This ACDH reports to the local dental unit chief with oversight from the health services administrator. The ACDH delivers advanced dental hygiene procedures, provides chairside assistance, processes and sterilizes instruments, conducts sick call, and ensures infection control. The role includes maintaining access to oral health care services, ensuring compliance with policies and accreditation standards. This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.
COMPETENCIES: Superior oral/written communication skills. Active Listening skills. Reading Comprehension. Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills. Demonstrates strong organizational and time management skills. Demonstrates strong problem solving, judgment and decision-making skills. Integrity/Honesty. Cultural Competency. Experience in correctional health care preferred. Flexible and able to adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements. Superior knowledge and skills in the broad functions of dental hygiene: prevention, prophylaxis, scaling and root planning, infection control, patient education. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Requires physical exertion such as lifting objects greater than 30 pounds. Required to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling. Must have the ability to assist sick, injured or aging detainees or staff exiting the building (may require lifting, dragging, wheeling or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than self). The work may necessitate some physical characteristics that will be required when responding to an emergency situation, such as running short distance, prolonged standing and working in an austere environment.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides direct dental hygiene care as prescribed to patients in a detention and/ or residential setting in accordance with prescribed IHSC policy and pertinent accreditation standards. Performs optimum sterilization and/or disinfection procedures including instrument processing and spore testing in accordance with IHSC national policy and procedure and the CDC guidelines. Takes digital and/or film radiographs as ordered on patients including bitewing, periapical, and panoramic x-rays. Observes IHSC radiation safety protocols, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Radiation Protection Guidance and recommendations, National Council on Radiation Protection Guidance, and American Dental Association recommendations/guidance when exposing dental radiographs to assure optimal patient and provider safety. Will participate in sharps and instrument accountability in the dental clinic through performance and logging of daily inventory of all sharps and instruments in the dental clinic at the beginning and end of each workday. Provides oral hygiene instruction to patients for preventive dental care. Accesses interpretation and/or translation services as needed to ensure ability to communicate with detainees or others who are not proficient in the English language. Performs electronic clinical works (eCW) and paper record keeping functions in accordance with program policies. Assists the dentist with procedures including operatory set up and clean up. Applies the concepts of four-handed dentistry to maintain a field of operation through the use of retraction, suction, irrigation, isolation, drying, lighting, etc., during all dental procedures. Participates in Performance Improvement Program. Serves as a project officer for tasks as assigned (e.g., supply acquisitions, training program development, and policy and procedure revisions and development). Collects and organizes accurate dental data and submits to the Regional Dental Consultant in a timely manner. Attends monthly dental teleconferences, organizational and local duty station meetings. May periodically be asked to travel to support short term TDY missions. Other duties as assigned in support of the local medical unit and/or IHSC Dental Program.