Dental Hygienist

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Responsibilities

• Sets up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover.
• Complies with patient identification, time-out and reusable medical equipment processes.
• Handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Takes and records vital signs, reviews medical history.
• Charts oral conditions, periodontal charting, and restorative findings utilizing electronic dental record (DRM Plus).
• Affirms patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications, and comorbidities.
• Affirms the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health.
• Recognizes age-related changes in individual patients, adapts patient environment, and maximizes patient's physical comfort.

Requirements

Open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens.

Note: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Qualifications

• 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: 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.