How Did I Produce $2,746 in Adjusted Hygiene Production Today? Here's Every Procedure.
There’s an assumption that high-producing hygienists only exist in fee-for-service practices, or because they’re overtreating patients.
Not true.
Now, in full disclosure, I work in an assisted hygiene model, so I see more patients than I would if I worked solo.
Today's schedule came from a practice that participates with several insurance companies. These are adjusted production numbers—the amount the practice actually collects after contractual insurance adjustments have been applied.
TODAY’S PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN:
Total Production (before adjustments): $4,519.00
Adjusted Production: $2,746.69
Clinical Hours: 7
Adjusted Production per Clinical Hour: $392.38
Here's exactly where that production came from:
12 Adult Prophylaxis: $1,386.99
1 Periodontal Maintenance: $133.20
Annual Radiographs: $872.50
2 VELscope Oral Cancer Screenings: $54.00
2 Curodont Treatments: $220.00
1 Arestin Placement: $80.00
That's the entire day.
There wasn’t any full-mouth SRP. No whitening. Not even any extraordinary treatment plans. Honestly, this is a pretty typical day of comprehensive care.
I understand why hygienists who aren't compensated on production sometimes assume those who are must be recommending unnecessary treatment. And yes, I'm sure sometimes that does happen. There are ethical providers and unethical providers. That's true in every profession—not just dentistry. But if you’re a person of integrity who simply approaches each visit asking how to best serve the patient that’s in the chair?
High production isn't the opposite of comprehensive care. Done ethically, it's the result of it.
If someone is due for radiographs, they have radiographs.
If they might benefit from Curodont, we discuss it.
If Arestin might benefit a localized site, we have that conversation. I'm also honest about it’s limitations. It's not a cure and it won't regenerate bone, but reducing inflammation in a pocket may help the patient maintain that area more effectively.
I perform a VELscope oral cancer screening annually. It's not covered by insurance and costs patients $27 out of pocket, and about 95% choose it. Once we've discussed it the first year, they expect it annually.
None of these recommendations were made because of a production goal. They were made because they were appropriate for the patient sitting in front of me.
There's another assumption I'd challenge.
People often see numbers like these and assume I must be rushing through appointments and cutting corners. I'm not.
I work in an assisted hygiene model, which means the assistant that I work with performs many of the tasks that don't require a hygienist. That allows me to spend my time where my license—and my patients—need me most: assessment, periodontal assessment, instrumentation, patient education, and treatment recommendations.
Higher production is never the goal. Comprehensive care is.
The production simply follows.