How I quintupled my hygiene department in 5 years: The business of prevention
I bought my practice in 2014. Given my commitment to preventive dentistry, my expectation was I would have an epic preventive-focused restorative practice. The reality was that I had a great restorative practice with a below average preventive practice. This dynamic is challenging for a private practice for many reasons, such as:
Restorative outcomes can be compromised: Many patients require restorative dentistry or prosthetic tooth replacement due to caries or periodontal disease. If preventive therapies are not suggested or employed, a patient is at risk for reduced outcomes or recurrence of disease.1
Patients suffer when their preventive needs are not addressed: The connection between oral health and systemic health is well-established.2 Without proper diagnosis, nonsurgical therapy, and home-care practices, patients will struggle to manage biofilm and the inflammatory process that ensues. This can exacerbate numerous systemic maladies. Our patients deserve better.
A practice cannot thrive without a robust hygiene department: Ask any practice management expert; there are specific KPIs that should be used to assess the health of a practice. These include, but are not limited to, quantifying new patients, active patients, patient attrition, and measuring the number of patients who are classified as periodontal patients.3
By 2020, I changed everything. Without realizing there was an impending staffing shortage, I decided to revamp my protocols and replace my entire clinical team. We all have our “COVID tales,” but this was the most impactful choice I’ve ever made, and I’ve never looked back.
In 2023, I experienced more than a 300% growth in my hygiene department, and I shared an article about the experience.4 Since then, I’ve experienced a five-times revenue growth in my dental hygiene department in five years. I thought it was time to share how this is possible, despite a continued shortage of clinical personnel, reduced reimbursement from third party payers, and economic uncertainty.
Find the right dental team for your practice
Finding a team that is the right fit is essential. Creating a mission and vision of the dental practice will enable the practice owner to articulate what differentiates the practice and identify the practice’s core values. This is essential to attract like-minded patients and a team with similar values. A motivated team will have a profound impact on the practice’s success. If your practice is still struggling with attracting and retaining the right team, do not stop looking; they are out there!
Add guided biofilm therapy
Guided biofilm therapy (GBT) is an evidence-based, systematic approach to identify and facilitate the complete removal of biofilm.5 Biofilm has been implicated in the exacerbation of dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.6 Incomplete removal of biofilm enables the maturation and colonization of pathogenic biofilm, especially in hard-to-reach areas most vulnerable to disease progression.7 GBT, a term coined by EMS Dental, involves following an eight-step compass (figure 1) within the dental hygiene appointment.
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