by By Heidi Arndt
Five mistakes to avoid
Dental groups from coast to coast have spent thousands of hours to develop and grow their hygiene team. Some of these groups achieved great success, while others have struggled. The groups that have struggled state: “We have provided training and implemented protocols to our hygiene team, but we seem to get a short-term increase only to see it flatten out and decline over the year(s).” Some of these groups have written off the idea of any future training or development due to the mediocre results.
There may be several reasons why the hygiene initiatives are not sticking, but the following are the most common problems seen.
Implemented protocols or systems that are overly cumbersome
As I look across the board at the various periodontal therapy programs, caries risk assessment programs, recall programs, etc., available today, you will see many different methodologies to providing care to your patients. They all have their advantages and disadvantages in regards to patient acceptance, end point results, and the financial results they bring to the practice. However, the protocols and systems that stick are the simple ones your entire team can understand and support. The ones where your team instantly jumps on board and “owns it”. The ones they can easily see how to implement into their current situation while feeling confident they can provide the best to each patient.
It is not so much about the fancy flow charts, number of codes you can charge out, or how many appointments you can fit into a day. It is all about the ability for your team to implement.
The hygiene team did not understand the goal of the initiative
Does your team know what the goal of your new protocol or system is? Do they know how it is being tracked? With every new initiative you implement into your group you need to have a way to track the success. If you are implementing a new periodontal therapy program, you need to identify the goals you have for the program, and how you will measure them (For example, Periodontal %, and Periodontal Case Acceptance). There needs to be tangible and specific data so you can monitor the success, or challenges immediately.
The group had a goal, but did not communicate it clearly
Once you identify the goal, you need to communicate that goal to your hygiene team. Be very transparent with them about the goal. If you are looking for a revenue gain, then say it and demonstrate the goal and how it will be tracked. Clarity and transparency are important in this step. Without complete transparency, you will hear your team saying things like: “I know this is all about the money.” They will question the motive and lose trust in the group. If it is about increasing revenue, than tell your hygiene team just that.
There was no follow up or follow through
How many times have you introduced something new, just to find three months later no one is doing it and no one even cares about it? This happens regularly in dental practices, and often times the team is just waiting for the new initiative to become “old news.” Do not let this happen to you! Once you train, implement and communicate your goals for your new initiative, you need to continue to keep it as a focus item at all team meetings, performance reviews, practice level conversations, etc.
If the initiative is important for patient care and business growth it should be an agenda item on every meeting. With the multiple initiatives happening within your group, you need to keep each one a focus to the team. Once you lose focus, your team will likely digress back to their old ways and it will be harder than ever to regain their commitment for future initiatives.
No mentoring or support was provided
As a practice leader, you cannot expect to train your team once and have 100 percent success across the board. Some team members will soar with the new responsibilities, while others will struggle. It is important to have a mentoring program in place for your hygiene team. One where a champion hygienist can provide feedback, support and guidance to the hygiene team. They can help the hygienist who struggles to communicate periodontal needs to a patient, or a hygienist that is constantly running behind schedule. Without mentoring, you will struggle to have long term and consistent results.
Your hygiene team is a powerful business within your group. A strong commitment to training and mentoring will yield you amazing success. Take time and strategically plan your next hygiene initiative. With a strong training plan and the right resources, you can positively impact your patients and your bottom line.
Heidi Arndt, RDH, BSDH has worked in the dental field for 18+ years. Her experience ranges from working as a treatment coordinator, dental assistant, and practice manager before graduating from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene. In 2011, Heidi founded Enhanced Hygiene. She is dedicated to helping dental practices realize their total hygiene profit potential through the development of their hygiene team, quality patient care, patient-centric service and by empowering the entire team.
