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Dental Hygienist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VAMC Coatesville
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Dental Hygienist provides direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision. 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.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/21/2022 to 02/04/2022
Salary
$59,790 to - $77,728 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 00
Location
Coatesville, PA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBSZ-11359122-22-MJW
Control number
632141700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens

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Duties

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At the full performance level GS-09 level the staff dental hygienists performs the following duties assigned but 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 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.

a. Customer Service/Veteran Centered Care

  • 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.
b. Patient Care
  • 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 Recognize 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 planning 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.
c. Patient Education
  • 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.

d. Dental Imaging
  • Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed.
  • Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized.

e. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization
  • 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.
f. other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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

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.
  • 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 of38 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.
  • Dental hygienists must be proficient in spoken and written English
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 Determinations:
GS-9 Dental Hygienist
  • Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level GS-08 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 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.
  • 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/73, Part II, Appendix G37

The full performance level of this vacancy is 09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 09.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

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.

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

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.

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