Dental Hygienist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Forest Park (DE); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Dental Hygienist to provide direct patient care at the Wilmington VA Clinic under supervision, with guidance from higher-level staff for complex patients. Applicants may be referred while completing requirements, but cannot be hired until licensure/certification are met.

GS-9 level; must have current license in a U.S. state/DC. Certification for radiologic procedures is required; non-certified applicants may be hired temporarily with restrictions

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Proficient in spoken and written English.
• Possess an Associate degree or higher in dental hygiene from a CODA-accredited program or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care under supervision from a dentist or higher-level staff.
• Refer and assist with complex cases as directed by supervising clinicians.
• Comply with licensure, credentialing, and radiologic certification requirements.

Skills

US Citizenship

English Proficiency

Education

Associate degree in dental hygiene (CODA or equivalent)

Job description

The Dental Hygienist at the Wilmington VA Clinic provides 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. 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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: 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

(a) Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental hygienist, Temporary Full-Time Appointments, Part-Time Appointments and Without-Compensation Appointments for a Period Not to Exceed Two Years.

(b) Non-certified individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a certified dental hygienist at or above the full performance level.

(c) Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained.

(d) Temporary appointments of non-certified dental hygienist may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment.

(e) 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.

Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements outlined the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Dental Hygienist - GS-09

Experience

At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-8) that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. Experience includes but is not limited to provide gross debridement, scaling and root planing procedures; take radiographic images characterized by high diagnostic quality, accurate orientation and proper exposure; provide individual and group oral health care instruction to patients and caregivers using knowledge of medical diseases, conditions, and chronic degenerative diseases as they relate to oral health.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

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

Reference: https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS 9.

Preferred Experience: Prior Robust experience and current employment as a Dental Hygienist.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.