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
• 1) Experience
• Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work
• OR, (2) Education
• Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Accreditation that included a course in radiation physics
• radiation biology
• radiation health, safety, and protection
• X-ray films and radiographic film quality
• radiographic techniques
• darkroom and processing techniques
• and film mounting
• or practical nurse training approved by the appropriate State, territory, or District of Columbia accrediting body
• OR, (3) 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
• 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
• (a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.
• OR, (b) Successful completion of the education and training, including coursework in radiation health and safety, described by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as fully qualifying for any grade level (copies of certificates of successful completion, plus transcripts or course descriptions of the required subjects must be filed in the employee's official personnel folder);OR, (c) 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
• 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)
• 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: GS-6 (Full Performance Level ) In addition to meeting the basic requirements, candidates must possess at least 1 year or specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level and 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary but involves fine motor movements when assisting
• Typically, the employee sits at a desk or table or on adjustable stool in the treatment room with some walking and standing as patients are seated or clean and dirty dental instruments area
• Items carried are typically light objects and lifting of moderately heavy objects is not normally required.