Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant

The Dental Assistant provides assistance with general dentistry specialty procedures including oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontic, prosthodontic and implant placement and restoration services to the Veteran population enrolled in the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. Duties and responsibilities of the Dental Assistant include, but are not limited to:

• Proficiently provides procedures commonly recognized by the dental profession for safe performance by a dental assistant: four-handed chair-side dental assisting, dental lab procedures, and performing other such procedures as may be delegated by the dentist consistent with the Florida State Dental Practice Act.
• Complies with all Patient Safety processes: Infection control, patient identification, time-out, iMed (informed) consent, medication reconciliation, and hand-off communication.
• Follows standard operating procedures for all reusable medical equipment (RME), instruments, materials, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in use in the dental clinical areas.
• Prepares the operatory with all needed equipment, materials and supplies for planned dental procedure(s) prior to seating the patient and cleans operatory after the patient is dismissed for timely turnover.
• Captures and saves diagnostic quality digital radiographs of the mouth, gums, jaws, and/or teeth both intraoral and extraoral within the desired time frame.
• Anticipates the dentist's need at each stage of the treatment procedure, including specialty procedures (in oral surgery, periodontal therapy, endodontics, prosthodontics, and implant placement and retention), and makes instrumentation and/or materials readily available, whether in the dental clinic, operating room, or the patient's bedside.
• Employs proper techniques and dexterity in the practice of four-handed dentistry.
• Prepares and mixes dental materials per manufacturer's instructions.
• Applies cavity bases and liners, desensitizing agents, fluoride (foam, gel or varnish), tooth conditioners/bonding agents and topical anesthesia prescribed by dentist to specified areas of the oral cavity.
• Fabricates temporary acrylic, stainless steel, and polycarbonate crowns.
• Removes crown/bridge temporaries and cleans the prepared tooth of debris.
• Removes sutures, periodontal dressings, and socket (post-extraction) dressings.
• Provides coronal polishing of natural teeth (including removing cement and debris from teeth and restorations).
• Provides accurate and understandable procedure-specific patient education including preventive dental care practices, care of prosthetic appliances, demonstration of oral health care regimens, and post-operative/restorative instructions.
• Performs routine maintenance of equipment components such as suction traps and water lines.
• Has a working knowledge of laboratory procedures, materials, and methods, including safety and proper handling of laboratory equipment.
• Performs dental laboratory duties; cleans and polishes dentures and other prosthetic appliances; pours and trims dental stone models; constructs custom impression trays; fabricates bite rims and vacuum-formed stints, soft mouth guards and fluoride trays.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

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 Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 21782F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized