There are entire businesses that revolve around a new patient and how to “wow” and retain them, so our industry will never stop talking about it. It’s hard enough to find the right marketing strategies to get the patients in your office, but then there is the challenge of creating an exceptional experience and making sure we have strong retention!

Running behind can make you lose your mind! One of the biggest non-clinical challenges a dental hygienist faces everyday is the ability to stay on schedule. Some days it takes a skillful genius to rebound from a sabotaged schedule. Time is the culprit – and identifying how you can save (or waste) time is always enlightening.

Seems like a completely unrealistic goal, and one that would require a psychology degree with a minor in conflict resolution, but it can be done. Take a step back and look at how you interact with your co-workers and doctors. What does everyone else see you doing and hear you saying? I believe creating harmony starts with ourselves and when we accomplish that, we can continue that journey to help the entire office.

Accounts receivable is one of the hardest parts of running an office. I will never forget a statistic I heard many years ago that implied dental offices were the #2 lending institutions with banks being #1. I’m not sure if that is true, but think about it – it’s certainly believable!

While a dental hygiene appointment can be packed with value for your patients, it can be equally productive for your practice. Here are 5 simple ways to increase your hygiene production that are far, far from a cleaning.