June 2009

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Is Your Hygiene
Department Effective?

The effectiveness of your hygiene department is a key factor in determining the success of your practice. Dental hygiene can be an extremely demanding profession though. Time constraints, physical demands and difficult patients can create a frustrating and monotonous daily routine. Hygienists are faced with many challenges on the road to helping their patients become healthier. Unfortunately, burnout and shortened careers are often the result. How can we change this?  

The Secret

The secret is to work collaboratively together to take back control of your day. By understanding all aspects of the hygiene appointment, the entire team is able to provide your patients with the highest level of periodontal and restorative care.

Consider the following three scenarios:

• Patient A is a ‘new’ patient and has completed his exam with the dentist and treatment coordinator, and is now ready for his hygiene appointment.
  
  
• Patient B is a ‘recall’ patient who was in 6 months ago for hygiene and had her last dental exam 12 months ago.
  
  
• Patient C is an ‘inactive’ patient who has returned after a five year absence and ‘just wants a cleaning’.
  
  

How comprehensive is your service?

Traditional hygiene methodologies likely result in each of these patients receiving similar treatment. One, perhaps two hygiene therapy appointments are considered by many to be standard care. As required, these appointments include a periodontal evaluation, X-rays, scaling and root planing, followed by a prophylaxis and oral hygiene instruction.

This course of treatment will likely result in the patient having improved gingival health; perhaps short term motivation to improve home plaque control, and hopefully a commitment to a 6 month maintenance appointment. Let’s take a look at how a minor shift in our perspective can lead to a major shift in the patient’s perspective.

Many hygienists feel pressure to complete treatment in one appointment to avoid telling the patient they ‘have to come back’. Expanding the role of your hygienist begins with addressing the mindset about the purpose of the hygiene appointment.

Simply stated, the purpose of the hygiene appointment is to help people become healthier. Healthier looks and feels different for each patient.

For example:

• Patient A, the ‘new’ patient, may be unaware of a periodontal condition that has been chronic for years.
  
  
• Patient B, the ‘recall’ patient, may be struggling to keep gingivitis and diabetes under control.
  
  
• Patient C, the ‘inactive’ patient, may have never considered what healthy looks and/or feels like.
  
  

The Enhanced Role

The dental hygienist plays a vital role in each of these scenarios. Each patient will benefit from the wealth of periodontal knowledge, clinical expertise, and communication skills of their hygienist. By providing more comprehensive scaling and root planing over multiple appointments, the benefits your patients experience will increase their commitment to health.

This commitment will be evident in a reduced incidence of failed appointments and an increased acceptance of major restorative treatment. Patients not only become healthier, their relationship with you is also strengthened. With the opportunities a new mindset provides, hygienists can renew their passion for what they do.

What does the enhanced role of a hygienist look like? This begins with changing the way the practice looks at scheduled appointments. Each patient has unique needs that require the hygienist to consider how best to serve them during the scheduled appointment time.

The Morning Meeting is a Highly Recommended
Way to Start Your Day

Ideally, the charts are reviewed the day before so that any logistical questions or concerns can be addressed prior to the appointment, ideally in a morning meeting. Is a recall exam with the dentist required? Are their radiographs current?  When was their last periodontal evaluation? Write down important points when reviewing the charts.

The following is an example of what the notes for patients A, B and C might look like:

• Patient A – ‘need help charting for periodontal evaluation'.
  
  
• Patient B – ‘determine best time for recall exam’.
  
  
• Patient C – ‘consider scheduling separate appointment for comprehensive exam’.

At the morning meeting, the hygienists now have an opportunity to use these notes to let team members know where they will need assistance. These notes increase the effectiveness of your morning meeting.

Planning is key to help you stay in control of your schedule. Approaching the day with everyone on the same page reduces the stress and anxiety that occur when the schedule feels out of your control.

Patient Ownership

A highly effective hygiene department sets the stage for exceptional patient experiences. Many hygiene patients have been maintaining chronic gingival or periodontal disease for months, even years. They are thrilled to be experiencing the benefits of shifting from disease to health.

As your patients decide to take ownership of their health, you will see your bottom line improve. Hygienists will once again love coming to work in the morning, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to connect with each patient in a more significant way.

The July issue of Practice Prosperity will focus on how
the first appointment with Patient A starts the process
of elevating their health.

PerioLogix is a comprehensive periodontal program…
Call our office today to learn about the exciting
opportunities that await your team!

Co-authored by Mitch Peters

About the Author

CoraMarie Clark, BSDH MBA is recognized as a highly effective dental practice strategist. She works with dentists that want to optimize their potential both personally and professionally. Her collaborative approach has helped teams develop dynamic competitive strategies and achieve high impact sustainable results.

If you would like to explore the possibility of having CoraMarie work with your Dental Practice or speak for your Association or Group, contact us today.

CoraMarie Clark
phone 403.686.6136
email coramarie@strategix-ltd.com
web strategix-ltd.com

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