Dental Hygienist; Advanced Clinical

Summary

The Dental Hygienist provides direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision. 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.

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
• 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: (1) Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• (2) [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 (1) 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
• (2) 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
• 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 English Language Proficiency
• Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-10 (Advanced Clinical) Assignments
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity - and range of variety - and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• At this level - dental hygienists are advanced-level practitioners in assigned areas
• 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 - 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…