Job opening: Dental Hygienist

Salary: $59 123 - 76 857 per year

City: Dayton

Published at: Oct 23 2023

Company: Veterans Health Administration

Employment Type: Full-time

The Dental Service is located in Building 330, Second Floor, Patient Tower. The Dental Hygienist performs as clinician and education specialist providing therapeutic and preventive procedures for all levels of patients, including advanced periodontal disease complicated by other medical problems.

Duties

Duties Include: Makes a determination as to which treatment to perform. Upon referral by staff dentists, performs subgingival scaling, root planning and gingival curettage treatment to patients presenting with a variety of abnormal conditions such as extreme apprehension, mental disorders and xerostomia. In the case of advanced periodontal disease, administers local anesthetic (per state license) or prepares anesthetic syringe for delivery to treated tissues by staff dentist. Serves as chief support both to staff periodontist in advanced cases and to implantologist in the maintenance of endosseous dental implants. Performs additional procedures such as taking and developing dental radiographs, recording medical and dental histories, reviewing patient's dietary habits, administering caries prevention agents, desensitizing root surfaces, taking impressions for study casts, removing sutures and instructing the patients in home care therapy and proper diet as these relate to oral health. Plans, coordinates and conducts oral health programs for various patient groups including residents residing in the Community Living Center or domiciliary. Instructs nurses and support staff on how to perform oral hygiene techniques to best meet the needs of the patients. Responsible for the development, coordination, administration, evaluation and modification of the Preventive Dentistry program at this facility. Develops and revises oral health instruction materials and educational techniques for patients with varied levels of dental knowledge and educational background. Uses resources available within the outpatient clinic and from internet sources as well as from professional journals. From these the incumbent plans objectives and develops programs for preventive dentistry lectures and demonstrations. Incumbent also plans visual displays for the benefit of patient groups and clinic personnel. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Thursday, 7:30am - 5:00pm and every other Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 920930. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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. 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: Experience: At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. Demonstrated KSAs: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Preferred Experience: 1 year experience preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005/146, PART II, APPENDIX G37, DENTAL HYGIENIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD, Dated July 23, 2021 The full performance level of this vacancy is 09. Physical Requirements: Work requires some bending, stooping, lifting of supplies and long periods of standing and sitting.

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.