Hygienists, Dentists and Diode Lasers the Perfect Trifecta in Dentistry

Hygienists, Dentists and Diode Lasers the Perfect Trifecta in Dentistry
Friday, March 22, 2013

Hygienists are so often the diamonds in the rough.

We have long been known as the cleaning ladies (or gentlemen) of the mouth, but in the last couple decades we have made amazing strides in the industry’s perception of what and who hygienists are in the office. Many hygienists are very progressive and always looking to bring new technology into the office.

On the other hand, dentists have always been known as the producers and many times are the only recognized financial power house of the office. But hopefully these perceived roles are about to change. With technology and training today, hygienists have more opportunities than ever before to be as successful as their dentist counterparts.

When laser hygiene is introduced into the practice as a strategy to improve the periodontal health of the patients, hygiene production in the office can more than double or sometimes even triple in a year. 

In our practice we’ve experienced amazing success since the introduction of diode lasers into the hygiene department. I started using diode lasers in 2003, and I have seen a transformation beyond our wildest dreams. Not only have diode lasers changed the practice, but they have grown the practice leaps and bounds. Diode lasers have helped us get our patients healthier than ever before while also creating an internal referral network of patients sharing their experiences of successful, painless treatment at our practice.

In 2012 our hygiene department produced $1.2 million with 2½ hygienists working 4 days a week. I believe the introduction of lasers into the practice made this success inevitable.

Many dental practices have a diode laser sitting on a shelf because the office was never properly trained or it was never properly integrated into the dentist’s daily workflow. If you have a diode laser collecting dust in your practice, today is your day to make a change!  Empowering your hygienists by encouraging them to use the equipment is a great place to start making that investment pay off.

However, while laser hygiene has been a huge benefit to our practice, not every state allows hygienists to use lasers. Before creating a laser hygiene program, the first step should be checking your state bylaws to get the latest information on the eligibility of hygienists to use diode lasers in their practice of hygiene. If hygienists are permitted to use lasers in your state, getting your team trained in laser dentistry can be a great way to boost your staff’s morale and build your practice.

There are many trainers that can certify your team on site at your practice. You also can contact either the Academy of Laser Dentistry or the World Clinical Laser Institute for certification training. It is important for you to not only attend a course at a major dental meeting but also to get your dental team certified. This will not only ensure the safety of your patients, but it will give your team the confidence they need to be successful in co-diagnosis and use of the diode laser.

Hygienists who have taken a proficiency course will feel empowered and be less likely to let this great technology collect dust. Lower powered diode lasers in the hands of a trained hygienist can be used for sulcular debridement as well as for the treatment of Cold Sores, Canker sores, and many other oral lesions.

Patients with painful sores from cancer treatment also can find instant relief with laser treatment. These procedures can be amazing practice builders from internal referrals. When you get your patients out of pain, or stop an unsightly cold sore from breaking out or get it to heal immediately, patients will tell many others about the amazing painless treatment you provided.

Biostimulation for TMD pain or inflammation in the TMJ joint is the most amazing treatment to get patients out of pain, and I’ve found this can be accomplished with a laser providing at least 6 Watts of power. It is also great to have a whitening wand attachment for your laser as this can become an additional practice builder. 

Personally, I have had the privilege of using many diode lasers over the years. I’ve found that for most laser hygiene procedures it is not critical to choose a high powered laser, but if the office is going to be sharing the laser between the dentist and the hygiene team, or you are interested in providing biostimulation for paint relief, it is important to consider the power. If your existing laser is not up to these tasks, it does not make it obsolete, but it does limit the billable services that can be performed. 

If you are shopping for a new laser, it helps to know how it will be used because not all lasers are created equally. Dentists who would like to do procedures with the laser need to be aware of how important it is to have great ability to cut. Going booth to booth or registering for a laser workshop at a tradeshow to try out available lasers can be a critical step when making a laser purchasing decision. It is important to get a feel for the laser you will be purchasing because you don’t want to just bring a glorified electro-surge into your office. Instead you want to add laser technology that can promote faster healing, cut with no charring, and provide many procedures with virtually no pain.

When it is put to use on a regular basis, the diode laser can bring amazing success into a practice. Empowering the hygienist to be the lead person when it comes to researching different laser technologies can be a great start. Let the hygiene team be a part of the decision process to implement lasers, and make sure they’re involved in creating the business plan mapping out how the laser will be used in order to ensure the ROI of your investment.

We get at least 1-2 calls per week from new patients interested in our laser treatments.  I’m confident laser treatments will grow your practice and the laser will pay for itself as long as your practice markets and educates the patients about the available procedures. With the use of social media marketing, blogging and products such as Smile Reminder, DemandForce or Sesame Communications, you can blow up the phones in only a couple of days.

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