Dental Hygienist

About the Position: This position is located at the 59th Medical Wing - Joint Base San Antonio - Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

• This is an open continuous announcement. Multiple vacancies exist and may be filled from this announcement at any of the locations listed. We accept applications on an ongoing basis; qualified applicants will be considered as vacancies become available.
• This is a Direct Hire Solicitation.

Perform specialized dental hygiene procedures on patients with or without topical/local anesthetics. | Perform various advanced and specialized oral prophylactic and preventive dental hygiene procedures on patients to include, ambulatory and non-ambulatory, medically, mentally, physically compromised, and dental phobic patients. | Plan and carry out dental hygiene treatment according to patient needs coordinating independently with medical/dental personnel as necessary. | Administer topical anesthetics and/or local anesthesia and performs deep subgingival scaling, root planning, and subgingival curettage procedures. | Complete all preparation for dental hygiene treatment and preliminary dental examination. | Measure and record patient’s blood pressure. | Prepare and document in the dental health record, dental hygiene treatment plans for patients including assessment of the condition, type of oral hygiene care required, and the sequence of appointments needed to complete treatment.

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement: Dental Hygienist

Licensure: Must be currently licensed to practice as a dental hygienist in a State or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

Radiology Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (1) 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 (2) be certified as radiographers in their field. The following meet these requirements:

(1) Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel prior to the effective date of the regulation (January 13, 1986) who show evidence of current or fully satisfactory performance or certification of such from a licensed practitioner such as a Doctor of Medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic who prescribes radiologic procedures to others.

(2) Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiologic personnel after the effective date of the regulation who (a) received training from institutions in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not accredit training in that particular field at the time of graduation, or (b) practiced in a State or foreign jurisdiction that did not license that particular field or did not allow special eligibility to take a licensure examination for those who did not graduate from an accredited educational program, provided that such persons show evidence of training, experience, and competence as determined by OPM or the employing agency.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing prophylactic dental procedures; completing oral examinations; and performing or interpreting routine x-rays. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. | A Personnel Security Investigation is required. | Selectees may be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations or must provide a recognized exemption. | This position is a Testing Designated Position subject to pre-employment screening and random drug testing. Selectees will be required to consent to participation in random drug urinalysis testing. | A pre-placement medical examination may be required. | Immunization screening may be required. Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact. Applicants may be required to show proof of other immunizations depending on the type of position. | May be required to obtain and maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Red Cross. Advanced certification (e.g., ALS) does not supersede BLS. | Applicants must be able to fulfill non-privileged professional credential requirements. | Additional requirements may be determined as positions arise and will be communicated during the hiring process if you are selected.