Build a Data-Driven Hygiene Department

Your hygienists are far more than mere caregivers—they’re crucial to the success of your practice! You can supercharge your hygienists’ performance by tracking some key performance metrics, empowering them to improve patient care, increase their efficiency, and enjoy their jobs more. When you see these numbers improve, it means your practice is growing, but more importantly, it means your patients are getting healthier!

1. Periodontal Diagnostic Percentage

In order to help patients get healthy, you need to first see the periodontal disease, and this metric tracks your ability to diagnose it. Consistently diagnosing periodontal disease ensures that you’re identifying the necessary care for your patients and increasing practice revenue potential. However, when you fail to diagnose it, you open yourself up to legal risks and patient complaints if the condition worsens. The benchmark for this metric will vary depending on your current periodontal visit and diagnostic percentages, but I recommend 60% preventative, 30% periodontal, and 10% active therapy as a good ratio for your hygiene patients. How much you diagnose will depend on where your practice is currently.

2. Periodontal Treatment Acceptance Percentage

This metric measures the percentage of patients who accept all or part of the recommended periodontal treatment following their diagnosis. As this percentage increases, so will your production and the number of periodontal maintenance visits. I recommend aiming for a benchmark of 80% or higher for diagnosed periodontal patients accepting treatment.

3. Periodontal Visit Percentage

You’ve diagnosed periodontal disease and had treatment accepted — but how much of your hygiene department is actually dedicated to perio care? This metric tracks more than just active treatment; it includes any appointment that falls under periodontal care. Maintaining the right balance of perio visits not only drives revenue for your practice but also leads to better long-term outcomes by helping prevent disease progression. I recommend aiming for 35-45% of your hygiene visits to be perio-related.

4. Production Per Visit

By tracking the average production generated per hygiene appointment, you’re able to know how well you’re taking care of each patient. Additionally, it will help you improve your efficiency and increase the financial success of your hygiene department—without increasing patient volume. The benchmark for this number depends on your practice and how involved with PPOs you are. For the average PPO practice, this should be around $150-$200 per routine hygiene visit, and $250-$400 per visit.

5. Hygiene Reappointment Percentage

Continuing to get patients back in the chair is essential for your practice’s health, and that’s where this number comes in. When you have a high reappointment rate, you’re guaranteeing consistent patient retention and revenue, which will prevent costly gaps in your schedule. Furthermore, keeping patients in your hygiene program ensures they will continue getting healthier. For this metric, I advise that you schedule another hygiene appointment for at least 90% of your hygiene patients before they leave.

Kirk often says that “data removes all emotion,” and that’s what makes tracking these metrics so powerful. It holds everyone accountable for their roles, and when there’s a problem, you can easily course correct. Ultimately, the most successful practices rely on data-driven hygiene departments, because by monitoring these metrics, they’re able to improve their patient outcomes, and in doing so, grow the practice!

To set your hygienists up for success, sign up for the Best Practices Association and watch Part 1 and Part 2 of Katrina Sanders’ Hygiene Exam Essentials now!

To learn more about ACT and how we can help you build a Better Practice and a Better Life, reach out to Courtney!

Tune in next time and learn how to onboard new team members the right way!