Hygiene production

Hygiene production is the dollar total the hygiene department produces on its own (prophies, perio maintenance, hygiene exams and the fluoride and X-rays that ride along with them) tracked separately from the doctor's restorative and cosmetic production. It matters for two reasons: it is usually the most predictable, recurring revenue in the practice, and it is the engine that finds new treatment, since a hygienist who is actually looking is the first person to spot the crown, the perio pocket or the watch that needs a decision.

A "busy but broke" hygiene department is one of the more common diagnoses in a practice review: the schedule is full of cleanings, but production per hygiene hour is low because exams are rushed, findings aren't flagged for the doctor, or the reappointment rate is soft enough that the recare base is quietly shrinking. Hygiene production per hour is the number that exposes that gap; a full schedule and low production per hour rarely coexist without a reason.

Track it against a per-hour target, not just a monthly total, and check it alongside the hygiene reappointment rate: the two together tell you whether the department is protecting the future of the practice or just filling a room.