Dental Hygienist

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

Responsible planning and directing the preventive dental health program.

Instructs patients in oral health care and for the administration of oral prophylaxis.

Develop various teaching aids and preventive methods for the inmate population.

Instructs patients, individually and in groups, in proper oral hygiene care using materials such as teeth models, displays, disclosing solutions, toothbrushes, and floss.

Demonstrates proper techniques of brushing and flossing using toothbrushes, floss threaders, Perio-Aids, Proxabrushes, etc.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Salary

• $59,607 - $76,369/year

Conditions of Employment

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility:
   • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
   • Most recent performance appraisal, and
   • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
   • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental
status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Key Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following:

Basic Requirements:

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

Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must (l) 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.

NOTE: ALL applicants MUST submit proof of current, active and unrestricted license for verification. Applicants MUST ALSO submit evidence of completing a program that certifies them to administer X-rays or perform radiologic procedures. Evidence of program completion includes a transcript or documentation that includes your course work in administering X-rays or performing radiologic procedures. Self-certification of program completion will not be accepted. Your documentation MUST be uploaded at the time you apply to the vacancy announcement.

AND

Experience:

Applicants must have one-year specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must include experience in performing oral prophylactic care and in providing oral health educational services to patients. Additionally, at the higher grade levels, qualifying experience includes:

• (1) performing advanced oral prophylactic, therapeutic, and preventive procedures in cases of periodontal diseases or inflammation or on patients with other medical or dental problems,


• (2) placing temporary fillings, and


• (3) finishing amalgam restorations. Applicants for positions involving the use of X-rays must have had experience in taking and interpreting X-rays.

Education:

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Experience:

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

GL-08:

• Experience in performing oral prophylactic care and in providing oral health educational services to patients.


• Experience exposing, processing, and mounting intraoral and extra oral x-rays, including bite wings, periapical, occlusal, and panoramic films.


• Experience instructing patients, individually and in groups, in proper oral hygiene care using materials such as teeth models, displays, disclosing solutions, toothbrushes, and floss.


• Experience establishing dental health programs to educate various community groups which include the general population and medically compromised patients (cardiac, psychiatric, physically handicapped, diabetic, hypertensive, and immunosuppressed).


• Experience providing therapeutic and preventive procedures for patients by performing expanded duty functions including reversible restorable procedures, post-op treatment and suture removal.


• Experience preparing patients for periodontal surgery by performing deep scaling and root planning therapy, recording pocket depth and severity of disease, and providing proper post-op care.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application. **

Education ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. Other Information In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage. Qualified Preference Eligible Veterans may be exempt from meeting the maximum age. Please refer to the Required Documents Section for the appropriate documentation to submit to validate veteran eligibility. Special Conditions of Employment Section: Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques", three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire CompetencyBased Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) Required Documents

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.

Veterans' Preference Documentation:
Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility.

• DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge).
• SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit:
  • A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15. NOTE: A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran's Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here.
  • If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information:
    1. The military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and
    2. The character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and
    3. Any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals.
• Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF- 52, MOU, etc.). If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed.
  • To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must
    include:
    • Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
    • Number of hours worked per week.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable). NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable.
• Proof of ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable.

For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.

Claiming Veterans Preference? If yes, you MUST claim preference on-line during the application process and upload documentation to support preference claimed. Failure to claim Veterans Preference or provide supporting documentation may result in you not receiving appropriate consideration during the assessment process.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer?

If you are a current Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officer, you may apply using one of the two options below depending on whether you are applying as a PHS officer or seeking to enter the competitive service.

Option 1: Apply as a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer (Not Entering Competitive Service)

- Submit a complete/detailed resume or curriculum vitae.- Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration.- Address selective factor(s), if required.- Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section.- Submit supporting documents (transcripts, certification, registration, license, if applicable).

Your completed application packet must be submitted to the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m. EST on the closing date of the vacancy announcement.You must include the last four digits of your social security number and the vacancy announcement number on your application packet.Do not submit an application online.

Option 2: Apply as a Public Health Service Commissioned Officer Seeking to Enter the Competitive Service

If you wish to apply under competitive examining procedures:

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on08/13/2026. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement.

If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants