Community Health Dental Hygienist

Summary

Join the Indian Health Service as a Community Health Dental Hygienist and support quality healthcare services for American Indian communities. Guided by our mission to improve the health of American Indian and Alaska Native people, you will help deliver safe and effective dental services while creating healthy smiles, restoring confidence, and promoting overall wellness in the communities we serve.

A REAL  be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

• Provide advanced prophylactic, periodontal, and preventive oral care for patients of all ages.
• Conduct preliminary dental screenings and review patient medical/dental histories.
• Perform intraoral and extraoral examinations, including periodontal charting, oral cancer screening, and evaluation of soft/hard tissues for evidence of disease or pathology.
• Capture and interpret digital dental radiographs within scope; identify periodontal status, caries, calculus, bone levels, and abnormalities for dentist review.
• Instruct patients, families, staff, and community partners in oral hygiene techniques using demonstrations, visual aids, and culturally appropriate materials.
• Plan, deliver, evaluate, and document preventive oral health programs that enhance population health. The program offers preventive, diagnostic, restorative, periodontal outreach services in clinics, schools, and community settings.
• Serve as principal advisor for dental health promotion and disease prevention efforts across the service unit.

• Conditions of employment:
  Selectee may be subject to a probationary period. ESEP appointees typically serve a two‑year trial period.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Maintain Dental Hygienist licensure in a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
• Federal background investigation:
  Successful completion of a federal background investigation is required as a condition of employment. Timely completion within five calendar days of receipt of instructions is required.
• Financial suitability:
  Review of applicant’s financial history. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and avoid substantial delinquent obligations that may disqualify the candidate.
• REAL ‑compliant identification is required if one of the documents is a state‑issued  driver’s license.

• Basic Requirements:
  • Dental Hygienist license in a U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
  • Radiological certification meeting 42 CFR Part 75 standards. Candidates must be certified radiographers in their field or meet the credentialing requirements outlined in regulations.
• Minimum Qualifications (GS‑9):
  • At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS‑06 grade, including educational lectures, preventive program planning, policy guidance to dental personnel on public health matters, and full range of preventive and periodontal dental hygiene procedures.
• Time‑In‑Grade: Federal employees must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level for merit promotion eligibility.
• Education: The position requires a degree from an accredited dental hygiene program. Substituting education for experience requires submission of transcripts and, if applicable, a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.