The St. Louis VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Dental Hygienist, in the Dental service. The Dental Hygienist is responsible for performing basic and advanced prophylactic and preventive dental procedures and the treatment of patients with related medical and dental problems. At the full performance level, the Dental Hygienist requires only general supervision from a dentist and is expected to provide direct patient care, receiving guidance from higher-level supervisory staff.

Duties

VA St. Louis Health Care System is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

Requirements

Qualifications

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 chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) 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 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. 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). Grade Determinations:GS-05 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-06 Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience as a Dental Hygienist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: Knowledge of oral prophylactic, therapeutic, and preventive procedures for periodontal diseases, or inflammation, or on patients with other medical and/or dental problems Ability to use communication techniques to encourage and inform individuals and groups Knowledge of dental methods and techniques used in performing intra and extra oral procedures. Assignment. Employees at this level serve as developmental level 1 dental hygienists. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members for complex patient issues and require daily and direct contact at the site of work from the assigned supervisor. GS-07 Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience as a Dental Hygienist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: Knowledge of oral pathology to include disease of the hard and soft tissues, disorders of tooth structure, developmental and congenital anomalies, salivary gland disorders, symptoms of infectious disorders, and appropriate protocols. Practical knowledge of medical diseases, conditions, and chronic degenerative diseases as they relate to dental health and treatment. Knowledge of radiographic exposure techniques in order to produce radiographs of high diagnostic quality. Assignment. Employees at this level serve as developmental level 2 dental hygienists. It is expected that they perform more complex work while receiving less frequent supervision than at the GS-6 level. GS-08 Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience as a Dental Hygienist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: Knowledge of state of the art preventive dentistry measures for patient instruction and training. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology in order to interpret the examination request accurately; to understand the functioning and interrelationship of the various anatomical structures appearing on the radiographic image and the various stages of the examination to judge the acceptability of the radiograph for diagnostic use; and to present for viewing. Skill in providing individual and group oral health care instructions to inpatients, outpatients, Nursing Home Care Unit patients, etc. Knowledge of VA, The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and related regulations and guidelines pertaining to dental matters. Assignment. Employees at this level serve as developmental level 3 dental hygienists with the ability to perform direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist. It is expected that they receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: patient assessments (e.g. risk assessments, oral health assessments), prevention recommendations, prophylaxis, periodontal treatment for mild to moderate disease (e.g. scaling and root planing, full mouth debridement), Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) radiograph/image capture, fluoride treatment application, topical anesthesia administration, management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors). GS-09 Experience: Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience as a Dental Hygienist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's: 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. 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-09. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G37- DENTAL HYGIENIST Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary. Flexibility is required to accommodate events and activities occurring in other than normal duty hours. Mobility is required in terms of staging and assisting staff with equipment and other required materials.

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 VA St Louis Health Care System 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive St. Louis, MO 63125 US
• Name: Sonya Harris
• Phone: 202-948-6715
• Email: [email protected]