Dental Hygienist

About the Position: This position performs independent procedures as delegated and directed by a dentist in accordance with state regulations and law.

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Provide therapeutic care in cases of acute gingivitis and periodontal disease around natural teeth, dental implants, and the periodontium. | Administer local anesthesia by infiltration when authorized under the direct supervision of a Dental Officer. | Perform deep scaling, root planning, and sub-gingival curettage under local anesthesia. | Complete all preparation for dental hygiene treatment and preliminary dental examination. | Examine patient's mouth, throat, and pharynx, referring abnormalities to the dentist. | Provide individual and group oral health care instructions in performing specialized prophylactic and preventive dental hygiene procedures.

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 Requirements for 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.

AND

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 at the GS-06 grade level which includes performing dental prophylaxis using a variety of hand scale instruments and ultrasound equipment; recording progress and therapy notes to maintain patient records; and educating patients on daily oral home health care.

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.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. | This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment. A background investigation and credit check are required. | This position has mandatory seasonal Influenza vaccination requirements and is subject to annual seasonal Influenza vaccinations unless otherwise exempted for medical or religious reasons (documentation of exemption must be provided upon hire). | All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. | This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random drug testing, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident. | This position requires the completion of a pre-employment Physical Examination and an annual examination thereafter to ensure the continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position. | This position requires the incumbent to fulfill credentialing requirements and obtain and maintain appropriate/relevant clinical privileges. | This position has been designated Mission Essential. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations, the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations. | Position is designated as Inclement Weather Essential. The incumbent must make every attempt to report for work on time and/or remain on duty during severe weather conditions. | This position requires that you obtain and maintain a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from, or in accordance with, the American Heart Association and American Red Cross. Advanced certification (e.g., ALS) does not supersede BLS.