Science File

Nick Coller examines how effective deployment of hygiene and therapy personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond can turn them into practice heroes.

The pandemic has forced dentistry, like many other industries, to examine profitability, resources and effective staff deployment. This has inevitably led to job losses amongst dental hygienists and therapists (DHTs).

This article focuses both on the importance of encouraging patient uptake of hygiene and therapy services during the ongoing pandemic and also as an effective means to help practices recover.

Hygiene income pays straight into the bottom line

The reality is that most DHTs, especially those solely performing hygiene services, work alone unassisted. Thus, the DHT comes with none of the associated fixed staff costs of a dental nurse.

Overheads are therefore negligible (amounting to not much more than some polish and an apron). Many self-employed DHTs even bring their own hand scalers and fitted mask.

Some … Read the rest

Chair for the Orthodontic Nation Group, Sally Dye gives us the benefits and drawbacks of both options.

Employment presents in various guises – and with this comes benefits and drawbacks. Within a working environment there are principally three categories of employment. The fully employed status, a worker and a self-employed person (www.breathehr.com).

An employed individual has entitlement to full statutory work rights while at the opposing end of the employment field. A self-employed person accrues almost no rights. In short, the biggest differences are ‘pay’ and ‘rights’.

Employed

An employed worker is seen as a permanent member of staff. They have a signed contract with no time frame. This means no end date (after an initial previously agreed probation period). Further indications of employment include specific statements of what work is, together with when it is required to take place. Also, where exactly it will take place … Read the rest