The Dental Hygienist at the Wilmington VA Clinic provides direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist and performs other clinical and clerical functions independent of direct supervision.

Duties

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Customer Service Responsibilities:

Requirements

Qualifications

The following are requirements for appointment as a Dental Hygienist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Dental Hygienists perform a wide variety of interventions which contribute to the overall oral health of Veterans. The work requires a professional knowledge of the field of dental hygiene and the biomedical sciences that relate to dentistry. These requirements apply to all VHA dental hygienists in the General Schedule (GS)-682 series. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for appointment as a Dental Hygienist, all applicants must possess the following: English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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). Dental Hygiene programs accredited by the American dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Education completed outside of the U.S. must be considered at least equivalent to that gained in CODA accredited U.S. 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 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. 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). 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. Physical Requirements. The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring standing, walking, repetitive motion, bending or lifting up to 40 lbs. In many situations, the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. There may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination and use of both arms. Must have color vision. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. GRADE (GS-09) REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level GS-8, that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. 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 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, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities for 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. Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure. Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application. Knowledge of hygiene procedures in order 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. 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/146, PART II, APPENDIX G37. DENTAL HYGIENIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD, GS-0682. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09.

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 Fayetteville NC VA Medical Center 2300 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28301 US
• Name: Shamika Parnell-Meyers
• Email: [email protected]