Dos and don'ts for ramping up hygiene productivity

The hygiene department -- an overlooked asset

A robust hygiene department drives practice production. Almost every patient comes through the hygiene department before moving on to other treatment. For a practice to reach its profitability potential, a full hygiene schedule is essential.

Use these Practice Success Dos & Don'ts to boost the effectiveness of your hygiene department:

Schedule the next appointment right away before the patient leaves. One of the best methods for retaining patients is the establishment of an effective hygiene recare system. Scheduling all recare patients immediately reduces patient attrition and significantly increases patient retention. Developing strong scheduling scripts that build value for each recare appointment will help reduce cancellations and no-shows.

Don't overlook the morning meeting. This is the perfect time to identify patients requiring additional dental treatment. During the morning meeting, the entire team can be updated on what treatment will be presented to which patients. That way if patients ask other team members about recommended treatment, they will be able to provide accurate answers.