Dental Assistant

Summary

This position is within the Dental Program located at the Syracuse VA Medical Center. The position entails a wide range of intra-oral dental procedures and provides chair-side assistance in the clinic and operating room setting. The incumbent assists with, performs and educates patients regarding intra-oral procedures associated with various phases of restorative (prosthodontic and maxillofacial prosthetic), periodontal, endodontic, and oral surgery procedures.

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties: GENERAL Maintain dental equipment in a clean and operative condition. Provide 4-handed dentistry that includes patient seating, draping, retraction, suction and passing of instruments. Support and follow all infectious disease policies including proper management of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME). Independently provides procedure-specific patient education, including preventive dental care and pre-and post-operative instruction. Refers patient concerns to a treating dentist. Explain elementary rationale for prescribed dental treatments. Take preliminary medical histories and interprets vital signs to be reviewed by the dentist. Enter, record, and retrieve information related to the medical and dental history as relayed to the dentist or patient. Phone triage of patients to determine whether requires licensed provider attention. Take impressions for study casts, diagnostic casts, or occlusal guards. Responsible for more than one dentist when required by the clinic. Maintain current required training. Other dental supportive services authorized by the licensed dentist while the Registered Dental Responsible for Dental Unit Waterline disinfection. RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY AND PROSTHODONTICS Aid in tooth shade selection. Fabricate provisional crowns. Place and remove matrix bands. Select and pre-fit provisional crowns. Remove temporary cement (not including temporary fillings). Apply desensitizing agents to teeth. PERIODONTICS Remove sutures placed by a licensed dentist. Remove protective surgical dressings. ENDODONTICS Place and remove rubber dam. Maintain entire inventory for endodontic instrument. RADIOGRAPHY Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. Performs the full range of dental radiography, including cone beam CT. Take radiographs of inpatients and outpatients according to prescription including periapical, bitewing, occlusal extra-oral (lateral jaw AP) etc., and panoramic radiograph. Know how to electronically request and record digital images. Correctly position patients and films/sensor to achieve proper radiographic angles. Checks all images to assure diagnostic quality and clarity to enable the examining dentist to have maximum radiographic information. ORAL SURGERY Has advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures in all phases of restorative, endodontic, and periodontal care and procedures. Route patients for further medical testing when required. Assist dentist in dental assistant-appropriate procedures, such as implants. Maintain sterility according to clinic and medical center procedures. Keep inventory of all equipment and supplies and informs supervisor when supplies are inadequate. Prepare instruments sterile trays, equipment and materials and assumes that they are present and properly arranged for the operative procedure. Preparation of general anesthesia, I.V., and oxygen anesthesia equipment. Maintain the crash cart including drug management. Other duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm 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 Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21X45-A

Requirements

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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 and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. 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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/16/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13110684. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV) The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV) Other (1) PCS Orders Professional Certification Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.