Hello Friends,

October is National Dental Hygiene Month – This is the time of the year when we celebrate the work our awesome dental hygienists do (which is way more than just “clean teeth”), and we help raise awareness of the importance of good oral health.

Here are some tips and ideas to help you get the celebration started…

Hygienist Appreciation Spotlight

During the month of October introduce your hygienist(s) on your social media platforms. Share a photo and some fun facts.

Celebrate your amazing hygienists all month long (they deserve it!).

Special Shout Out – Ask your patients’ to leave a review/recommendation for their favorite hygienist on Google or Facebook.

Set your Hygienists Up for Success – Make sure that your hygienist(s) have the supplies, instruments, tools, equipment, technology, and systems they need to properly care for their patients.

The Daily 4 – Talk to your patients about the importance of practicing The Daily 4

Four steps that lead to a healthy smile:

1. Brush: Using a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste – Brush your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day.
2. Floss: Floss between your teeth once a day to remove plaque that brushing your teeth fails to remove.
3. Rinse: Rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash helps to reach the bacteria that brushing, and flossing cannot.
4. Chew: Chewing sugar-free gum after a meal will help produce saliva, which fights cavities, neutralizes plaque, strengthens enamel, and cleans food debris from teeth.

Social Media Post Content Ideas to Boost Patient & Community Engagement During October

All month-long share posts and/or short videos on your social media platforms regarding the importance of regular preventive dental wellness visits.  

Video Topic Ideas:

• Proper Brushing Techniques
• Electric or Manual Toothbrush – Which one is best
• How to Floss
• Benefits of Sealants
• How to choose toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.
• Good Snacks Bad Snacks
• How Fluoride treatments benefit children and adults!
• What to do about bad breath

Dental Hygiene Photo Slideshow – Create a photo slideshow of your hygienists and/or team practicing what they preach when it comes to caring for their smiles… for example, brushing their teeth(manual and electric toothbrush, how much toothpaste, etc.), flossing (using floss, water flosser, or floss pick), rinsing w/mouthwash, etc. Have fun with the photos. Share the photo slideshow on your Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business platforms.

World Smile Day: 6th – Invite your patients to share pictures of themselves, their family, and/or their pets smiling on your Facebook page to be entered into a drawing to win a prize.  Goal: fill FB & IG newsfeeds with happy smiles!

Photo Backdrop & Smiley Props – Set up a photo area for your team and patients to take pictures to celebrate World Smile Day. Share to Google My Business, Facebook, and Instagram

Please follow and say hello to me on  Facebook and/or  Instagram

Child-friendly offices –

Kids’ Goal Setting Week: 1st – 7th – Share ideas for dental hygiene goals for children.  For example, for your young patients, design a hand-out that includes a toothbrushing chart to track their daily brushing progress. You could even have a fun gift that they can enter to win by turning in their completed brushing chart to the office at the end of the month.

Hygiene Department Management Tip

Hygiene Re-Appointments – The best way to keep your patients active is to be sure to reappoint them for their next hygiene continuing care visit when they are there at the office and still in the treatment room.

Also, help more of your patients say yes to your treatment recommendations and have them reserve their appointment at the time treatment is diagnosed and presented to them. 

This is important if you want to reduce patient attrition and reduce the amount of money and time spent trying to reach these patients later on down the road.

Wishing you all a wonderful dental hygiene month!

I would love and truly appreciate it if you would please take a second and share a review/recommendation for me on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK Thank you very much!!!

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty (Dental Coach)

P.S. Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. This way, you won’t miss a single idea