Dental Hygienist

Full Job Description

At the Indian Health Service, Dental Hygienists do more than support oral care.

Guided by our mission to improve the health of American Indian and Alaska Native people, you will help deliver safe and effective dental services while creating healthy smiles, restoring confidence, and promoting overall wellness in the communities we serve.

USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; social).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience.

You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: License: Applicants for all grade levels must be currently licensed to practice as dental hygienists in a State or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

Radiological Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiological 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: Persons employed by the Federal Government as radiological 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 radiological procedures to others.

Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiological 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 of 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 the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-7: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the private or public sector) performing the following type of work and/or tasks: conduct oral health assessments on patients; provide oral health education services to individuals; perform preventive dental hygiene care, including oral prophylaxis (such as scaling, root planing, polishing, sealant application, and fluoride treatment); take, develop, and interpret intraoral and extraoral X-Rays.

Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level.

Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements by the respective cut-off day of rating to be eligible for consideration. Major Duties:

Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Dental Hygienist Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov) DUTIES: Provide a full range of dental hygiene care and patient education for a variety of dental conditions.

Plan and administer a preventive dentistry program, providing comprehensive oral health education and hygiene treatment.

Perform prophylactic procedures, conduct oral health assessments, take and interprets radiographs, and provide tailored oral health education.

Apply caries-preventive agents, desensitization, root planing, temporary restorations, impressions, suture removal, and home-care instruction.

Administers local anesthesia under close supervision of the dentist.

Assists the dentist by smoothing and polishing restorations, reducing sharp edges, inserting temporary fillings, and making minor repairs