▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5Ru9aNk5_M
📥 Free Resource 1: https://mydentalplaybook.com/courses/ce-series/patient-financing/
📥 Free Resource 2:
https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/three-models-one-standard
📥 Free Resource 3:
http://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-reappointment-script-card
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
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Can a hygiene department still be profitable in 2026?
Between rising wages, staffing shortages, PPO reimbursement pressure, and growing overhead, many practice owners believe the hygiene model is broken. But what if the real problem isn't hygiene... It's how your practice is designed?
In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin, Dr. Andrew Vallo, Dr. Collin Myrick, and Gary Bird compare three completely different practice models, including fee-for-service, PPO, multi-location, and rural practices, to reveal the systems they use to build productive hygiene departments that fuel long-term growth.
Whether you're struggling to hire hygienists, wondering how much to pay, trying to improve retention, or debating whether hygiene should even be profitable, this conversation will challenge what you've been told and give you practical strategies you can implement immediately.
🔍In this episode, you'll learn:
📌 Should hygiene be a profit center or a patient acquisition strategy?
📌 The KPI that predicts long-term practice growth better than almost any other metric
📌 Why some practices hire hygienists before they actually need them
📌 How top-performing practices structure hygienist compensation and bonus plans
📌 The biggest mistakes owners make with hygiene scheduling and retention
📌 Why reappointment rate may be more valuable than new patient volume
📌 How three successful practices use completely different business models to grow
📌 The systems that help practices keep hygienists engaged while improving production
If you're frustrated by rising payroll, empty hygiene schedules, or declining profitability, this episode will help you rethink what's possible.
🎙️ Dr. Andrew Vallo's Podcast: Check out Dr. Vallo's podcast for more practice growth strategies. 👉 https://dentalunfilteredpodcast.com/
This is Episode 5 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5Ru9aNk5_M
Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service
⬇️GUESTS INFO⬇️
Dr. Andrew Vallo: CEO/Founder at Starlight Dental Management
Website: https://starlightdentaloffices.com/
Dr. Collin Myrick: Dentist/Owner of DFS Dental
Website: https://defuniakspringsfamilydental.com/
What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction and overview of practice models
04:00 Dr. Blake's perspective on hygiene in 2026
05:05 Andrew Vallo on managing hygiene across multiple practices
07:50 Hygiene as a volume game and loss leader
08:18 Dr. Collin Myrick on his practice size and model
11:15 The importance of patient education and insurance barriers
12:46 The success of different practice models in hygiene management
15:27 Strategies to make hygiene work: compensation and incentives
20:11 Current hygiene strategies and future improvements
22:30 KPIs and team incentives for hygiene success
25:30 Advice for single or small practices on hygiene models
30:23 Final thoughts on hygiene and active patient count
38:37 Leadership and autonomy in dental hygiene teams
🎧 Listen on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc
🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped
🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D
🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.
⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin: Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin
🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird
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