The Dental Hygienist (Advanced Clinical) will serve as part of the New Mexico VA Health Care System Dental Service. 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. The Dental Hygienist will plan, coordinate and conduct preventive oral health programs for various patient groups, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

Duties

The Dental Hygienists (Advanced Clinical) at this level are advanced-level practitioners in assigned areas. They work closely with, and under the general direction of, a dentist or periodontist. The Dental Hygienists will develop and modify instructional methods; and develop methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the preventive dentistry program. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Show courtesy, respect, and a positive- attitude for patients, co-workers, and the public. Address customer questions or concerns, provide service recovery. Set up operatory for planned dental procedure and clean dental unit for timely turnover. Handle instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. Provide routine oral prophylactic care to include application of fluoride solutions. Provide gross debridement, scaling and root planning procedures. Clean dental prostheses, fixed and removable. Manage dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed. Apply desensitizing and sealant materials. Make impressions for fluoride carrier trays. Apply topic anesthetic agents. Administer local anesthetic via block and infiltration (GS-10). Provide patient education appropriate to the veteran's needs and oral condition. Accomplish all procedures within standard infection control protocols. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates 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: (1) Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). (2) [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. Public Law 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. English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). NOTE: Grandfathering Provision. 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: In addition to the basic requirements above, candidates must meet the following grade requirements. GS-10 (Dental Hygienist (Advanced Clinical)) Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) that is directly related to the position being filled. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: Knowledge of medical assessment techniques including interviewing and evaluating clinical findings (e.g. normal and critical lab values) to adapt treatment based on medical and psychological issues. Advanced knowledge of oral and dental anatomy including root anatomy, common pathologies and anomalies, and indications for advanced radiographic imaging and proper technique to detect potential abnormalities. Skill in providing safe and thorough prophylaxis, root planing and soft-tissue curettage for complex periodontal and/or restorative cases and skill in providing safe care for patients with complex medical/psychiatric issues. Knowledge of medical treatment adjuncts and indications and the ability to safely administer medicaments (e.g. intrasulcular medicaments, local anesthesia, sulcular lavage, applying and removing periodontal surgical dressing). Knowledge of advanced adjunctive diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, indication for use and ability to utilize safely (e.g. sonic, magnetostrictive ultrasonic, and piezo ultrasonic scalers). Ability to apply adult education techniques/methods, organize curriculum, judge cognitive ability, and provide healthcare education regarding relationships between medical and dental pathologies to groups, interdisciplinary staff, and other outside contacts. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At this level, dental hygienists are advanced-level practitioners in assigned areas. Employee assignments may include but are not limited to advanced patient assessments/clinical evaluations (blood glucose levels, medication reconciliation, oral cancer screening, dietary analysis for caries risk, pulse oximeter, comprehensive periodontal charting), prophylaxis in complex restorative cases (e.g. multiple dental implants, orthognathic, post-surgical trauma, etc.), advanced scaling and root planing (ability to use advanced modalities) with or without soft-tissue curettage, advanced radiographic studies (cone beam computed tomography (CT), cephalometric), local anesthesia administration, advanced adjunctive treatment (xerostomia treatment recommendations, sulcular lavage, placement of intrasulcular medicaments, applying and removing periodontal surgical dressings, orthodontic care, sealant placement, occlusion adjustment, placement of desensitizing agents, professional whitening procedures), individual and group oral hygiene instructions for special-needs populations, elevated educational instruction, development of training materials/presentations), management of medically and/or behaviorally compromised patients, and collaboration with other disciplines. References: VA Handbook 5005/146, Part II, Appendix G37- Dental Hygienist Qualification Standards. This position is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: Moderate Lifting (15-44b lbs); Light Lifting (under 15 lbs); Moderate carrying (15-44lbs); Light Carrying (under 15 lbs); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Standing (up to 3 hours); Both Legs Required; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Hearing (aid permitted).

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.

Contacts

• Address Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: Tyrone Andrews-Bey-Beyah
• Phone: (313) 683-3807
• Email: [email protected]