Dental hygienists can work on military bases in the United States as what type of employees?

• A. Civil service employees
• B. Contract employees
• C. Private practitioners
• D. Volunteer staff

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how healthcare staffing on military bases is organized. Dental hygienists who work on a base are typically employed by a private company that has a contract with the Department of Defense to provide dental services. These staff are called contract employees because they’re hired by the contracting firm, not directly by the federal government as civil service employees. This setup lets the base access qualified hygienists and manage staffing and costs through the contractor.

Civil service positions would mean direct DoD federal employment, which does exist in some settings but is not the most common arrangement for on-base dental clinics. Private practitioners would usually be independent providers and not necessarily working under a DoD contract, and volunteers are not the standard model for operating base clinics.