Job Listing
Dental Hygienist
Veterans Health Administration · Posted 43 days ago
About the Role
The Dental Hygienist (Advanced Clinical) position is in the James E. Van Zandt Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Altoona, PA, under the Dental Surgical Service. Conducts patient medical assessments, manages diseases and treatments, provides denture care and adjustments, performs scaling and root planning, and provides patient or group education.
What You'll Do
- →Major duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for obtaining and recording comprehensive medical-including vitals, medications, and social history-dental, and dietary histories.
- →Performs dental charting, caries detection, and assessment of abnormalities and periodontal conditions.
- →Prepares the operatory for planned procedures and maintains efficient turnover, ensuring safe handling of instruments.
- →Delivers routine oral prophylactic care, including fluoride application, with awareness of appropriate indications and safe use.
- →Conducts gross debridement, deep scaling, curettage, and root planing with skilled instrumentation.
- →Detects plaque, calculus, inflammation, and dental pathologies, and adapts care based on patients' medical histories, anxiety, phobias, medications, comorbidities, and age-related factors to maximize safety and comfort.
- →Cleans dental prostheses and assists the dentist during the absence of the dental assistant.
- →Applies desensitizing and sealant materials, places sedative/temporary restorations, recements crowns/bridges, performs minor dental prostheses adjustments and enameloplasty, makes study model impressions, removes sutures, and ensures all procedures follow infection control protocols.
- →Provides individualized education tailored to Veterans' oral health needs, including post-procedure instructions, tobacco cessation, and caries and periodontal disease prevention strategies.
- →Clearly explains hygiene procedures, anticipated outcomes, complications, and indications.
- →Develops and delivers individual and group oral health instruction to inpatients, outpatients, and caregivers on periodontal disease, wellness, maintenance, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and the effects of illness, addiction, medications, and tobacco on oral health.
- →Produces diagnostic-quality dental images with accurate orientation and exposure.
- →Adheres to stringent infection control measures when preparing and cleaning operatory spaces.
- →Prepares instruments for sterilization in accordance with SPD standards, ensuring no delay in clinical care.
Requirements
- ✓You must be a U.S.
- ✓Citizen to apply for this job.
- ✓All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
- ✓Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- ✓Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- ✓Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- ✓Subject to background/security investigation.
- ✓Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
- ✓Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
- ✓Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- ✓Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- ✓Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
- ✓As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
- ✓In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Personality Fit
Job ID: ec14cf36-0566-48c7-9974-f00a69ee0b8e
Posted via USAJobs