Dental Hygienist

Veterans Health Administration • Tacoma, WA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Dental Hygienist provides preventive and therapeutic oral health care in a VA dental clinic. The role includes preparing and turning over the operatory, handling instruments, providing prophylactic care and periodontal treatment, supporting periodontal patient treatment and recall, and administering topical and local anesthetics consistent with the care provided. The position is full performance level GS-9; applicants may be selected at GS-5 through GS-9. The announcement is open continuously until filled or February 1, 2027, with eligible applicants reviewed and referred at regular intervals or as vacancies arise.

The position is Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling may be approved upon request. Telework and virtual work are unavailable. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized. Eligible employees may apply for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to VHA eligibility rules and approval; the potential award is up to $200,000 for one to five years. The position is permanent and full-time by default under the posting’s employment-type information; no explicit employment status is stated in the description.

Applicants must meet the applicable federal qualifications for dental hygienists, including an accredited dental hygiene degree, current unrestricted state or equivalent licensure, and English proficiency. Grade-specific experience and knowledge, skills, and abilities apply from GS-5 through GS-9. The position requires a trial period and is subject to VA onboarding, security, medical, drug-screening, and vaccination requirements.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Hold an associate degree or higher from a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), or qualifying equivalent foreign education.
• Hold a full, current, and unrestricted dental hygienist license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Meet radiographer certification requirements; accredited dental hygiene program curricula may satisfy the stated requirement. A temporary graduate dental hygienist appointment may be available to eligible non-certified applicants for up to two years, subject to the stated conditions.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Meet grade-specific experience and demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities: GS-5 requires no experience beyond the basic requirements; GS-6 requires at least one year at the next lower grade; GS-7, GS-8, and GS-9 each require at least one year at the next lower grade demonstrating the applicable clinical competencies and KSAs.
• Meet VA employment conditions, including background/security investigation, pre-employment medical evaluation, drug screening for testing-designated positions, seasonal influenza vaccination, and a one- or two-year trial period.
• Complete application and onboarding requirements and provide acceptable identification.

Nice To Haves

• Certification in local anesthesia.
• Ability or experience working with a medically compromised patient population.

Responsibilities

• Set up the operatory for planned dental procedures and clean the dental unit for timely turnover.
• Handle instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Provide routine oral prophylactic care, including applying fluoride solutions.
• Provide gross debridement, scaling and root planing, and periodontal supportive treatment.
• Work with the staff periodontist on treatment and recall of periodontal patients.
• Clean fixed and removable dental prostheses.
• Manage the dental recall system and refer patients to the doctor for additional care when needed.
• Apply desensitizing and sealant materials as directed by the dentist.
• Make impressions for fluoride carrier trays.
• Administer topical anesthetic agents.
• Administer local anesthetic consistent with the care being provided.
• Perform all procedures within standard infection-control protocols.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award amount of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; the specific benefits available depend on position type and eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree