Dear Reader,

Every dentist knows hygiene matters. But very few understand just how much it impacts the long-term strength, stability, and valuation of their entire practice.

If you’re a mature, established dentist, especially one who may consider selling sometime in the next 5 years, your hygiene department is far more than a routine cleaning schedule. It’s the heartbeat of your practice. It’s the first indicator of drift. It’s one of the most important metrics buyers look at. And in December, when patients are motivated and the schedule is flexible, it becomes one of your most powerful tools for strengthening your numbers going into the new year.

Let’s break down why your hygiene department deserves serious attention this month.

1. Hygiene Utilization Is the Clearest Indicator of Practice Health

When I help dentists evaluate whether selling to a DSO is the right move, hygiene utilization is one of the first numbers I analyze. It tells a story, and it’s always an honest one.

Strong hygiene metrics signal:

• A healthy, engaged patient base
• Strong recall systems
• Consistent reappointments
• Predictable production
• A stable team
• Long-term patient relationships
• Solid case acceptance

Weak hygiene numbers tell a different story:

• Patient disengagement
• Production instability
• Underdiagnosing
• Team presentation issues
• Lack of systems
• Poor follow-up
• Declining practice momentum

Hygiene is not just a department it is your diagnostic tool for the entire practice.

2. DSOs Weigh Hygiene Metrics Heavily When Evaluating a Practice

If you’re entertaining the idea of selling in the next few years, here’s the reality:

Buyers see hygiene as a predictor of risk.

A strong hygiene department means:

• The patient base is active and loyal
• The schedule isn’t dependent on constant marketing
• The practice is stable regardless of short-term fluctuations
• The dentist diagnoses consistently
• The practice produces reliably
• There is little danger of sudden decline

A weak hygiene department means:

• Patient attrition is happening under the radar
• Revenue is unpredictable
• Case acceptance might be inconsistent
• Retention systems are weak
• The practice may be overvalued on paper

This is why improving hygiene metrics even slightly can significantly increase your valuation. You can’t “fake” a healthy hygiene base. You build it.

3. Hygiene Drives High-Value Dentistry If You Build the Right Systems

A well-run hygiene department doesn’t just clean teeth.

It generates:

• Diagnostic opportunities
• Case acceptance conversations
• Perio treatment
• Implant discussions
• Cosmetic consults
• Uncovering neglected issues
• Long-term treatment planning

Your hygienists are your frontline educators. They have more chair time with patients than anyone else. They build trust that directly influences whether patients say yes to treatment. Every high-value dentistry conversation, implants, cosmetic work, aligners, crown-and-bridge, begins in hygiene.

If hygiene weakens, everything weakens.

4. December Is the Perfect Time to Strengthen Hygiene Performance

December gives you advantages other months don’t:

• Patients want to use expiring benefits
• They want to finish the year “clean”
• They finally have PTO
• Parents have more flexibility with children’s schedules
• People want to feel better before holiday events
• There’s a natural urgency to tie up loose ends

This makes December the ideal month to:

• Reactivate overdue hygiene patients
• Fill holes in the hygiene schedule
• Reconfirm upcoming appointments
• Increase reappointment rates
• Educate patients on needed treatment
• Present high-value care confidently

Every hygiene visit in December is an opportunity to strengthen:

• Your production
• Your schedule
• Your case acceptance
• Your patient retention
• Your 2025 trailing 12-month numbers
• Your practice valuation

Even a small increase in hygiene visits now pays off in big ways later.

5. Underdiagnosing Often Shows Up First in Hygiene. Here’s How to Fix It

Many dentists don’t realize they’re underdiagnosing until they see the financial impact.

Symptoms include:

• Lower case acceptance
• Declining crown-and-bridge
• Fewer implant discussions
• Less perio treatment
• Hygienists not identifying early-stage issues
• Routine visits drifting toward “cleaning only”

December is the time to retrain your team:

• Clarify perio protocols
• Review diagnostic expectations
• Reinforce co-diagnosis with hygienists
• Strengthen case presentation language
• Make sure hygiene is elevating treatment conversations

A clear diagnostic protocol doesn’t just boost production, it boosts trust, engagement, and long-term patient outcomes.

6. Strong Hygiene = Strong Valuation (More Than Most Dentists Realize)

Here’s the plain truth: If your hygiene department is healthy, your practice is healthy. If your hygiene department is struggling, your practice is struggling, even if production is currently strong.

DSOs know this. Buyers know this. Bankers know this. And increasingly, dentists preparing for retirement are learning it too.

If you want leverage during a sale, if you want strong offers, if you want options, and if you want control, a strong hygiene department is one of your best assets.

7. Protect Your Future by Strengthening Hygiene Now

Whether you’re planning to sell soon or want to remain independent for years, your hygiene department deserves your attention this December.

Improving hygiene is the fastest way to:

• Boost revenue
• Increase stability
• Improve patient retention
• Strengthen case acceptance
• Raise practice valuation
• Enhance buyer confidence
• Protect everything you’ve spent decades building

A strong hygiene department is not an expense. It’s the foundation of your practice’s future. If you want clarity on your hygiene metrics or want help understanding how they impact your valuation, we’re here to guide you.

To your unstoppable success,
Your Team at Everything DSO