Are you getting the most out of your hygiene department? Your hygienists should generate 25% of your total office production. Recare should account for a significant portion of that percentage, but your hygienists should also be educating patients about other practice services.
Educate patients during the hygiene exam. Once hygienists are knowledgeable about what will be presented in the treatment room, they can use chair time to educate patients about specific services. Such an approach saves a tremendous amount of doctor time in the hygiene operatory. An effective hygienist will often have convinced patients to accept treatment before the dentist steps into the room.
Don't let the number of unscheduled hygiene patients increase. Overdue patients represent a significant challenge for many practices. These are the patients who do not schedule their recare appointments in advance. Do not wait until they are overdue for hygiene care before contacting them. Be proactive. If they are on a six-month recare schedule, contact them in the fifth month, so they can be scheduled and seen within the appropriate six-month time frame.
