Optimal Oral Health | Dental Practice Solutions

The Big Challenge Dentists Face with their Dental Hygiene Department

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

July 19, 2023

Dental hygiene plays a crucial role in maintaining oral health and preventing various dental diseases. Dentists understand the importance of a well-functioning dental hygiene department, as it serves as the foundation for delivering quality dental care to patients.

However, amidst the daily demands of running a dental practice, dentists face a significant challenge in optimizing the efficiency and productivity of their dental hygiene department.

In this blog, we will explore this challenge and discuss potential solutions to overcome it.

The Challenge:

One of the major challenges that dentists encounter in managing their dental hygiene department is maintaining a balance between patient care and operational efficiency. Dental hygienists are responsible for performing a range of preventive and therapeutic procedures, including dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, and patient education.

However, the time-consuming nature of these procedures can lead to scheduling conflicts, prolonged patient wait times, and decreased overall productivity.

Furthermore, dentists often find it challenging to align the workload of their dental hygienists with the number of patients needing dental hygiene services.

*If you are up-to-date with treating oral inflammation, you will need to expand your number of appointments for hygiene patients. How can you fit in more appointments in a day? Hygienists are not plentiful these days and efficiency becomes imperative to meet the needs of treating the high number of gingivitis and perio patients.

Variations in patient flow, cancellations, and no-shows can disrupt the workflow and result in underutilization or overburdening of hygienists’ schedules. This can hinder optimal patient care and compromise the financial stability of your dental practice.

Solutions:

To address the challenges faced by dentists in their dental hygiene department, several strategies can be implemented:

Efficient Appointment Scheduling: Implementing an efficient appointment scheduling system can help optimize the utilization of dental hygienists’ time. By analyzing patient data and historical patterns, dentists can better anticipate demand and allocate appropriate time slots for dental hygiene procedures. Implementing electronic reminders and confirmations can also reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
- Ask us how to simplify analyzing important data and how your team can have an important role in driving the productivity of your dental practice.
- What you measure, matters, and what matters creates your future success.
- Your team should look at the numbers just like they view the dashboard in their car before they arrive at the office each day!
The Celebrity Smiles Club, a patient rewards, loyalty program will reduce those costly last-minute cancellations. Ask us more about this in the link below or schedule a coffee chat below.
Delegating Tasks: Dentists can delegate certain tasks to dental assistants, allowing dental hygienists to focus on their core responsibilities.

For example: a dental hygiene assistant can seat patients, perform preliminary patient screenings, take radiographs, set up and breakdown treatment rooms, sterilize instruments and set-up the hygiene trays with instruments, etc.

By delegating these tasks, dental hygienists can maximize their time spent on direct patient care.

Technology Integration: The integration of advanced technologies within the dental hygiene department can significantly enhance efficiency.
- For example: Empower hygienists to use various digital imaging systems; digital scanners, to streamline the process of capturing and introducing abnormalities, potential treatment plans and diagnoses that will be made during the hygiene-patient- doctor exam.
  - Help patients see what is happening in the mouth. Bring them into a partnership early in the hygiene appointment.
  - Help the doctor with educating the patient and helping them own their disease before the doctor exam begins.

The hygienist has the ability to take annual digital scans and/or an intra-oral video of the patients mouth. Hygienists’ will give the patient a tour of their mouth and show them what is happening in their mouth.

All data collection and patient communication about potential oral abnormalities should be introduced to each patient by the dental hygienist, and always prior to the hygiene-patient-doctor exam. This saves time with the doctor exam and builds trust with the patient.

The hygienist has a great opportunity to help patients “own their disease.” Patients who see what is happening in their mouth vs. being “told” what they need are 75% more likely to schedule and pay for your care.

“People buy what they want, not what they need.”

Continuing Education and Training: Encourage ongoing professional development and training for dental hygienists. This is vital to stay updated on the latest advancements in dental hygiene techniques.

Note: There are a lot of new advancements and technologies which will enhance patient care and dental hygiene appointment efficiency. Dentists must support their hygienists to attend workshops, conferences, and online courses so they stay at the forefront of their field.

Performance Monitoring and Feedback: Regular 360 performance evaluations and feedback sessions can help identify areas for improvement within the dental hygiene department. Dentists should provide constructive feedback, recognize achievements, and set realistic goals to motivate their hygienists and enhance their performance.

Allow the employees to offer their feedback and suggestions for improvement. 360 degree employee evaluations allow employees to be heard. Empower each employee to become a leader in a specific area of the dental practice.

Conclusion:

The dental hygiene department is a critical component of a dental practice. Optimizing the hygiene department efficiency and productivity is an ongoing challenge for dentists.

By implementing efficient appointment scheduling, delegating tasks, integrating technology, investing in continuing education, and providing performance feedback, dentists can overcome many of their challenges and ensure the highest quality of patient care while maintaining a thriving practice.

Dentists do not need to manage but when they delegate they now inspect, what they expect of their employees. Many employees report that they don’t understand what the dentist expects from them.

Finding the right balance between patient care and operational efficiency in the dental hygiene department is an ongoing journey, but one that is essential for the long-term success and growth of a dental practice.

Dentists and dental hygienists should not feel as if they live on an island. Dental Practice Solutions has various solutions to optimize your hygiene department, streamline systems and grow your dental practice.

Consider a quick coffee chat and discover how you can quickly achieve your next level of success.

Click and schedule here.

Or feel free to contact us here and discover how to upgrade your hygiene department and empower your team.

* Reference. Percent of Adults with Oral Inflammation: https://bit.ly/47percentgumdisease Accessed July 19, 2023.

Developing a Comprehensive Dental Recare System for Improved Patient Retention

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

June 7, 2023

Patient retention is a crucial aspect of every successful dental practice. Building long-term relationships with dental patients not only ensures their oral health is well-maintained but also contributes to the overall growth and success of the dental practice. One effective strategy to achieve this is by developing a comprehensive dental Recare system.

In this blog, we will explore the importance of a Recare system, its benefits, and some key steps to establish an efficient and effective Recare system.

Importance of a Dental Recare System:

A dental Recare system refers to a structured process through which dental practices contact (various contact methods outside of phone calls) and schedule routine dental hygiene appointments for their patients. This system is a proactive approach to maintain patient engagement and prevent patients from falling off the radar.

By implementing a Recare system, dental practices can stay connected with their patients, demonstrate their commitment to their oral health, help put a halt to (oral and systemic) diseases, abnormalities and ultimately enhance patient retention rates.

Benefits of a Dental Recare System:

Improved Patient Retention

A well-executed Recare system significantly improves patient retention. By actively reaching out to patients for regular appointments, dental practices can demonstrate their commitment to their patients’ oral health. This personalized approach creates a sense of care and concern, making patients more likely to remain loyal to the practice.

Enhanced Oral Health Outcomes

Routine dental hygiene – preventive care appointments are essential for maintaining optimal oral health. A Recare system ensures that patients are reminded and encouraged to schedule these crucial visits, leading to optimal oral health in the long run this will support living a longer, healthier life.

When identifying any issues before they become a serious problem for the patient’s health, dentists can provide timely care, preventing minor problems from escalating into more significant oral health concerns.

Efficient Practice Management

Implementing a Recare system streamlines the future success of a dental practice. By automating appointment reminders and scheduling, dental practices can minimize no-shows and cancellations, leading to a more efficient and productive practice. It allows dental professionals to allocate their time and resources effectively, ensuring a smooth workflow and improved patient experience.

Developing a Comprehensive Dental Recall System:

Define Recall Intervals

Establishing appropriate preventative care intervals is a crucial first step. This involves assessing factors such as the patient’s oral health status, risk factors, and overall dental and total health history. By tailoring Recare intervals to individual patients’ needs, dental practices can provide personalized care and maintain regular contact.

Utilize Technology

Leveraging technology is key to an effective recall system. Use practice management software or customer relationship management (CRM) tools to automate appointment reminders via email, text messages, or phone calls. This reduces the administrative burden and ensures timely communication with patients.

One patient engagement system our clients have had great success keeping patients on their schedule is called NexHealth. If you are not familiar with NexHealth please contact us and we can set up a no-cost demo.

Team Training

Properly train your team about the importance and implementation of the Recare system. They should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to communicate effectively with patients, answer their queries, and assist them in scheduling appointments.

A well-informed and supportive staff enhances patient satisfaction and reinforces the recall system’s effectiveness.

This system goes beyond calling to tell a patient, “You need a cleaning.”

Monitor and Analyze Results

Continuously monitor the effectiveness of your Recare system. Track patient response rates, appointment retention, last minute cancellations and overall patient retention.

Analyze this data regularly to identify any areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to your recall strategy.

WIIFM/Patient Rewards

For many years patients have responded well to keeping pre-scheduled appointments when they know there is something “in it for them.” It’s the WIIFM syndrome. Is this human nature? I don’t know but I do know that it has worked for many years to keep patients on your schedule!

Consider offering free whitening as a reward to patients who do keep their dental appointments, patients who follow your “Change of Appointment” Procedure.

How Does This Work?

All new patients and whenever a patient updates their health history they get a Smile Evaluation to complete.
- This takes no more than 60 seconds for your patient to complete.
- Now you know what your patient “wants” and people are more likely to “Pay” for what “they” want vs. what you tell them they “need.”
The hygienist or doctor (New patients) will review the Smile Evaluation after the patients completes this.
Most patients will respond they want whiter teeth. Others want Invisalign, etc., etc.
This opens the door for a conversation and a chance for you to enroll patients into your “THE CLUB” (Free teeth whitening) and/or maybe Invisalign, Veneers, etc., etc.
Patients pay a nominal fee to enroll in THE CLUB which gives them a Whitening kit and when they complete their enrollment form (now they know what is expected to join THE CLUB and receive a whitening pen at hygiene appts).
When patients keep their appointments or call within your “Change of Appointment” Guidelines, they get a Free Whitening Pen at each hygiene appointment.
You buy the whitening products wholesale from Dental Practice Solutions
Learn more about The Club and all the systems you receive to enroll patients into The Club plus reduce last minute cancellations and grow New Patient numbers!
Click the link below to learn more about THE CLUB.

Conclusion:

Implementing a comprehensive dental Recare system is crucial for improving patient retention rates and optimizing oral health outcomes. By proactively engaging with patients, dental practices can establish stronger relationships, enhance patient satisfaction, and streamline practice management. Investing in technology, staff training, and regular monitoring will ensure the recall system’s effectiveness and contribute to the long-term success of the dental practice.

Remember, maintaining a healthy Recare system is not just about reminders—it’s about showing patients that their oral health matters and that their dental practice is committed to their well-being.

Learn More About THE CLUB Here

If you wish to chat about your dental hygiene department or this blog please schedule a coffee (tea or ____) chat here.