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
• English Language Proficiency: Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• 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/Certification: 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
• 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)
• All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard (July 23, 2021) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Dental Hygienist, GS-10 (Advanced Clinical) Experience
• At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) that is directly related to the position being filled fully meets the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at that level
• At the GS-09 level, dental hygienists 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 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, caries and perio-disease prevention), behavior management, management of stable medically compromised patients, instrument sharpening, inter-service communication
• Assignments
• At the GS-10 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-09 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
• 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)
• 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
• 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
• Preferred Experience: 2-5 years of experience practicing as a dental hygienist in a private practice or clinical environment
• Experience providing care for adult medically compromised patients
• Demonstrated skills in patient education, communication, and cultural competency
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-10
• Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position
• May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
• Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
• the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated
• However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.