My predictions for dental hygiene

 

Are you wondering where the profession of dental hygiene is going in the next 5-10 years? You’re not alone. While I don’t have a crystal ball and I’m sure our industry will change more in the next few years than it has in decades, I do have a few predictions. I shared these with Gary Bird recently on his Dental Marketing Theory podcast.

Here’s a bit of what I share in this episode:

  • Where the hygiene world is at right now in my view
  • Where I see it going
  • How temp hygiene has evolved
  • Why Practice Protocols > Provider Protocols
  • How the clinical leader can make or break a hygiene team
  • Changes in PPO involvement within our client community

17 Tips to Attract Hygienists to Your Practice

 

Lately I’ve been reviewing a lot of hygiene job postings for our clients. There are a few that are stellar and I have to say, I’m surprised how many job postings are really bad.

Would you send out a patient mailer that has plain text and looks like every other piece of boring mail they get? Of course not. You’d use a beautiful, multi-color marketing piece that is a reflection of your beautiful practice. You might include a patient testimonial or a great photo of your team.

Do the same with your marketing for TEAM MEMBERS.

This week, I’d love to share with you our new resource guide, 17 Tips to Attract Hygienists to Your Practice.

Dental Hygiene Compensation Models

 

Author Rachel Wall, RDH, BS

Hygiene compensation has always been a hot topic. In light of current hygiene staffing challenges, it has become a critical element in securing and retaining hygienists. In addition to incentivizing hygienists, for a compensation model to be sustainable, it must provide structure to ensure the hygiene department remains a profitable part of the dental practice.

For the last 20 years at IH, we’ve contributed to the development of healthy hygiene compensation plans for hundreds of practices. One of my dental CPA friends recently reminded me of this piece I did a few years ago and these principles still hold true.

A long standing industry benchmark for hygiene profitability is that hygiene production should be at least 3 times the total hygiene compensation and that hygiene produces 25-30% of total practice production. Of course there are variables that affect this such as insurance participation and doctor procedure mix.  In this article, we will explore several hygiene compensation models that dental practices use to incentivize their hygienists and a few pros and cons of each model. 

  1. Hourly Pay Model
    The hourly pay model is the most straightforward compensation model for dental hygienists. Hygienists are paid a set hourly wage for the hours they work. With this model, we often see a team bonus in place that provides an equal distribution of additional income for team members based on hours worked.  

Pros: This model is easy to administer and provides a predictable income for hygienists. 

Cons: It may not incentivize hygienists to work more efficiently or improve protocols and systems to improve patient care. Hygienists may come to expect regular pay raises regardless of performance. 

  1. Commission-Based Model
    The commission-based model ties hygienist compensation to the amount of revenue they generate for the practice. Hygienists are paid a percentage of the revenue they generate, which can incentivize them to work more efficiently and provide better patient care through higher level services and adjuncts. This model can calculate pay based on individual or group performance. 

Pros: Hygienists can see a direct relationship to their performance and their income. When based on net production, the model ensures hygiene is producing at the desired level compared to compensation. 

Cons: This model can be difficult to administer, and hygienists may feel pressure to upsell unnecessary treatments to increase their commission. Also, when there are no patients on the schedule, there may

  1. Hourly Plus Commission Model
    The hourly plus commission model combines the predictability of an hourly pay model with the incentives of a commission-based model. Hygienists are paid a set base hourly rate and can earn additional commission based on the revenue they generate compared to their base pay. This model can incentivize hygienists to work more efficiently and provide better patient care while still providing a predictable income.

Pros: Hygienists have a stable base income to count on while the opportunity to  earn more once they reach a certain production level. The practice owner can determine what percentage of the hygienist’s compensation is hourly vs commission and ensure the first profitability point is reached before the commission starts. 

Cons: This model requires careful math and clear communication between practice administrators and hygienists to make sure the hygienist knows how their commision is calculated and which procedures count toward their production goals. 

Changing your dental hygiene compensation model
Over nearly 20 years, Inspired Hygiene has worked with numerous practice owners to elevate dental hygiene services, systems and hygiene profitability. When our clients ask us for help with restructuring dental hygiene compensation, we are eager to help because we’ve seen this touchy situation result in a successful transition when a few key components are implemented simultaneously. 

1-Create a compensation plan that is easy for the hygienists to understand and have very clear communication around expectations, fears and concerns from all parties. Have a transparent method for reporting production and commission on the agreed upon timeline (monthly, quarterly).

2-Incorporate very specific clinical and communication training and coaching to give hygienists the confidence, knowledge and skills to implement clinical services and increase patient acceptance. 

3-Map out a plan for the hygienists to reach the goals they set for their compensation. Use sample schedules to run different scenarios for hitting their goal and arm them with the proper equipment and products to achieve clinical outcomes that elevate patient health and profitability. 

In the vast majority of practices, both employee and employer desire a dental hygiene compensation model that is fair and supports ethical clinical behavior as well as creating an income growth plan for both the practice and the providers. It’s important to consider the impact of the model on the hygienists’ attitudes and effectiveness in meeting compensation benchmarks. 

No matter the model you choose, clear communication of expectations and the system for compensation is critical. We recommend a written agreement between employer and employee to

A few points you’ll want to be very clear on are: 

  • The threshold at which commission on production will begin
  • The percentage of production that will be shared
  • Duties expected of the hygienist during open time on the schedule 
  • Expectations of team work and support of the productivity of the entire practice
  • Clinical protocols that must be honored 

In conclusion, the right hygiene compensation model will depend on the practice goals and philosophy and the hygienists willingness to see it as a growth opportunity. By choosing the right hygiene compensation model, dental practices can incentivize their hygienists to provide better patient care, ensure the profitability of the hygiene department, and adapt in an ever-changing industry. 

Check out this article and video interview I did with Patient Prism founder, Amol Nirgudkar.

Are you interested in learning how Inspired Hygiene can help your dental practice? Use this link to Book Your Discovery Meeting.

81% Hyg Production Increase

 

There’s a misconception that dental coaching creates significant results only for teams that have no foundational systems or protocols in place. That couldn’t be further from the truth and this team is proof of that.

The team at 30A Smiles already had a solid hygiene department by most definitions. They worked well together and they had a foundational perio protocol.

The doctors knew there was a higher level of care and engagement possible and they were willing to invest in training and support to realize that next level of growth. This takes hygienists who are open to learning and growing (even if they are a bit hesitant at first) and leaders who are willing to empower and support their team.

The results speak for themselves.

And let me be clear, these results are NOT a function of aggressive periodontal diagnosis or loading patients up with an excessive amount of products or services. This is real-life, patient-centered care.

Kudos to this team. They are a pillar of healthcare in their community and they are still going strong!

Empowering Hygienists Podcast Episode

 

This week, I’m sharing a recent podcast I did with Ross Brannon on the Financial Flossing Podcast.

In this episode I share some valuable tips on empowering hygienists to elevate care and their role in the practice. Here are a few takeaways and a link to the podcast. I hope you enjoy it.

TAKEAWAYS:

✅ Inspired Hygiene emphasizes elevating the hygienist’s role in dental practices to improve patient care and overall practice profitability.

✅ How the IH Team works with dental practices to set achievable goals for growth and help them achieve those goals through coaching and consulting services.

✅ How Inspired Hygiene emphasizes the importance of comprehensive patient care, including periodontal therapy, oral cancer screening, restorative treatment, and sleep apnea screening.

✅ Inspired Hygiene aims to shift the mindset of the entire dental team to that of healthcare providers, focusing on the patient’s overall health and well-being.

✅ Inspired Hygiene offers free Hygiene Opportunity Assessments to help dental practices identify areas of growth and improvement.

You can listen to the interview on:

iTunes  Spotify  TuneIn iHeartRadio C-Suite Radio Amazon Pandora and YouTube

Don’t Let it End

 

As April comes to a close, please don’t let Oral Cancer Awareness end. As dental professionals, we are on the front lines and we must be diligent and consistent in our screening efforts.

As a dentist or hygienist, you’re not expected to ‘diagnose’ oral cancer. However, your work is critical to early detection.

Please screen and identify possible pathology
Please refer to the appropriate provider for definitive diagnosis
Please document in detail what your screening reveals and your referrals
Please check in with patients after referrals to be sure they follow through

Here’s a very thorough review of the head and neck screening. While every provider may do this a little differently, screening consistently is key.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more on Oral Cancer Awareness and #IHTeamScreen.

A Look Inside the Bootcamp

 

You’ve likely seen in the last few weeks that we’re launching a brand new version of our Perio Protocol Online Bootcamp on January 26. It will be available for purchase until February 2 so if you’re interested, watch this quick video to see what the program looks like from the inside and then go over to periobootcamp.com and we’ll let you know when it’s ready for purchase.

This self-paced program is perfect for getting your team on the same page with a clear, written periodontal protocol and it offers CE credit for every participant in your practice.

Learn more about the Perio Protocol Online Bootcamp and, if you share your email with us, we’ll let you know when the bootcamp is open AND you’ll be in the first group to get a great discount on the PPOB.

“Our practice first worked with Inspired Hygiene nearly 10 years ago. The PPOB was an impactful first step in developing our periodontal protocol and it has grown from there. As we have added new hygienists to our team, watching these webinars is part of our onboarding process and a great way to introduce our perio program to new team members.”

Laura Woyciesjes, RDH
Milford, CT

Are the Doctors the Bottle Neck?

 

If your doctors aren’t calibrated, how can you expect the team to support them in recommending treatment? Our Standard of Care worksheet is a great way to start the year off and finally get your team on the same page.

Download the Standard of Care worksheet.


Below is an overview of each module included with the new Perio Protocol Online Bootcamp!

Learn more about it here and, If you share your email with us, we’ll let you know when the bootcamp is open AND you’ll be in the first group to get a great discount on the PPOB.


Team On Same Page with Perio?

 

If you follow us on social or you’ve been reading these emails lately, you might know we’re launching a new version of our classic program Perio Protocol Online Bootcamp in January.

This bootcamp is a great way to get your team on the same page and set clear periodontal standards for diagnosis, enrollment and treatment. Oh, and they can all get 6 hours of CE credit.

Go check out our program at www.periobootcamp.com.

If you share your email with us, we’ll let you know when the bootcamp is open AND you’ll be in the first group to get a great discount on the PPOB.

Are you interested in learning how Inspired Hygiene can help your dental practice? Use this link to schedule your Hygiene Opportunity Assessment.