| The 10 Power Traits of the Hygienist of the Future
Kirk Behrendt
Speaker & Coach
ACT Dental Practice Coaching
| Having the RIGHT hygienist in any practice can change the lives of the team members and the patients they serve. All too often, dentists look for a hygienist to bring great value to the practice, but they are unclear about their own expectations of the position they are trying to fill, which makes it even harder for the person who fills that position to consistently meet and exceed those expectations. This ultimately leads to conflict. This month we get clear (so you can get clear) about the 10 traits that will transform the future of your hygiene department as well as the entire practice. Here are the following characteristics: - Attitude & Disposition – First and foremost having the right attitude becomes critical in any position, especially hygiene. Dentistry is a fantastic profession that can be viewed as an amazing way to serve people and help them feel good about themselves again. You have to believe this as a hygienist in the world today. Without it, you will be at the mercy of people who undervalue you because you don’t value what you do. Our disposition refers to our prevailing inclination and temperament in how we display this attitude. Both of these create the right conditions for doing the 9 traits that follow this one. Without a great attitude and disposition, a potential hygiene candidate becomes ineligible for the position in your office.
- Engaged & Curious – We are all equipped with CURIOUSITY light switches that are visible to everyone else in the universe. These switches are located on our proverbial foreheads. They serve to activate the brain and you see them every day when you greet your team members. These switches (when turned on) create intimacy and engagement. It allows the ability for the patient to educate us. This is exactly what we want. Make sure you have a hygienist who turns the CURIOUSITY switch on (and keeps it on) all day. You will notice a huge difference in the energy when the switch is on.
- Responsible for their Own Department - My mentor says, “The wrong team member does what they HAVE to do, and the RIGHT team member does ALL they can do.” The days of having a hygiene assistant to be the hygienist’s busboy/girl are over. Nowadays practices have to be built on profit, effectiveness and value. That giant sucking sound you hear every day is the sound of “slack” being extracted from the world. Get used to it. It’s going to be around for the rest of your career.
- Responsible for their Own Schedule - All cancellations start chairside and they usually involve 2 things. Lack of clarity and lack of importance. Don’t ever allow the hygienist to say that the front desk isn’t doing their job. Those words paraphrased are “I have no influence or control on what happens back here.” Here are two suggestions: 1. Hygienists should book their own appointments and be encouraged to protect, schedule, and explain their schedule to patients with vigilance. 2. Don’t ever put a patient in the schedule without a compelling reason. “Let’s set up your next cleaning in 6 months” is the worst reason to schedule a patient. Sounds very boring to me and equally easy to blow off in our complex, time-starved lives. Instead, SHOW (don’t tell), “Mrs. Patient, you did great today, but I really want you to work on these areas up here because __________ and it will be really important that we ___________ so that we can keep you on track with your goals and keep you in the highest level of health. So let’s get you set up for ________________. Have a great summer. Call me if you have any questions.”
- Responsible for their Own Profitability – Some great hygienists are asking for huge salaries in cities all over the U.S. They are worth every penny! The formula for disaster develops when the dentist is UNCLEAR about this from the beginning, and hygienist doesn’t produce 3 times their salary. The industry standard, no matter whom you listen to, is that the hygienist’s compensation should be no more than 33% of their production (not including the doctor’s exams). Make sure you have a way for the hygienist to monitor and influence this daily. This is a project for which the hygienist must take responsibility. If not, then the dentist will, and you already have enough to do.
- Must be a Restorative Partner - The hygienist has to be able to “dance” with the dentist. Which means knowing his/her preferences, standard of care, philosophy surrounding how you treat periodontal disease. This also includes creating a CULTURE of learning and development by taking the best courses and bringing in the best consultants in the country to “light your fire” about what is possible. In short, your hygienist has to be able to anticipate and inspire patients on what you might say or recommend about the patient’s health.
- Have to be Amazing VISUAL Communicators– Talking is the absolute worst form of communication in the world right now. In our work of coaching some of the best practices in the country, we still see far too many people talking to patients about their conditions and circumstances. Your patients hear Charley Brown’s teacher talking every time you talk more than 8-10 seconds “Whah, whah, wa, whah, wa.” You get the point. Adopt a CULTURE of SHOW, LISTEN, ASK, LISTEN (again), SHOW (again) then TELL. It will transform your patient’s entire hygiene experience. I love it when hygienists pull down the mirrors that are fixed to the overhead lamps and let patients watch everything (blood, etc). The eyes are the fastest and most predictable passage to the brain. Use this passage for 90% of the visit. Or you could just let your patients “emotionally check out” by putting Oprah on the television during their visit.
- Must be a Marketing Asset – Everything you do is marketing. How the phones are answered, how patients are greeted, how patients are checked out, the list goes on forever. Hygienists of the future must see themselves as great marketers not only for the dentist’s work, but also for the practice. A non-negotiable quality for a well-paid hygienist is that they have to PROMOTE what you do. They have to believe in the product so much that they BRING value, people, dentistry, ideas, smiles, opportunities and energy to the practice. That’s marketing!
- Must be Innovators to the SYSTEMIC LINK of Periodontal Disease – The hottest new thing in dentistry is the systemic link between periodontal disease and its effect on the rest of the body (specifically the heart). This CULTURE first starts with the dentist (the leader). There is so much new research out there that suggests periodontal disease can influence cardiac conditions, stroke, pregnancy and the list goes on. If you are a hygienist and you want to find a great job in a wonderful practice, become an expert on the research out there surrounding THE LINK. I know a lot of practices that would hire you right away.
- Must have a Compelling Purpose – The best hygienists we have seen don’t see themselves as having a job or that they “clean teeth.” The best hygienists we meet see themselves with a RESPONSIBILITY (or a purpose) to help influence people, empower people to influence and control their health, which ultimately changes people lives. Look at your role as not one of just cleaning teeth, but rather one of changing lives every day. If you believe that, we will all SEE it.
The world of dentistry is changing, and so are the expectations of the team members and patients you serve. Take this time to get CLEAR about your expectations as a dentist. With clarity you have power. Without it you feel powerless and confused.
I hope you have a wonderful summer!
Kirk Behrendt Speaker & Coach ACT Dental Practice Coaching 800.851.8186 Kirk Behrendt is the Director of ACT Dental Practice Coaching. He has lectured all over the United States to major meetings and study clubs. He has extensive experience on practice profitability, team building, leadership and dental practice marketing/branding. Kirk and his team are primarily focused to positively impact the future of dentistry one practice at a time. You can reach him at 800-851-8186 or email him at kirk@actdental.com
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