Dental Hygienist

Summary

The Erie VA Medical Center is seeking a Fee Basis Dental Hygienist for an anticipated one-year appointment, working approximately 3-5 days per week based on availability and service needs. After the initial year, the position is expected to transition to an intermittent, as-needed role to provide coverage for vacations, military drill leave, and other staff absences.

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Duties

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Duties Include:

• Completes preliminary dental examinations on new dental service patients. The hygienist reviews patient's medical and dental history for evidences of past and present conditions such as medical illnesses and use of drugs which may complicate or alter dental hygiene treatment; examines the teeth and surrounding tissue for evidences of plaque and periodontal disease and charts findings; inspects the mouth and throat for evidence of disease such as oral cancer; interprets routine x-rays to identify tooth structures, calculus, and abnormalities such as cavities and deep periodontal pockets. Refers abnormalities such as cavities, traumatic occlusion, and suspicious lesions to the dentist. Prepares dental hygiene treatment plans for the patient including assessment of the problem, type of oral hygiene care required, and the sequence of appointments needed to complete treatment.
• Performs a complete oral prophylaxis on ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients. Performs deep sub gingival scaling, root planning and curettage. Polishes the teeth and applies stannous fluoride for hypersensitivity and caries prevention.
• Instructs patients at chair side in oral hygiene, brushing and flossing techniques, and periodontal aids which increase the amount of stimulation to the teeth. Plans and adapts instructions in home care techniques, tailoring them to the oral hygiene needs and oral problems of individual patients. Explains to patients the cause of periodontal disease and tooth decay, and the importance of diet as it relates to oral and systemic health.
• Regularly instructs nurses and nursing assistants in the proper techniques of oral hygiene to be applied to the bedridden, handicapped, disabled, and chronically ill patients. Presents lectures and demonstrations in oral health to various patient groups such as diabetics, and drug or alcohol dependent patients, using slides, denture models, toothbrushes, charts, and other dental education material.
• Exposes, develops, and processes radiographs on patients including bite wing, periapical, and panoramic x-rays. Adjusts voltage, amperage, and timing of x-ray equipment. Selects type of radiograph that will be necessary for patient's mouth. Positions film and matching to insure coverage of area to be x-rayed. Mounts and labels x-rays.
• Maintains patient's record of treatment. Records oral conditions of the teeth and surrounding tissues, progress and therapy notes, appointment, and the number of patients treated, and type of treatment administered.
• Maintains a high level of familiarity with all aspects of dental specialties to include a wide knowledge of instrumentation and material used.
• Participates in and manages patient flow for beneficiaries requiring prophylaxis and oral hygiene instruction, both on Inpatients and Outpatients, and assists on ward rounds with staff professionals; at times will perform screening exams and consults.
• Maintains major pieces of dental equipment assuring proper preventive maintenance.
• Performs dental hygiene product analysis and reports the results of new products to other staff members. Has integral involvement in hospital meetings/committees focusing on advancing and improving oral hygiene program.
• Receives and prepares patients for routine dental procedures. Is capable of handling complicated medically compromised patients while coordinating multidisciplinary treatment of medical-dental comorbidities.
• Can assist in all standard chair-side procedures in the absence of Staff Dental Assistants. Exposes and processes radiographs as required by Service mission/goals.
• Orders and assists in handling supplies and reports within the Service.
• Performs other duties as assigned, plus required committee involvement.

Work Schedule: Fee Basis; this system of VA compensation pays based on the specific task or service provided; providers are paid in accordance with a fee schedule.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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.

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Dental Hygienists appointed to direct patient-care positions 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:(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.

Preferred Experience: At least one year of specialized experience that demonstrates the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

I. Knowledge of hygiene procedures to explain the process and indication, complications and expected treatment outcomes for each.

II. Knowledge of proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films.

III. Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application.

IV. Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure.

V. 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.

VI. Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities to administer safe patient care.

VII. 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

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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