Career Center

Serves as dental hygienist providing direct patient care & receiving guidance for complex patients & requires only general supervision from a dentist. Assignments includes but not limited to: patient medical assessment (e.g. medical/dental/social history, periodontal assessment & charting), recommending disease/treatment management, scaling/root planning, radiographs/image interpretation and patient education. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C § 7407 (a), Administrative Provisions for Section 7405 and 7406 Appointments. Education. Applicants must possess an Associate degree or higher from an accredited dental hygiene program. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved programs are: Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Education completed outside of the United States must be considered at least equivalent to that gained in CODA accredited United States programs and would enable the candidate to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, which is administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Licensure/Certification Licensure. Applicants must be currently licensed to practice as a dental hygienist with a full, current and unrestricted license in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Certification. P.L. 97-35, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Of 1981, requires persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75, Standards for the Accreditation of Educational Programs for and the Credentialing of Radiologic Personnel. To meet this requirement, 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. Accredited dental hygiene programs contain curriculum addressing radiologic procedures meets the requirement for certification as dental radiographers. Exceptions for Non-Certified Dental Hygienist. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental hygienist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B), Temporary Full-Time Appointments, Part-Time Appointments and Without-Compensation Appointments for a Period Not to Exceed Two Years. Non-certified individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a certified dental hygienist at or above the full performance level. Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. Temporary appointments of non-certified dental hygienist may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment. Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, dental hygienists must actively pursue meeting requirements for certification starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the dental hygienist supervisor will provide the dental hygienist with the written requirements for licensure/certification, including the time by which the licensure/certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Management officials will remove dental hygienists from their positions who fail to obtain licensure/certification during this time period, which may result in termination of employment Loss of Credential. Management officials will remove dental hygienists from their positions who fail to maintain the required licensure/certification, which may also result in termination of employment. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) 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 Determination: In addition to the basic requirements outlined above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-09 Experience. At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: *Knowledge of hygiene procedures to explain the process and indication, complications and expected treatment outcomes for each. *Knowledge of proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films. *Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application. *Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure. *Skill in educating patients and caregivers on periodontal disease, wellness, health maintenance, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and effects of illness, addictions, medications and tobacco on the oral cavity. *Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities to administer safe patient care. *Ability to assess the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health, recognize age-related changes in individual patients, adapt patient environment, and maximize patient's physical comfort. Preferred Experience: Competence working with adults and elderly patient population Experience and skill in treating moderate to advanced periodontal disease Ability to make impressions, pour models and other lab utility functions Teaching/training experience References: VA Handbook 5005/146 Part II Appendix G37 Dental Hygienist Qualification Standard GS-0682 Veterans Health Administration July 23, 2021. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. ["A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified individual. This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 04/25/2023. Additional applications will be referred as needed. Duties include, but are not limited to: Customer Service Showing courtesy, respect and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public. Providing assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery. Patient Care Setting up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Handling instruments safely, accurately and efficiently. Providing routine oral prophylactic care, including application of fluoride products, as indicated. Providing gross debridement, curettage and deep scaling and root planning procedures. Cleaning dental prostheses, fixed and removable. Managing dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed. Applying desensitizing and sealant materials. Making impressions for fluoride carrier trays. Prepares and provides individual and group oral health care instructions to patients and caregivers. Accomplishing all procedures within standard infection control protocols. Collecting information on patient findings and status and accurately reporting to the dentist in a timely manner Dental Imaging Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed. Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization Demonstrating proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatory. Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization by SPS standards. Instruments are prepared in a manner that does not delay clinical care. Demonstrating proper infection control procedures in exposing images. Clerical Functions Assisting patients in scheduling appointments Assisting in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments Information Management Maintaining patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information. Following computer security regulations. Patient Safety Modifying care as appropriate for patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position). Providing accurate and understandable instructions to patients. Education Complying with Employee Education requirements. Completing mandatory annual safety training sessions. Completing mandatory education requirements. Maintaining current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Performance Improvement Participating in performance improvement activities (including collecting and analyzing data). Committee and Team Membership Participating committee and team functions as assigned. Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Alternative full-time compressed tour may be an option. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified individual Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit position. Physical Requirements: moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), pushing (2 hours), walking (8 hours), standing (8 hours), repeated bending (1 hour), near vision correctable to 13\" to 16\" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, hearing (aid permitted) and mental/emotional stability."]

Return to Search Results