Dental Hygienist

The Dental Hygienist at the Wilmington VA Clinic provides direct patient care under the general supervision of a Dentist assigned the Dental Service and performs other clinical functions independently of direct supervision.

The Dental Hygienist sets up operatory for planned dental procedure by cleaning dental unit for timely turnover and handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. Duties include but are not limited to: Takes and records vital signs, reviews medical history. Charts oral condition and assesses patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications, and comorbidities. Assesses the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health. Perform dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance procedures using hand and ultrasonic instruments, to include gross debridement, curettage and scaling & root planning, tooth polishing & application of topical fluoride solutions. Applies appropriate topical fluoride solutions or varnishes. Cleans dental prostheses, fixed and removable. Administers topical anesthetic agents. Applies desensitizing agents. Accomplishes all procedures within standard infection control protocols.. Explains hygiene procedures, indications, complications and expected outcomes to individual patients and caregivers. Prepares and provides education on periodontal disease, wellness, health maintenance, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and effect of illness, addictions, medications, and tobacco on the oral cavity. Dental Imaging-Proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatory. Assists patients in scheduling appointments via VA scheduling software. Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed. Performs other required duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30AM to 4:00PM. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 06712 F, 06713, 06714F, 06715F, 06716F. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Exceptions for Non-Certified Dental Hygienist.: (a) Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental hygienist , Temporary Full-Time Appointments, Part-Time Appointments and Without-Compensation Appointments for a Period Not to Exceed Two Years. (b) Non-certified individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a certified dental hygienist at or above the full performance level. (c) Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. (d) Temporary appointments of non-certified dental hygienist may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment. (e)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). Grandfathering Provision: All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation, 4 but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (4) Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.