Dental Assistant (EF)
What you'd do
Make a Difference Where It Matters Most! Join the Indian Health Service as an experienced Expanded Function Dental Assistant. Use your expertise in chairside assisting, restorative procedures, radiography, infection control, and patient education to deliver culturally respectful, high-quality care while improving oral health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).
Major duties
Restores teeth after preparation has been accomplished. Provides chairside assisting and fully anticipates dentist's need for various instruments, materials, and service. Prepares materials and equipment for use by the Dentist. Performs a variety of intra-oral procedures (as directed by the Dentist) such as oral prophylaxis, operates cavitron, applies pit and fissure sealants, removes temporary fillings, and cements stainless steel crowns. Performs radiological procedures and performs dental laboratory procedures, pours and trims models, fabricates custom trays and bite rims, mounts casts on articulator, and pours final impressions. Receives and prepares patients for dental treatments. Maintains records related to appointments, examinations, treatment, and supplies. Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Dental Assistant Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov) Requirements: (Continued) Financial Suitability Requirement: This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying. Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.
What you need to qualify
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): Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiological procedures meet the credentialing standards, which are set forth in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (1) have successfully completed an educational program which meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation and which is credited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and (2) be certified as radiographers in their field. The following meet these requirements: Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiological 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 from a licensed practitioner such as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic, who prescribes radiological procedures to others. Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiological personnel after the effective date of the regulation who (a) received training from institutions in a State or foreign jurisdiction which did not accredit training in that particular field at the time of graduation, or (b) practiced in a State of foreign jurisdiction which did not license that particular field or which did not allow special eligibility to take a licensure examination for those who did not graduate from an accredited educational program, provided that such persons show evidence of training, experience, and competence, as determined by OPM or the employing agency. You must have a current I.H.S. or a State (or foreign jurisdiction) dental radiological health and safety certification of competency or proof of otherwise meeting the above-described requirement. In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below- MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-05: Applicants must meet one of the following. Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the private or public sector) performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Providing chairside assistance during dental procedures; performing simple alloy and composite restorations that do not require pin retention or cusp replacement; placing and contouring temporary restorations; placing pit and fissure sealants; performing oral prophylaxis using ultrasonic scaling to remove visible calculus; applying topical fluoride; taking and processing digital intra-oral radiographs; taking and recording vital signs; collecting patient history and assisting with medication reconciliation; performing routine dental laboratory procedures; providing post-treatment instructions and oral health education; maintaining dental instruments and equipment; and following established infection control, sterilization, and safety protocols. OR Education: Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in dental assistant or dental hygiene program: Must include 24 or more semester hours in courses such as 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 Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience and education that meets 100 percent of the qualification requirements. Only education beyond the first 60 semester hours is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. GS-06: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the private or public sector) performing the following type of work and/or tasks: advanced duties under a dentist such as restorative fillings expanded functions duties, cleaning or surgical expanded function duties. Other examples include monitor nitrous oxide, take x-rays; coronal polishing; apply sealants, place and carve restoratives; take final impressions under close supervision, apply sealants and fluoride. And Special Requirements for GS-05 and GS-06 Dental Assistant (Expanded Function) Applicants: Your resume must demonstrate completion of 1 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 by the respective cutoff day of rating to be eligible for consideration.
Before you apply
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