Heidi Arndt, RDH, BSDH

When it comes to growing your hygiene revenue, there is one common theme many practices miss asking themselves: “Do we need to add more hygiene time?”

The tough economic times have affected all of us in some way, and for many this effect has come in the way of no pay increase in recent years. As news of a recovery and the “new economy” cross the news media, dental hygienists wonder where their recovery is.

If we described a team member who produced 30 percent of the practice revenue, was the reason more than 80 percent of new patients came into the office and from whose operatory 60 percent of restorative treatment was discovered, you may likely be thinking this is one heck of an associate and partner.

Many dentists and team members think they have a strong perio program in their practice. However, after evaluating the numbers, it becomes obvious that many hygiene programs are not as strong as they think.