Assisted hygiene has had its supporters and naysayers over the years, but current economic challenges make a good case for adding this model to your dental practice, according to practice management consultant Dianne Glasscoe Watterson, RDH, MBA.
In this latest episode of "15 Minutes to Excellence," Glasscoe Watterson explains what assisted hygiene is, what all your practice needs to successfully implement the model, and the many advantages -- financial and otherwise -- that it offers to a dental office.
"In today's economic climate, everyone is looking for ways to increase their efficiency and their bottom line, and I think assisted hygiene is one of the best ways," Glasscoe Watterson said. "I ask docs all the time, 'If you had to do everything yourself, how profitable would you be?' And most would agree that they could cut their productivity by half or less if they had to do everything by themselves. And it is the same with the dental hygienist. You can easily increase the productivity of the dental hygiene department by 30% to 50% with assisted hygiene."
