At this grade level serve as a staff dental hygienist performing at the full performance level. 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.

Duties

Major Duties and Responsibilities: Sets-up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently; assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias. Provides routine and advanced oral prophylactic care to include application of fluoride solutions and to select the appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application. Provides gross debridement, deep scaling and curettage root planing procedures and provides denture care. Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the dentist for additional care when needed. Makes impressions for fluoride carrier trays. Administers topical anesthetic agents. Accomplishes all procedures within standard infection control protocols. Provides patient education appropriate to the veteran's needs and oral condition. Prepares and provides individual and group oral health care instruction to inpatients, outpatients, and caregivers 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. Proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films; Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatory; Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization by SPS standards; and Instruments are prepared in a manner that does not delay clinical care. Assist patients in scheduling appointments and providing reminder calls to decrease the missed opportunity rate. Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information. Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress. Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21256-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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 hygienists 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. Ability to communicate in spoken and written English with patients and other health care personnel with sufficient fluency to satisfactorily carry out assigned responsibilities, in accordance with Public Law 95-201. Grade Determinations: In addtion to the basic requirements, candidate must meet the grade requirements. 1. Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. 2. Assignments. Employees at this level serve as staff dental hygienists at the full performance level. It is expected that they provide direct patient care and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff member only the most complex patients and require only general supervision from a dentist. Assignments at this level include 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 planinng, radiographs/images 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, 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: Three years of current work experience as a Dental Hygienist. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-37. The full performance level of this vacancy is at the GS-9 level. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA New Jersey Health Care System 385 Tremont Avenue East Orange, NJ 07018 US
• Name: Erskinlene Stewart
• Phone: 713-471-0579
• Email: [email protected]