Over the past few years, dental hygiene wages have seen a significant increase—driven by workforce shortages, cost-of-living hikes, and high demand for experienced clinicians. While hygienists are invaluable to any practice, the rising cost of staffing can start to eat into profitability if not managed carefully.

So the big question is:
How do you manage your hygiene department in a way that supports your team AND protects your bottom line?

Let’s dive into strategies that allow you to run a productive, efficient, and profitable hygiene department, even with rising wages.

1. Know the Numbers: Hygiene Should Be a Profit Center

Your hygiene department isn’t just a preventive service—it’s a primary revenue driver and the backbone of long-term patient retention.

As a general rule, each hygienist should produce 3x their hourly wage to be profitable. For example, if you’re paying a hygienist $50/hour, they should be generating at least $150/hour in production.

Tip: Pull hygiene production per provider and per hour reports regularly to track this.

If your hygiene department isn’t hitting that benchmark, it’s time to reassess the schedule, services, or systems.

2. Optimize the Schedule for Efficiency and Value

To make the most of your hygiene team’s time, consider:

Block Scheduling

• Prioritize higher-production procedures like perio maintenance or scaling & root planing during certain blocks.

• Avoid back-to-back low-value appointments when possible.

Add Assisted Hygiene

If you have a high patient volume, consider adding hygiene assistants. This allows your hygienist to focus on clinical care while an assistant handles x-rays, room turnover, charting, and more—increasing production per hour without burnout.

Reduce Open Time

Even a few open hours per week add up quickly. Implement:

• Text and email confirmations

• Short-notice fill lists

• Reactivation systems for overdue patients

3. Maximize Services Offered in Hygiene

Many hygiene appointments leave money on the table because only the basics are performed. With training and systems in place, you can add:

• Fluoride treatments (Code D1206 – even for adults with sensitivity or recession)

• Oral cancer screenings

• Sealants for adults at risk

• Perio charting and SRP when appropriate

• Diagnostic photos for case acceptance

These services boost patient outcomes—and significantly improve profitability.

4. Encourage Enrollment in Periodontal Maintenance

Many patients with chronic gingivitis or early-stage periodontitis are kept on prophy intervals when they actually need periodontal therapy.

Train your hygiene team to:

• Properly diagnose perio conditions

• Educate patients on the medical connection and long-term risks

• Transition them to D4346 or D4910 codes when clinically appropriate

Perio maintenance appointments are longer, more valuable, and medically necessary—and they prevent patients from bouncing in and out of disease.

5. Tighten Up Insurance Utilization

Hygiene is a high-volume, insurance-driven department. Make sure your team is:

• Coding properly (e.g., not billing a D1110 when D4910 is more accurate)

• Tracking insurance frequency and benefits

• Pre-authorizing SRPs or adjunctive services when needed

This reduces claim denials, improves collections, and increases trust with patients who want clarity.

6. Boost Hygiene-Driven Treatment Acceptance

Your hygiene team is on the front line of identifying restorative and cosmetic needs. Train them to:

• Take diagnostic photos of cracked teeth, failing fillings, or cosmetic concerns

• Start the conversation about treatment BEFORE the doctor comes in

• Use language that connects treatment to long-term health, not just problems

This leads to better patient education and higher same-day or future case acceptance.

7. Adjust Fees Accordingly (And Review PPO Contracts)

If hygiene wages in your area are rising, your fees may need to rise too—especially if they haven’t been adjusted in years.

• Review and update your UCR fees annually

• Analyze which PPOs are underpaying for hygiene services

• Negotiate higher reimbursements (especially on codes like D1110, D4910, D4341/2)

• Drop or phase out low-paying plans that don’t support your cost structure

Remember: It’s not your job to subsidize poor insurance reimbursements with lost profits.

8. Keep Hygienists Engaged with Metrics and Ownership

Empower your hygiene team to be part of the solution. Share production goals, KPIs, and growth strategies with them in a positive, supportive way.

Involve them in:

• Setting department goals

• Creating reactivation campaigns

• Patient education strategies

When hygienists see themselves as producers and educators, not just technicians, they’re more invested in the health of the practice—and their own success.

The Bottom Line

Yes, hygiene wages are up—but that doesn’t mean your profits have to go down. With the right systems, training, and team mindset, your hygiene department can be both a patient care powerhouse and a profit-driving engine.

It's not about cutting costs—it’s about increasing value.
Your patients win. Your hygienists win. And your practice thrives.

Benjamin Tuinei

Founder - Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
Phone: 888-808-4513

Services:
PPO Fee Negotiators | PPO Fee Negotiating | Insurance Fee Negotiating
Insurance Credentialing | Insurance Verifications

Websites:
www.VeritasDentalResources.com | www.VerusDental.com