Alright, folks. Let’s talk about the unsung heroes of your dental practice—your hygiene department & dental hygiene production goals. That’s right, the department often seen as a necessary evil, slogging through cleanings and recall appointments. But here’s the kicker: your hygiene department can (and should) be a total profit center. Yup, a lean, mean, revenue-generating machine that keeps your practice thriving and your patients grinning like Cheshire cats.
So, how do you level up your hygiene department? How do you hit those ambitious dental hygiene production goals and maybe even smash them? Spoiler alert: it’s not about cramming more patients into your already packed schedule. It’s about working smarter, not harder.
Let’s dig in—with some humor, sass, and a ton of actionable tips, of course.
The Hygiene Department as a Profit Center
Think of your hygiene department as the heart of your practice. It’s not just about scraping tartar or reminding patients to floss (you know they won’t). It’s about keeping patients healthy, loyal, and coming back regularly, while also feeding your treatment pipeline.
Here’s the secret sauce:
- Recurring Revenue: Membership programs are your golden goose (more on that in a second).
- Upselling Preventive Services: Sealants, fluoride treatments, and perio maintenance aren’t just good for patients—they’re great for your bottom line.
- Patient Retention: Happy, healthy patients = loyal patients who show up (and spend).
If your hygiene department isn’t raking in profits, you’re leaving money on the table.
Launch and Scale a Patient Membership Program
Let’s get real: insurance sucks. It’s confusing, limiting, and often leaves patients feeling like they’re paying more for less. Enter: your in-house membership program.
Membership programs solve two massive problems:
- They attract uninsured patients who might otherwise avoid your office like the plague.
- They create recurring revenue that you can count on, month after month, year after year.
How Does This Tie Into Hygiene?
Glad you asked. Membership patients are more likely to book regular hygiene appointments, accept preventive treatments, and stick with your practice long-term. This means more revenue for your hygiene department—and the rest of your practice.
Why Recurring Revenue is the Bee’s Knees
Let’s break down the magic of recurring revenue. Imagine this: you’ve got 1,563 patients paying $40/month for your membership plan.
- MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue): $62,520
- ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue): $750,240
That’s money hitting your bank account before a single patient even sits in your chair. Plus, these membership patients spend 2–4X more on treatments compared to insurance-dependent patients.
The Power of BoomCloud™
Managing a membership program manually? Nah, that’s so 2005. Enter BoomCloud™, your all-in-one tool for launching, scaling, and managing a profitable patient membership program.
BoomCloud™ Benefits:
- Automates billing and tracking.
- Integrates seamlessly with your website for easy patient enrollment.
- Sends reminders and updates via SMS to keep patients engaged.
With BoomCloud™, scaling your membership program from 20 patients to 2,000 isn’t a pipe dream—it’s a proven strategy.
Case Study: Dr. Awesome’s Membership Plan Success
Dr. Awesome (name changed for dramatic effect) started with a small membership program—just 78 patients. Fast forward two years, and they’ve scaled to 1,563 active members paying $40/month.
Here’s what they achieved with BoomCloud™:
- MRR: $62,520
- ARR: $750,240
- Patient Loyalty: Membership patients visited more frequently and spent 3X more on elective services like whitening and perio treatments.
Dr. Awesome didn’t just meet their hygiene production goals—they obliterated them.
Strategies for a Profitable Hygiene Department
1. Preventive is Profitable
Upsell preventive services like fluoride treatments, perio maintenance, and sealants. These are high-margin services that also benefit your patients. Win-win.
2. Boost Case Acceptance
Membership patients trust your team more and are more likely to say “yes” to recommended treatments. Educate them during hygiene visits and watch case acceptance rates soar.
3. Maximize Chair Time Efficiency
Don’t just fill your schedule—optimize it. Use tools like BoomCloud™ to stagger memberships and ensure steady patient flow.
4. Offer Dental Warranties
Partner with a provider like Dental Warranty to offer patients peace of mind. It’s a simple upsell that boosts hygiene production and builds loyalty.
5. Market Your Membership Program Like a Pro
Run targeted marketing campaigns to attract uninsured patients and small businesses. Highlight the savings, convenience, and VIP perks of your program.
Adding Services for Extra Revenue
Your hygiene department isn’t limited to cleanings and X-rays. Expand your offerings with:
- In-House Whitening Programs: Subscription whitening services are the gift that keeps on giving.
- Botox: Yes, Botox. It’s not just for wrinkles—think TMJ relief and facial aesthetics.
- Sleep Apnea Treatments: Invest in screening tools and CPAP alternatives for a whole new revenue stream.
The Bottom Line
If you want to crush your dental hygiene production goals, you need to think beyond the basics. Launching a patient membership program is the ultimate game-changer, and tools like BoomCloud™ make it easy to scale and manage.
With recurring revenue, patient loyalty, and a pipeline full of treatments, your hygiene department will go from zero to hero in no time. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get scrappy, make it happen, and turn your hygiene department into the profit center it was always meant to be.
