Videos

Assignments at this level include but are not limited to:

• Conducts patient medical assessment (e.g. medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal assessment and charting), disease and treatment management recommendations, denture care, scaling and root planning, radiographs/image interpretation, patient education (e.g. post-procedure, tobacco cessation, caries and perio-disease prevention), behavior management, management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors), instrument sharpening, inter-service communication.
• Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public.
• Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery.
• Delivers care that reflects the Veteran's and the family's personal goals, personal preferences, and freedom of choice.
• Demonstrates knowledge and application of patient and family centered care in written care plans, instructions to patients, and in observation of the actual care provided.
• Demonstrates non-judgmental understanding of the Veteran's and family's knowledge, values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrates collaborative orientation to working with patients and families.
• Sets up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover.
• Handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Assesses patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities.
• Assesses the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health.
• Recognizes age-related changes in individual patients, adapt patient environment, and maximize patient's physical comfort.
• Provides routine oral prophylactic care to include application of appropriate fluoride solutions.
• Provides gross debridement, scaling and root planing procedures.
• Cleans dental prostheses, fixed and removable.
• Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed.
• Makes impressions for fluoride carrier trays.
• Administers topical anesthetic agents.
• Accomplishes all procedures within standard infection control protocols.
• Provides patient education appropriate to the Veteran's needs and oral condition.
• Explains hygiene procedures, indications, complications and expected outcomes to individual patient and caregiver.
• Prepares and provides education on periodontal disease, wellness, health maintenance, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and effect of illness, addictions, medications and tobacco on the oral cavity.
• Demonstrates 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.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in exposing images.
• Assists patients in scheduling appointments.
• Assists in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments.
• Charts findings, treatment plans, and treatment provided in patient records.
• Maintains patient confidentiality per HIP AA with written and verbal information.
• Follows computer security regulations
• Modifies care as appropriate for patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position).
• Modifies care based patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities.
• Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients.
• Participates in patient identification and time out per TJC requirements.
• Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress.
• Complies with Employee Education requirements.
• Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:45 AM to 4:15 PM
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/30/2020.

1. COVERAGE. The following are requirements for appointment as a Dental Hygienist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The work requires a professional knowledge of the field of dental hygiene and the biomedical sciences that relate to dentistry. These requirements apply to all VHA dental hygienists in the General Schedule (GS)-682 series.

2. BASIC REQUIREMENTS

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States.

b. Education. Associate Degree or higher in an accredited dental hygiene program. This program must be accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

c. 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.

d. 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. Accredited dental hygiene programs contain curriculum addressing radiologic procedures which will meet the requirement for certification as dental radiographers.

1. Exception. 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) for a period not to exceed 2 years. Failure to obtain certification during this time period may result in termination of employment.

e. English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

3. GRADE REQUIREMENTS

a. Creditable Experience

(1) Knowledge of Current Professional Dental Hygienist Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (also referred to as "clinical competencies") associated with current professional dental hygiene practice. Evidence of such experience includes experience in private practice, U. S. military services, local/state/federal health care or educational facilities.

(2) Quality of Experience. Experience as a dental hygienist in private practice, U.S. military services, local/state/federal health care or educational facilities must be verified with the practitioner or the supervising officers. Experience satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice which may be paid or non-paid employment as a dental hygienist.

(3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a dental hygienist is credited according to its relationship to full-time work week. For example, a dental hygienist would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work.

b. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criterias must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-9 Dental Hygienist (Full Performance Level):

(a) Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level.

(b) Assignments. Employees at this level serve as staff dental hygienists at the full performance level. It is expected that they provide direct patient care and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients and require only general supervision from a dentist. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: patient medical assessment (e.g. medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal assessment and charting), disease and treatment management recommendations, denture care, scaling and root planing, radiographs/image interpretation, patient education (e.g. post-procedure, tobacco cessation, caries and perio-disease prevention), behavior management, management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors), instrument sharpening, inter-service communication.

(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities for safe patient care;
2. 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;
3. Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure;
4. Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application;
5. Knowledge of hygiene procedures in order to explain the process and indication, complications and expected treatment outcomes for each;
6. Knowledge of proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films; and
7. 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.

GS-8 Dental Hygienist (Developmental Level 3):

(a) Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level.

(b) Assignment. Employees at this level serve as developmental level 3 dental hygienists with the ability to perform direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist. It is expected that they receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: patient assessments (e.g. risk assessments, oral health assessments), prevention recommendations, prophylaxis, periodontal treatment for mild to moderate disease (e.g. scaling and root planing, full mouth debridement), Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) radiograph/image capture, fluoride treatment application, topical anesthesia administration, management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors).

(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-7 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of state of the art preventive dentistry measures for patient instruction and training;
2. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology in order to interpret the examination request accurately; to understand the functioning and interrelationship of the various anatomical structures appearing on the radiographic image and the various stages of the examination to judge the acceptability of the radiograph for diagnostic use; and to present for viewing;
3. Skill in providing individual and group oral health care instructions to inpatients, outpatients, Nursing Home Care Unit patients, etc.; and
4. Knowledge of VA, The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and related regulations and guidelines pertaining to dental matters.

References: VA Handbook 5005/73, Part II, Appendix G37 dated May 12, 2014.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

(ADDITIONAL GRADE REQUIREMENTS IN THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAL SECTION)

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, 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.

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-09. At the GS-05/06/07/08 grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-09. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds.

The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

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.