Hygiene departments are often overlooked in dental practices. As long as hygienists are providing care and there isn’t a noticeable issue with open chair time, many offices assume the department is performing well. But evaluating hygiene health requires much more than monitoring open time alone.
Look Beyond Open Time
Metrics are essential for understanding how effectively your hygiene department is functioning. While open time is often the first metric that comes to mind, the benchmark is 10%. If your open time consistently falls below 10%, you may need to add more hygiene availability. If it’s above 10%, take a closer look at patient retention, the proportion of patients on 3- or 4-month intervals, and the effectiveness of your contact and follow-up protocols.
Measure Patient Retention Accurately
Aim for 80% patient retention. This means 80% of patients are following their recommended periodontal intervals. For example, if 100 patients were due in May, then when you review the list in June, no more than 20 should still be unscheduled. This simple check provides a clear snapshot of hygiene program participation.
Establish Consistent Standards of Care
Another important step is ensuring all hygienists provide care consistently. Patients should receive the same Standard of Care regardless of which hygienist they see. If one hygienist recommends a three-month recall and another suggests six months, this creates confusion and inconsistency. Developing a clear, office-wide Standard of Care Protocol ensures all patients receive unified guidance and messaging.
Align Billing Practices
Although each patient’s care plan is individualized based on their oral health and medical history, billing practices must still align with ODA Treatment Time Billing regulations. It’s not uncommon to find variations in billing habits among hygienists. To ensure fairness and transparency, all patients should be billed consistently, regardless of which hygienist provides treatment.
Update Technology and Train Your Team
Evaluate whether your practice would benefit from updated hygiene technology, such as soft-tissue diode lasers, intraoral cameras, or enhanced oral cancer screening tools. Once you determine what best suits your office, invest in thorough training so your team can confidently use these tools and improve patient understanding of their oral health.
Strengthen Patient Communication
Regularly training your team on effective patient communication is crucial. This may include improving doctor-prompting skills during recall exams, educating patients about outstanding treatment, or updating your patient education resources. Training in these areas shouldn’t be a one-time event, habits drift over time. Review communication protocols at least twice a year, using role-playing, protocol refreshers, and gentle coaching as needed.
Build Your Hygiene Program with the Right Team
Ultimately, the foundation of a successful hygiene program is a strong team. Your hygienists should not only be clinically competent but also excellent communicators who prioritize patient care. Ongoing training ensures they stay current with advances in clinical techniques and technology, helping your practice achieve its performance goals. As the saying goes, “Take care of the patients, and the numbers will follow.”
