The Economics of Hygiene in America Today

"The moment I take my hands out of my patient's mouth, my income stops." Almost every dentist comes to this realization at some point in his career. And about then, many dentists start to think about investing in gold mines in hope of achieving that long-sought-after dream of passive income.

Have you ever wondered what your real profit is on your hygienists or associates? Should you paid hygienists on commission? Have you ever wondered when a hygienist can be more profitable to you than an associate?

"Doctor, your fees for this treatment plan seem awfully high to me. I called Dr. Slipshod's office down the block and they said they could do it for a lot less."

An auto mechanic changing a muffler has more control over the fees he charges than many doctors.

One of the toughest questions we face in dentistry is "How much should we raise our fees?"