Dental Hygienist

Summary

The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Dental Hygienist that adheres to established department guidelines - ethics - policies and protocols of the Dental department. The Dental Hygienist is an integral member of the dental treatment team and performs 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.

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.

• 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 hygienists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d)
• 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-Documentation Submitted
• 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-Documentation Submitted
• 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
• Loss of Credential
• Management officials will remove dental hygienists from their positions who fail to maintain the required licensure/certification - which may also result in termination of employment
• Physical Requirements:
  
  The physical demands of the work include moderate lifting (15-44 lbs) - heavy carrying (45 lbs and over) - ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously - near vision correctable at 13  to 16  to Jaeger 1 to 4 - good distant vision in one eye - ability to hear whisper voice
• There is moderate walking (3-4 hrs.) and some extended periods of standing (3-4 hrs.)
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for additional information.

• This Fee Basis (per diem) position has an intermittent work schedule - see important information in the  Duties  section below
• Responsibilities and duties of the Dental Hygienist include but are not limited to:
  Clinical Proficiently provides procedures commonly recognized by the dental profession for safe performance by a licensed dental hygienist include the removal of all hard and soft deposits and stains from the human teeth to the depth of the gingival sulcus - polishing natural and restored surfaces of teeth - performing clinical examination of teeth and surrounding tissues for diagnosis by the dentist - and performing other such procedures as may be delegated by the dentist consistent with the Florida State Dental Practice Act
• Complies with all Patient Safety processes:
  Infection control - patient identification - time-out - iMed (informed) consent - medication reconciliation - and hand-off communication
• Follows standard operating procedures for all reusable medical equipment (RME) - instruments - materials - and personal protective equipment (PPE) in use in the dental clinical areas
• Maintains operatory standardization by ensuring all products - materials and instruments are unexpired in operatory and in storage locations throughout the clinic
• Prepares the operatory with all needed equipment - materials and supplies for planned dental procedure(s) prior to seating the patient and cleans operatory after the patient is dismissed for timely turnover
• Keeps patients informed of clinic delays by directly communicating with patients when treatment will not commence within 10-minutes of the patient's scheduled…