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.
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