Dental Hygienist (Advanced Clinical)

Summary

Serves as staff dental hygienist performing advanced clinical techniques. Serves as instructor for any affiliated dental hygiene programs and coordinates the long term dental program in accordance with Joint Commission, national, local Medical Center Memoranda and Dental Service policies and procedures. Employee plans, coordinates, and conducts preventive oral health programs for various patient groups; develops and modifies instructional methods.

Duties

["The Advanced Clinical Dental Hygienist provides direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision. Customer Service Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public. Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery. Patient Care Provides long term dental assessments of all nursing home patients and initiates dental care with dentist when indicated. Sets up treatment room for planned dental procedure in accordance with national, local and Dental Service infection control guidelines. Cleans dental unit for timely turnover in accordance with national, local and Dental Service infection control guidelines. Provides routine oral prophylactic care to include application of fluoride solutions Provides gross debridement, deep scaling, curettage and root planning procedures Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the dentist for additional care when needed Applies desensitizing and sealant materials Makes impressions for fluoride carrier trays Provides prophylaxes in complex restorative and prosthodontic cases which include multiple dental implants and full mouth rehabilitation/reconstruction Completes medication reconciliation, oral cancer screenings, dietary analysis for caries risk and comprehensive periodontal charting. Provides advanced adjunctive treatment such as xerostomia treatment recommendations, sulcular lavage, placement of intrasulcular medicaments, placement of desensitizing agents and collaboration with other disciplines. Patient Education Prepares and provide elevated individual and group educational oral health care instructions specific to the Veteran's needs in an inpatient and outpatient setting. Provides oral health care instructions to caregivers and to special needs populations Development of training materials and/or presentations to Veterans, staff members, dental residents and students within-and outside- the Dental Service. Student Education Coordinate dental hygiene student rotations and mentor dental hygiene students during their rotations at the Medical Center Evaluates and prepares progress reports for each dental hygiene student as they exit the rotation Dental Imaging Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized Performs exposure of periapical, panoramic, cone beam computed tomography (CT), cephalometric, maxillary sinus and temporomandibular joint imaging studies. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up dental treatment room based on national, local and Dental Service infection control guidelines and policies Instruments are properly prepared for processing based on Sterilization Processing Service (SPS) and Dental Service standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Clerical Function & Information Management Assists patients in scheduling appointments Assists in filing gaps in the clinical schedule by calling patients and working with schedulers to ensure access to care and clinic utilization is maintained Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information Follows computer security regulations Work Schedule: Intermittent, Monday-Friday 8:00AM- 4:30PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 25046-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]

Qualifications

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 - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education - 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 - 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: Public Law 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements outlined above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Dental Hygienist (Advanced Clinical) GS-10: Experience: You must possess 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. 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. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, 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/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.