--- title: 3 Tips to Fill Your Hygiene Schedule at Your Dental Practice description: COVID-19 threw many people off their regular dental hygiene schedule. DSO Hygiene Excellence shares three tips that dental practices can take today to fill their schedules. image: https://blog.patientprism.com/hubfs/Blog/Featured%20Images/DSOHygiene-Community.png --- - [Contact](https://patientprism.com/contact/) - [Patient PrismLOGIN](https://web.patientprism.com/) [![Patient Prism | Healthcare Lead Tracking Software](https://blog.patientprism.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2024_Patient-Prism_Logo_Blue.png?width=800&height=247&name=2024_Patient-Prism_Logo_Blue.png "Patient Prism | Healthcare Lead Tracking Software")](https://blog.patientprism.com/hubfs/PP-Logo-2024.png) - Product - ![](https://patientprism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Patient-Prism-Product-Overview-@2x.png) ### [Product Overview Learn more about Patient Prism's key features and benefits](https://patientprism.com/product-overview/) - ![](https://patientprism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Patient-Prism-Case-Studies@2x.png) ### [Case Studies Learn how Patient Prism transforms dental practices](https://patientprism.com/case-studies/) - ![](https://patientprism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Patient-Prism-Dental-Practice-Customers@2x.png) ### [Customers Discover the amazing dental practices that utilize Patient Prism](https://patientprism.com/customer/) - Solutions - ### [Private Dental Practice Our software is perfect for single dental practices. 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Visit our help center for quick answers and tutorials.](https://support.patientprism.com/hc/en-us) - ![](https://patientprism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Affiliate-Program@2x.png) ### [Affiliate Program Be a part of Patient Prism's growing network of affiliates.](https://patientprism.com/affiliates-program/) - [Contact](https://patientprism.com/contact/) - [Patient Prism LOGIN](https://web.patientprism.com/) - [Schedule Demo](https://patientprism.com/schedule-demo/) Patient Prism's Dental Industry Blog Here you'll find hundreds of articles and video interviews with dental industry experts on the topics of DSO and practice growth, dental software, call-tracking technology, patient experience and artificial intelligence fueling the dental industries ability to treat more patients and change lives. - by: Christine Diehl, RDH, BS - 4 min read # [3 Tips to Fill Your Hygiene Schedule at Your Dental Practice](https://blog.patientprism.com/3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [Dental Practice Leadership](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/dental-practice-leadership) - [Multi-Practice Growth](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/multi-practice-growth) - [AI Call Intelligence (1)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/ai-call-intelligence) - [Dental Call Tracking (23)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/dental-call-tracking) - [Dental Marketing (33)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/dental-marketing) - [Dental Practice Leadership (192)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/dental-practice-leadership) - [Dental Technology (71)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/dental-technology) - [DSO (42)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/dso) - [Multi-Practice Growth (95)](https://blog.patientprism.com/topic/multi-practice-growth) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/facebook-logo%20(2).svg)Share](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.patientprism.com%2F3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/twitter%20(5).svg)Tweet](https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.patientprism.com%2F3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/linkedin-logo%20(2).svg)Post](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.patientprism.com/3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/envelope%20(1).svg)Mail](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.patientprism.com/3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) September 2020--Christine Diehl and Sarah Varney, the co-founders of DSO Hygiene Excellence, have been talking to hygienists across the country. In our Zoom call, they shared three tips that dental practices can use today to fill their Hygiene schedules.   The hygiene schedule is looking dangerously thin for many dental practices in the Fall of 2020. That’s because the general dentistry shutdown from mid-March to early June threw many people off their regular dental hygiene schedule. The people who should have had their teeth cleaned in the Spring would typically be pre-appointed to return in the Fall for their next hygiene appointment. Now, many teams are scrambling to fill the empty schedules. These three tips are excellent for coming back strong during Coronavirus and long into the future. Even though Christine Diehl and Sarah Varney focus on DSOs, these tips apply to all dental practices, whether they be a private practice, a group practice, or associated with a dental service organization (DSO).   ## Use Periodontal Guide to Staging/Grading & Treatment Hygienists Varney and Diehl created a Periodontal Guide to Staging/Grading and Treatment based on the [periodontal classifications of The American Academy of Periodontology](https://www.perio.org/sites/default/files/files/Staging%20and%20Grading%20Periodontitis.pdf). Varney said she refers to it when she’s talking to the doctor about what she’s found. “When the doctor comes in, we’re talking about where we found recession or bleeding, and where the patient fits according to the guide,” said Varney. “We’re elevating the level of patient care and moving patients from a six-month recare schedule to a three-month recare schedule to address their infection.” ## Ask Current Dental Patients to Refer Friends and Family Here’s another way to fill your schedule. Dust off your referral cards and give one to every person who comes into the practice. “A lot of practices have closed or limited their hours, so there are people who need a new dental home,” said Diehl. “We ask our current patients to let their friends and family know we’re open, we’re available, and we’re here.” ## Work Your Recare Schedule Many dental practices have been short-staffed and may not have had the resources to work their recare lists. Hygienists can help by pulling the lists, identifying the high-priority patients, and either make calls or pass along the list to the team member responsible for scheduling recare patients. ## [![A free guide for your team to reduce broken appointments on the phone.](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3321879/0e902186-ded7-4818-977b-fd3bdd95dc1f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3321879/0e902186-ded7-4818-977b-fd3bdd95dc1f) ## For More Dental Hygiene Scheduling Tips Patient Prism also asked Rachel Wall, RDH, founder of Inspired Hygiene for her tips to fill the hygiene schedule this Fall. Download Rachel Wall’s PDF of tips, [5 Ways to Avoid a Hygiene Schedule Nightmare](https://blog.patientprism.com/hubfs/Offers/5%20Ways%20to%20Avoid%20a%20Hygiene%20Schedule%20Nightmare.pdf).[![Schedule a Patient Prism Demo with Brenton Paul](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3321879/e1446252-1677-4ab5-a324-628c0b4fab63.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3321879/e1446252-1677-4ab5-a324-628c0b4fab63) ### Share Post: - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/facebook-logo%20(2).svg)Share](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.patientprism.com%2F3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/twitter%20(5).svg)Tweet](https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.patientprism.com%2F3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/linkedin-logo%20(2).svg)Post](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.patientprism.com/3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) - [![](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/envelope%20(1).svg)Mail](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.patientprism.com/3-tips-to-fill-hygiene-schedule) ##### [Previous Article](https://blog.patientprism.com/grow-dso-quickly-deca-dental) ### [How to Grow Your DSO Quickly: Lessons Learned from DECA Dental](https://blog.patientprism.com/grow-dso-quickly-deca-dental) ##### [Next Article](https://blog.patientprism.com/dso-hygiene-excellence) ### [DSO Hygiene Excellence: A Community for Dental Hygienists](https://blog.patientprism.com/dso-hygiene-excellence) ![shape](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/6464971/blog_9_wow_design/shape.svg "shape") #### Subscribe to our blog for the latest updates ![Sign Up For Patient Prism Dental Newsletter](https://blog.patientprism.com/hubfs/images/icons/Sign%20Up%20For%20Patient%20Prism%20Dental%20Newsletter.png "Sign Up For Patient Prism Dental Newsletter") By submitting this form you will be receiving our latest updates on post. 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