Community Health Dental Hygienist
What you'd do
Join the Indian Health Service as a Community Health Dental Hygienists and support quality healthcare services for American Indian communities. 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).
Major duties
Provide advanced prophylactic, periodontal, and preventive oral care for patients of all ages. Conducts preliminary dental screenings and reviews patient medical/dental histories. Performs intraoral and extraoral examinations, including periodontal charting, oral cancer screening, and evaluation of soft/hard tissues for evidence of disease or pathology. Captures and interprets digital dental radiographs within scope; identifies periodontal status, caries, calculus, bone levels, and abnormalities for dentist review. Instructs patients, families, staff, and community partners in oral hygiene techniques using demonstrations, visual aids, and culturally appropriate materials. Plan, deliver, evaluate, and document preventive oral health programs that enhance population health. The program offers preventive, diagnostic, restorative, periodontal outreach services in clinics, schools, and community settings. Serves as principal advisor for dental health promotion and disease prevention efforts across the service unit.
What you need to qualify
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 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-9: 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: prepare and conduct educational lectures and demonstrations on dental hygiene; plan and implement preventive oral public health program; provide advice and policy guidance to dental personnel on public health matters; recommend improved methods of dental hygiene; and perform full range of preventive and periodontal dental hygiene procedures, such as conduct preliminary dental screenings, provide oral prophylaxis and hygiene treatment for patients with abnormal conditions (such as patients with cancer of the head/neck/chest area, diabetic patients, patients with blood disorders and heart disease, etc.), and develop individualized dental hygiene treatment plans based on patient needs, oral conditions, and required sequence of care. 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.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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