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: 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 hygiene3 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(c)(2)(B), 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
Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained
Temporary appointments of non-certified dental hygienist may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment
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 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
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: Experience
At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that is directly related to the position being filled fully meets the KSAs at that level
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
Employee 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, occlusion adjustment, 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 advanced radiographic imaging and proper technique to detect potential abnormalities
Knowledge of medical treatment adjuncts and indications and the ability to safely administer medicaments (e.g
intrasulcular medicaments, local anesthesia, sulcular lavage, applying and removing periodontal surgical dressing)
Knowledge of advanced adjunctive diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, indication for use and ability to utilize safely (e.g
sonic, magnetostrictive ultrasonic, and piezo ultrasonic scalers)
Skill in providing safe and thorough prophylaxis, root planing and soft- tissue curettage for complex periodontal and/or restorative cases and skill in providing safe care for patients with complex medical/psychiatric issues
Ability to apply adult education techniques/methods, organize curriculum, judge cognitive ability, and provide healthcare education regarding relationships between medical and dental pathologies to groups, interdisciplinary staff, and other outside contacts
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
