Why Your Hygiene Schedule Is Full — But Hygiene Production Isn’t Growing
I’ve worked in assisted hygiene for twenty years. In fact, I actually turned down my position before the doctor ultimately called me back a week later and agreed to work with me on whatever issue I had to make it work.
I told her I didn’t want to work on production — I’d prefer hourly. She said OK, but confidently told me I would regret it. I met with the hygienist who I was replacing a short while later. She went on about how she loved working on production and how much she loved working in an assisted hygiene system.
She ran her production report for that day. I saw how much she made and I couldn’t believe it.
I assumed it was just a really good day - a fluke. So I asked her to run the week…then the month.
I realized very quickly that I had made a mistake. And I went straight back to the dentist to ask if I could switch to production.
Here we are twenty years later — in the same practice, with the same doctor — and I agree with that hygienist completely: I would never want to work any other way.
Fast forward to today. Dentistry is facing some real challenges - staffing is certainly one of it’s biggest.
Turnover is high, and if you’re trying to find a scheduling coordinator, account manager, dental assistant, or hygienist…good luck!
I’ve seen temp hygienists compensated as high as $144 per hour, while the practice is reimbursed as little as $88 for that one-hour prophy. Does any of this sound familiar? You can’t afford to lose a day of hygiene — because hygiene feeds the restorative column. But you also can’t afford to pay a hygienist double what they’re actually producing.
The Hidden Ceiling of the Traditional Hygiene Model
I’ve done some temping, and it’s given me a glimpse of how other hygiene departments operate. And what I’ve seen is this:
Many hygiene departments are running far below their true capacity. Now, I know hygienists can sometimes be hesitant to change the way they work. And honestly, that hesitation usually comes from one assumption: ‘I’m going to be expected to do more work for the same pay.’ And honestly - who would be excited to sign up for that?!
What I want you to know is that there is a better way. There’s a way to serve the hygienist, the dentist, the practice and the patient. Working a two column, assisted hygiene model can:
• increase job satisfaction
• increase hygiene production
• increase your hygienist’s hourly income
• and still provide a thorough patient visit
And, it happens without asking the hygienist to do double the work. It happens by removing the work that does not require a hygienist, so that they can stay focused on their highest-value clinical work.
Now, I started this blog by talking about working on production. That’s not necessarily what I would recommend for your practice right now, if you’re considering implementing an assisted hygiene model. Too much change all at once can set your team up for failure. There is a middle ground that allows the hygienist to produce more — and be compensated fairly — without overwhelming the team.
This system is not for every practice. But if your hygiene schedule is full, and you have a strong hygienist who might be open to working a little differently — there may be an opportunity to unlock significantly more capacity in your practice.
And that’s where I come in.
Here’s how I work. First, I come into your office and assess your hygiene production, schedule structure, and clinical workflow. From there, I work directly with your team — the dentist, office manager, hygienist, and assistant. (You will need a dedicated assistant assigned to hygiene — but don’t overthink this right now. Even assigning one assistant one day per week can generate 50% more hygiene revenue in that one day.)
Together, we will implement a two-column assisted hygiene system. I stay on site during the initial roll out to help your team work through the real-world situations that inevitably arise. What happens when a patient is late? What happens when a patient requires more care than expected? What happens when the schedule starts running behind? These are the moments where systems succeed — or fail. I’ll walk your team through them in real time.
Dentists don’t always have the time, the experience with assisted hygiene systems, or frankly the energy to navigate these changes on their own.
But I assure you this: It’s not as complicated as it may seem.
I bring the energy, the experience, and the enthusiasm for this field — and I would love to help your practice rethink how hygiene works.
This isn’t a theory. I’ve worked this way for twenty years without experiencing burnout or job dissatisfaction.
In my own clinical work, I consistently produce $310–$350 per hour.
And I would love to help bring that potential into your practice.