Clarification from the agency

This Job announcement is open to all US Citizens and Federal Employees of Other Agencies. Veteran's Preference applies.

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This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill one (1) full-time and permanent GS-0682-9 Dental Hygienist vacancy with the Dental Service at the Lexington, KY Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

Please read this announcement in its entirety before beginning the application process to ensure you submit all the required documents. See Required Document sections in this announcement before applying.

Please read the application questionnaire before applying: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12639526.

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The Licensed Dental Hygienist may perform the following duties when assigned or delegated to the dental hygienist by a dentist.
Duties are included but not limited to:

• Dental prophylaxis, Scaling and root planning, Sub-gingival curettage.
• Exposure of radio graphs, including digital, of the mouth, gums, jaws, teeth or any portion thereof for dental diagnosis
• Application of topical fluorides including varnishes
• Provides patient education including demonstration of oral hygiene procedures and oral health care regimens
• Taking and recording of a patient's blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and medical history and charting of oral conditions
• Serving as chairside dental assistant
• Maintenance of instrument and operatory infection control in compliance with Occupational
• Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards for clinical and laboratory dental operations including the testing of water quality
• Preparation of instrument trays Removal of cement from restorations and bands Placement and removal of periodontal dressings
• Taking alginate impressions for any purpose other than permanent restorations
• Prepares, mixes dental materials including impression materials per manufacturer's instructions.
• Holding and removal of impression material after placement in the patient's mouth by the Dentist
• Removal of excess cement from the surfaces of the teeth, Sulcular irrigation with antimicrobial agents if prescribed by the supervising dentist.
• Application of desensitizing agents, Application of topical anesthetic and anti-inflammatory agents, Irrigating extraction site
• Performs routine maintenance of equipment components such as suction traps and water lines.
• Maintains the evacuation system per manufacturer's instructions. Tests unit water quality as scheduled.
• Chart clinical findings and treatment plan in the Dental Record Manager (DRM) component of the computerized patient medical record (CPRS).
• Is in compliance with patient identification, time-out and reusable medical equipment processes.
• Recognizes patient signs of physical distress and monitors the patient's condition during treatment.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs. or over), Moderate lifting (15-44 lbs.), Light lifting (15 lbs. and under), Light carrying (15 lbs. and under), Pushing (1 hour), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingertips, Both Hands required, Walking (up to 4 hours), Standing (up to 8 hours), Kneeling (up to 2 hours), Repeated bending (up to 6 hours), Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16", Hearing (aid permitted).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).See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 30361F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• 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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.
• 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).
• 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: 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.
• 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).
• 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.

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)

Grandfathering Provision:
All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
3. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
4. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
5. The full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:
Dental Hygienist, GS-09Experience. At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level.
Assignments. Employees at this level serve as staff dental hygienists at the full performance level. 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.

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.
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.

Preferred Experience: 1 year experience as a Dental Hygienist

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9.

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Applicants are responsible for providing the information needed to determine their qualifications for the vacancy.
This includes information such as:

• the vacancy announcement number
• position title and grade
• how to contact the applicant
• descriptions of jobs held including:
  • the name and address of employer
  • job title
  • description of duties
  • beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment
  • average hours worked per week
  • supervisor's name and phone number
  • education (including name and location of college, dates attended, and type and date of any degree earned"
  • other information (such as possession of licenses, certificates, etc).

Descriptions of duties must be sufficiently detailed to document the applicant's level of experience. Although not mandatory, if the position is (was) with the Federal government (military or civilian), applicants should state the series and grade or pay grade (rank) and the date of last promotion.Basis for Selection: Selection for positions will be based on the objective evaluation of the candidates' total qualification for the position. "Qualifications" mean the combination of experience, training, education, skills, knowledges, abilities, personal characteristics, and merit factors deemed to be pertinent to successful performance.

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.