Dental Hygienist

Company: Veterans Health Administration
Location: Asheville
Posted on: April 9, 2021

Job Description:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/12/2021.
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 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. Grade Determinations:
GS-9 Dental Hygienist (a) Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level.
(b) 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 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 (including risk factors), instrument sharpening, inter-service communication. (c) 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; and
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. References: VA Handbook 5005/73, Part II, Appendix G37. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, walking, sitting and bending are required.

Keywords: Veterans Health Administration, Asheville , Dental Hygienist, Healthcare , Asheville, North Carolina