4 ways to increase dental hygiene productivity

Working with thousands of dental practices, Levin Group consultants have identified an ideal ratio of hygiene production to doctor production. In financially strong, well-run practices, the hygiene department brings in $1 of income for every $3 generated by the dentist. This 1:3 ratio translates into a 25% contribution to total practice production—a substantial amount that could make the difference between just getting by and getting ahead for many practices today.

If your hygiene percentage falls short of this target, you have excess productive capacity that you can capitalize on without putting pressure on the hygienist. Here are some proven techniques for raising your hygiene numbers:

1. Increase the perceived value of hygiene visits—Many patients (and frankly, too many dental staff members) think of a hygiene visit as “just a cleaning.” This makes it far easier for patients to put off making hygiene appointments, reducing potential annual hygiene income from your patient base. All staff members, especially those involved in scheduling patients, should be trained and scripted to reinforce the value of hygiene visits. In addition, the hygienists should get in the habit of explaining what they’re doing, and why it’s beneficial for the patient, during appointments.
2. Add value by providing more services—Consider offering whitening, antibacterial therapy, sealants, and other adjunct recare services, as well as dental care products that help patients achieve better oral health care at home. This will give patients even more reasons to trust the hygienist and return every six months for care.
3. Confirm hygiene appointments two days in advance—Reduce no-shows with up-to-date confirmation techniques. Place confirmation calls to patients’ cell phone numbers if possible, or send texts (with permission). Both are more likely to get a positive response than postcards or calls to landline phones.
4. Schedule the next hygiene appointment before the patient leaves—The hygienist or front desk coordinator, whoever has the responsibility for scheduling hygiene appointments at your practice, should be proactive about keeping patients scheduled for visits every six months, again underlining the value of these regular oral health maintenance sessions.

Your hygiene department can and should account for 25% of your total production. Using the techniques above to reach this mark, you will not only grow your practice but also strengthen patient-practice relationships and set the stage for higher doctor production.

Source: http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2015/09/4-ways-to-increase-dental-hygiene-productivity.html

In other dental news: Aurident offers the Optimet DS 6000 Scanner which uses patented proprietary conoscopic holographic technology to generate highly accurate and consistent scans.

The DS 6000 Scanner can be used for all dental applications such as copings, full contour crowns, bridges up to 14 units, implants, implant bars and dentures.