The Health Dental Hygienist position is located in the Dental department at the Leeds, MA location. This position is a Part-time position at 25 hours per week. 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. 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). 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/Certification: 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. 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. Exceptions for Non-Certified Dental Hygienist: Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental hygienist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405. Temporary Full-Time Appointments, Part-Time Appointments and Without-Compensation Appointments for a Period Not to Exceed Two Years. Non-certified individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a certified dental hygienist at or above the full performance level. Failure to Obtain Certification: In all cases, dental hygienists must actively pursue meeting requirements for certification starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the dental hygienist supervisor will provide the dental hygienist with the written requirements for licensure/certification, including the time by which the licensure/certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Management officials will remove dental hygienists from their positions who fail to obtain licensure/certification during this time period, which may result in termination of employment. GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements outlined in paragraph 3.b., the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Dental Hygienist, GS-09 Experience: At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. Assignments: Employees at this level serve as staff dental hygienists at the full performance level. They provide direct patient care and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients and require only general supervision from a dentist. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to patient medical assessment (e.g. medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal assessment and charting), disease and treatment management recommendations, denture care, scaling and root planning, radiographs/image interpretation, patient education (e.g. post-procedure, tobacco cessation, caries and perio-disease prevention), behavior management, management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors), instrument sharpening, inter-service communication. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 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. 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. 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. Physical Requirements: The position requires moderate physical demands including lifting of supplies, repetitive hand arm and shoulder movements, occasional transport of wheelchair-bound patients, assisting patients up to 400lbs into and out of a dental chair with mechanical assists. The position requires standing and walking within the clinic for a large proportion of the workday The position requires high dexterity and fine motor coordination. ["Duties include but are not limited to: Set up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. Handle instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. Assess patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities. 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. Provide routine oral prophylactic care to include application of appropriate fluoride solutions. Provide gross debridement, scaling and root planning procedures. Clean dental prostheses, fixed and removable. Manage dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed. Create impressions for fluoride carrier trays. Administer topical anesthetic agents. Accomplish all procedures within standard infection control protocols. Work Schedule: Monday & Wednesday; alternate Thursdays. Hours: 7:00am-5:30pm. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PDF01876 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required."]

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