As the owner of your own dental practice, you’re responsible for everything that goes on at your business. You also can’t do it all on your own. You have to establish a good team around you, including dental hygienists. The field of dental hygienists is exploding—with the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating the total pool of hygienists working in the profession will increase by about 20 percent from 2016 to 2026. Bryant Consultants wants to make sure you find the best team possible to work for you, so look for these five qualities that separate a great dental hygienist from the rest.
- A good attitude – Technical skill is important from a dental hygienist, but it’s not the only key quality. You want your hygienists to have a positive attitude. That means staying open-minded. The field of dentistry is always evolving and changing. A great dental hygienist is always going to show a willingness to learn, grow, and change—even if the process is uncomfortable at times.
- Being prepared – Preparation goes a long way in life. A great hygienist is going to review patient records before an appointment to have as much knowledge as possible. Before a patient even arrives, the hygienist should already know what services they’re due for, be aware of their medical history, and also be knowledgable of the patient’s treatment history.
- Believing – There are many dentists out there, but your practice is unique. You offer services the others don’t, or maybe you have a unique area of specialization as compared to your competitors. You want your dental assistants and dental hygienists to be able to promote these services during regular appointments. But any offers made to your patients are going to ring hollow if your hygienist doesn’t believe in the services being recommended. Or, if they don’t think those procedures are in the best interest of your patients.
- Embracing new innovation – As we mentioned earlier, the field of dentistry is always evolving. Part of owning a thriving practice is to remain proactive and progressive when it comes to adding new techniques and technology to keep your business at the forefront of the industry. Your hygienists should be willing to embrace new tools and services. That means being open to training, and never being afraid to ask questions or ask for help.
- Being a team player – It probably stays pretty busy at your practice each workday—or you hope it is. A great dental hygienist is willing to step in and lend a hand and keep workflow running at its peak. That means helping out on whatever is needed, whenever it might be needed.
Coaching for Dental Hygienists
Bryant Consultants offers coaching programs geared specifically for your hygienists. These training programs are available on plans of six or 12 months to help your team continue to perform at their best. The services offered by Bryant Consultants can help you refine your vision, establish goals, and set processes in place to evolve your business. Contact us by calling (877) 768-4799. We provide consultation, training, and coaching to help improve the operations of your practice so that you can provide exceptional results to your patients. No office is out of reach for us. We will even come to you!