices to manage the dental care treatment plans Updates the CC consult treatment plans Ensures the CC consults are closed after initial visit and documentation has been received Coordinates the uploading of CC records into CPRS Receives dental x-rays from CC dental offices in a digital format and includes the x-rays along with the treatment plan request for review by VA Dentist Follow up with dental offices and patients for missed initial appointments Communicate treatment plan changes with the CC dental office and the patient to ensure the office and the patient understands the treatment plan changes and documents this in CPRS. Create surrogate consultation or update existing consultants when a patient has had a dental emergency outside of regular VA dental clinic hours on the next business day Reconcile bills from CC dentists that do not match the approved treatment plans and update the consultants as needed including communicating with the CC dental office and patient as needed. Work Schedule : Monday through Friday, 8 : 00am to 4 : 30pm Telework : Not Authorized Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : 41717F Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized Requirements 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 (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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. 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 : United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides familiarity with the work. OR Education : Successful completion 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 : Radiologic Competence Certification-Documentation Submitted. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they 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). Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. [Required for all positions above the 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 : In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-7 Clinical Expanded Function Dental Assistant Experience : At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-6) or equivalent that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. (Examples of experience include : using the concepts of four-handed dentistry; assists with specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic and implant placement and restoration; anticipates surgeons / specialists needs at each stage of treatment; takes preliminary impressions; selects and manipulates a variety of gypsums and waxes; pours, trims and evaluates the quality of diagnostic casts; fabricates custom trays) Certification : Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities : In addition to the above listed required experience, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) : Ability to perform dental assisting expanded functions Comprehensive working knowledge of advanced imaging techniques in order to provide instruction (e.g. cone beam, cephalometric, advanced panoramic imaging, TMJ, etc). Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The above full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. Physical Requirements : See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Education Note : Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here : If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit : Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.