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Andrea Hight, Area Sales Manager for Software/Technology at Henry Schein One, joins Michelle today for a discussion about the critical role of the hygienist in improving overall health outcomes. With a dental career that boasts a strong focus on public, community health, and DSO dental models, Andrea also serves as a member of the board of directors for the National Network for Oral Health Access, Healthy Smiles for Kids, and the American Institute for Public Health Dentistry. Today, she shares her PowerPoint presentation regarding the importance of hygienists and the standardization of procedures in dental practices.
In this episode, Andrea starts the conversation by discussing the various roles she has taken on in the dental space, and then begins her presentation by looking at the triple aim of healthcare and how hygienists connect better with, and are less intimidating to, patients. She goes on to review the positive impact dental assistants bring to clinics and practices by saving time and bringing about increased revenues, and finishes off with a discussion about the importance of standardization and inventory management.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Interview starts: 8:48
– Andrea’s dental career
– What is the triple aim of healthcare?
– The important role of the hygienist in connecting with patients
– How dental assistants bring increased revenue to practices
– Comparing the single column schedules with and without dental
assistants
– How to manage the work environment to boost productivity
– The global treatment paradigm
– 5 benefits of standardization
– Why you need an actual patient flow
– The importance of inventory management
QUOTES:
“I’m simply very passionate about the importance of oral health as part of overall health.”
“We’re looking at making the patient experience more meaningful, making doing so cost-effective, and helping the patients become healthier at exactly the same time.”
“You’ve got great skills, why squander those skills when you can really enhance the impact you can have?”
“Patients often find the hygienists to be less intimidating than the dentist, which supports more open communication, relationship building, and divulging of important health information.”
“DryShields do not replace dental assistants.”
“The end result of good planning with workflow in a dental assistant is you get to see more patients, you get to give them focused care, and the practice or program benefits with increased revenue, which more than offsets the cost of giving you a dental assistant.”
“Chronic little frustrations can be as hard on your system as a big stressor. In fact, chronic little stresses can be harder on you than a big stressor.”
“My first recommendation is that all rooms should be usable for everything. This enables you to adapt.”
“Be intentional about how the patient is from the moment the patient walks through the door into the clinic, through the clinic.”
“Applying evidence-based research and best practices are really valuable when you’re determining materials.”
“It’s amazing how many instructors are actually not training students to use the product according to the manufacturer’s instructions.”
LINKS:
A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast
A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage
