Dental Hygienist

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Dental Hygienist:

Licensure: Must be currently licensed to practice as a dental hygienist in a State or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

Radiology Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic 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 radiologic 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 radiologic procedures to others.

(2) Persons first employed by the Federal Government as radiologic 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 or 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 meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

GS-7 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience at the GS-06 grade level which includescompleting dental examinations, educating patients on oral health, and performing and interpreting x-rays. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

GS-8 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing advanced prophylactic dental procedures; completing oral examinations; and performing or interpreting routine x-rays to identify tooth structures, calculus, abnormalities, or deep periodontal pockets. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

This position can be filled at any level (GS-7; or GS-8) with noncompetitive promotion to the next grade levels are authorized until you reach the full performance level of GS-08; pending time in grade requirements and demonstrated ability to perform the next higher/target level grade duties.