Summary

This Dental Hygienist position is part of a multidisciplinary dental team providing care to Veterans across multiple sites in Gainesville - Jacksonville and Tallahassee. The dental hygienist is an integral member of the dental treatment team and performs a wide variety of interventions that contribute to the overall oral health of Veterans. The work requires professional knowledge in the field of dental hygiene and the biomedical sciences that relate to dentistry.

Qualifications

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. GS-09 Dental Hygienist Grade Determinations: Experience. At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-08) that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. KSAs at the GS-08 grade level are: Knowledge of state-of-the-art preventive dentistry measures for patient instruction and training. 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. Knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC) - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - and related regulations and guidelines pertaining to dental matters. Skill in providing individual and group oral health care instructions to inpatients - outpatients - Nursing Home Care Unit patients - etc. Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience at the GS-08 level - 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. 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. 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.

Duties

• The Dental Hygienist provides services to the Veteran population enrolled in the North Florida/South Georgia Veteran Health System
• Duties and responsibilities 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 appointment time
• Performs and records patient's blood pressure - pulse - and medical history
• recognizes patient signs of physical distress and monitors patients' condition during treatment
• Captures and saves diagnostic quality digital radiographs of the mouth - gums - jaws - and/or teeth --- both intraoral and extraoral --- of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats within the desired time frame - for same day dental exams
• Provides dental prophylaxis of natural teeth (including removing cement from teeth and restorations) and dental prostheses
• Provides gross debridement - scaling and root planning - and subgingival curettage
• Administers local anesthetic agents (in accordance with Florida and applicable licensure/training requirements and under direct supervision of dentist)
• Applies desensitizing agents - fluoride (foam - gel or varnish) - anti­ inflammatory agents and topical anesthesia to specified areas of the oral cavity
• Administrative/Clerical Keeps up to date and complies with all current Policies - Handbooks and Directives - Memoranda and Standard Operating Procedures - Workplace duties and Competencies within the VHA - applicable Accreditation and Regulatory Agencies - Medical Center - and Dental Service
• Effectively participates in staff meetings and service conference calls
• complies with employee education requirements
• Collaborates with dentists - dental assistants - dental hygienists - dental lab techs - the Dental Administrative Officer - and Medical Support Assistants (MSAs) in a manner that enhances coordination of patient care
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of dental eligibility and the scope of care that may be provided based on the patient's dental classification
• Properly fills out \"Return to Clinic\" orders for patient follow-up care
• Assists in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments via reports - phone calls - and secure message
• Retrieves data and charts clinical findings - completed care and treatment plans in the Dental Record Manager Plus (DRM+) component of the Computerized Patient medical Record System (CPRS) - showing expertise in the use of the functionalities applicable to the medical record documentation and management contained in both CPRS and DRM+
• Work Schedule: Tallahassee Location - Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 4:00pm Jacksonville Location - Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 3:30pm Gainesville Location - Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 50267F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized