A steady stream of returning patients is crucial to a healthy practice, and understanding your Hygiene Re-appointment Percentage is the key to making it happen. This metric measures the number of patients who schedule their next hygiene visit before leaving the office, divided by the total number of hygiene patients. It’s powerful, because while it measures how many of your hygiene patients are pre-booked to return, it also tells you whether or not your patients understand the value of preventative care and trust your recommendations.
We recommend that your re-appointment percentage be at least 85%, because when you hit that benchmark, it shows up in several amazing ways:
- Predictable revenue. A steady stream of returning patients provides structure to your schedule and ensures there’s breathing room in your bottom line.
- Stronger patient retention. Patients who stay plugged into your care cycle are less likely to fall off the schedule or seek treatment elsewhere.
- Production without pressure. When patients routinely return for care, you no longer have to chase production.
- Team efficiency. A high hygiene re-appointment rate means you’re scheduling proactively and not reactively, which means no longer scrambling to fill holes.
Improving your hygiene re-appointment percentage is one of the most powerful levers you can pull to create sustainable, long-term success, and it’s low-cost! It starts with developing the expectation in your practice that you reserve the next appointment while the patient is there. You need the whole team to align around this, because if they’re not, then the patients won’t be either.
From there, measure your metric! If you’re below the 85% benchmark, then set a realistic monthly goal. As you continue tracking, you’ll see the numbers improve, and it’s important to celebrate those wins — no matter how small! That incremental progress will ensure you create real change!
