Building a Profitable Hygiene Department – Part 2: Preparation, Integration & Collaboration

Course Objectives

1. Maximize Patient Impact Through Preparation
   Learners will develop systems for pre-appointment chart reviews that identify same-day treatment opportunities, reinforce continuity of care, and enhance patient outcomes.
   
   
2. Implement the 20/20/20 Appointment Model
   Learners will apply a time-structured hygiene appointment model—20 minutes assessment, 20 minutes education/co-diagnosis, 20 minutes treatment—to improve efficiency and value delivery.
   
   
3. Define and Uphold Clinical Protocols for Consistency
   Learners will create or refine periodontal and adjunctive treatment protocols to ensure consistent diagnosis, care delivery, and communication across all hygienists.
   
   
4. Support Same-Day Treatment Integration
   Learners will organize operatories for ease of access to supplies, minimizing time barriers to offering same-day procedures like fluoride, sealants, laser therapy, and whitening.
   
   
5. Strengthen Hygiene-Doctor Collaboration
   Learners will enhance the doctor-hygiene exam process by improving communication, co-diagnosis preparation, and exam flow to elevate patient understanding and case acceptance.
   
   
6. Track and Apply Key Hygiene KPIs
   Learners will identify and monitor critical performance indicators—such as perio percentage, treatment planned per visit, and use of wellness scans—to align efforts with practice growth and patient health goals.
   
   
7. Foster a Whole-Team Hygiene Philosophy
   Learners will engage front office, assistants, and leadership in supporting hygiene success through aligned scheduling practices, treatment urgency communication, and shared definitions of health.
   
   
8. Create a Patient-Centered Exam Experience
   Learners will practice delivering emotionally intelligent patient communication during hygiene exams, focused on trust, clarity, and motivating patients to take ownership of their care.
   
   
9. Adapt Hygiene Care for Maximum Efficiency
   Learners will apply scheduling structures that honor hygiene timing needs for adults, children, new patients, and SRP cases, and minimize downtime through proactive planning.
   
   
10. Align Hygiene Productivity With Purpose
    Learners will reframe productivity metrics as indicators of patient health impact, using KPIs as personal scorecards to guide growth, accountability, and professional pride.