The Dental Hygienist position is located at the North West Health Care Center (NWHCC) 9939 State Hwy 151, San Antonio, TX 78251. The incumbent provides direct patient care and will receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients and require only general supervision from a dentist. 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. 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. 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. English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Exceptions for Non-Certified Dental Hygienist. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental hygienist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B), Temporary Full-Time Appointments, Part-Time Appointments and Without-Compensation Appointments for a Period Not to Exceed Two Years. 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. Grade Determinations: Dental Hygienist, GS-09 Experience. At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level (i. Knowledge of state-of-the-art preventive dentistry measures for patient instruction and training. ii. 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. iii. Knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and related regulations and guidelines pertaining to dental matters. iv. Skill in providing individual and group oral health care instructions to inpatients, outpatients, Nursing Home Care Unit patients, etc.), the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of hygiene procedures 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. Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application. Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure. 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. Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities to administer 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. Preferred Experience: 3-5 years Preferred Experience in dental hygiene Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standard dental procedures used in dental hygiene and periodontal care and procedures. Ability to assess complex patient medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal assessment and charting. Ability to provide disease and treatment management recommendations, denture care, scaling and root planning. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats and know radiograph/image interpretation. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. 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-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09 Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds, Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (6 hours), Repeated bending (2-4 hours), Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement (Far Vision: 20/30), Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted), Emotional and Mental Stability, Sit for extended periods, Performs Independently, Cognitive Stability ["Major duties include but are not limited to: patient medical assessment (ie. medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal charting and assessment), disease and treatment management recommendations, denture care, scaling, root planing, and curettage, radiograph/image acquisition & interpretation, patient education (ie. post-procedure, tobacco cessation, caries & perio disease prevention, behavior management), management of stable medically compromised patients - including risk factors, instrument sharpening and sterilization, inter-service communication - warm hand offs, aid in access to care by entering leave into VATAS, creating LEAFs for clinic closure/opening requests in a timely manner, customer assistance/service recovery, set up operatory and cleaning dental unit, perform full mouth probing, clean dental prosthesis - fixed and removable, patient referrals, desensitizing and sealant material application, fluoride carrier tray impressions, administration of topical anesthetic agents, scheduling appointments and filling scheduling gaps, administers anesthesia and/or nitrous oxide if licensed to do so. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Travel: You may be expected to travel for this position to local clinics for patient care coverage as needed."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
