Dental Hygienist

Summary

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. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

• Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Dental Hygienist Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov) 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 planning, 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.

Qualifications

The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service. 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 REQUIREMENT(S): License: Applicants for all grade levels must be currently licensed to practice as dental hygienists in a State or territory of the United States of 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:1. 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.2. 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-8: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade leave in the Federal Service (obtained in either the private or public sector) performing the following type or work and/or tasks: examine and assess patients, determine if systemic conditions are present and plan treatments; independently and without direct observation perform oral prophylaxis and provide therapeutic care, perform deep scaling, root planning and subgingival curettage, place temporary fillings and administer local anesthesia, place and remove rubber dams and apply sealant; provide oral health education services to individuals and groups; take, develop, and interpret intraoral and extraoral X-Rays. Outreach to community schools and teaching groups of people about oral hygiene. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.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/.