4 Key Strategies for a Successful Dental Hygiene Salary Negotiation

Author Doug Perry                                   gethiredrdh.com

Salary negotiation, whether you are dental hygienist or a school teacher, makes everyone a little squeamish, and yet we use many of the basic principles in the normal course of a day without even realizing it.

So whether you are negotiating a better salary with your current boss or looking to improve an offer from a new employer, it may not be as tough or foreign as you think.

Here are four steps to a successful dental hygiene salary negotiation:

1. Decide It

Studies show women are more reluctant than men to negotiate a salary. So a dental hygienist (more than 95% of all hygienists are women) on the fence should just do it. Obviously, there are instances when you wouldn’t do it that’s why I said “on the fence.” But if you are undecided then go for it.

An annual review of performance and salary may not be something your employer prefers or agrees to. But certainly, if you have not received a raise in more than two or three years you really owe it to yourself to approach the subject with your boss if for no other reason than to remind them of the value you bring to the practice.

2. Plan It

Salary negotiation isn’t something you do without some research and planning. You will increase your odds of success if you take your time to develop a clear and focused plan. There are lots of factors to consider such as, the average wage in your area, what kinds of successes (or failings) you have had recently, how much experience you have, patient load, economic conditions for the employer, and other benefits that might interest you along with or in place of a simple wage increase.

Do some research and have a clear, intentional plan and goals (both short and long-term) that are part of it. At GetHiredRDH.com, I have posted historical dental hygiene salary data for every state in the US – this along with other resources, are valuable in planning your negotiation strategy.

3. Time It

The old mantra “timing is everything” is very true for salary negotiation. Let’s face it, as nice as your boss or new boss may seem, everyone has a bad day and even if you have carefully planned out your moment for negotiating, you may need to be prepared to retreat for a bit to improve your odds.

There are other considerations associated with timing, such as if the office recently gave you a bonus – that’s probably a bad time. Or, if the employer just invested in a bunch in new equipment (hoping to improve or maintain patient retention) – probably not ideal either.

If you are only one of several candidates for the job, don’t even get into salary discussions unless asked. And if asked, you can give them a range, but keep it vague or wide.

Most employers want to know if they are in the ballpark with you on it, so one way is to just simply respond pleasantly with, “I’m aware of what most hygienists make in this area and am comfortable that we can agree on an appropriate figure. But, I’m interested in sharing with you what I can do to become an asset to the practice first.”

4. Negotiate It

You’ve decided to do it, you have a plan, and the timing is right. Now what?

Salary negotiation is all about win-win. If either you or the employer feels like they tipped too far in one direction, one of you won’t be happy and that’s not a good long-term position to be in (and it usually results in parting ways sooner rather than later).

So, yes, you can and should expect to get something more than your offer or what you currently make, but they have to feel good about it, too.

Win-win can mean lots of different things, some of which can be psychological. Maybe an employer is glad they only have to give up a $1/hour more to you to keep you around because you have bonded with the patients.

Or maybe, you have won by drawing attention to the fact that you feel underpaid and there’s now a solid plan in place for regular salary adjustments going forward (even if not right now). Those are victories and even if they seem small will lead to more victories in the future for both of you.

So, let’s get down to a few simple tactics that will help you achieve a win for yourself.

• Before you make your proposed amount, and from your research, be ready to share with them the “why” – three or four specific things you have done to bring value to practice. Share actual examples of the time a certain patient raved about their experience with you, or how you were able to save the practice money.

Always share these before you give them your request. This is true for a job offer, too. Reiterate the things that make you value and specific examples.

• Ask for a little more than what you would be happy with. That gives you room to move on it. Employers want to know an employee is flexible – it’s a good omen for them coming to an agreement with you that is acceptable for both.

• Have several concessions ready to go. These are other things such as some paid holidays or sick days, a bonus program, or maybe it’s paid training or association membership fees. Just know ahead of time some things that may not be quite as good as a salary bump, but that will make life better for you and that might be easier for the employer to accept.

• Don’t be afraid to counter their offer. You don’t want to go back and forth more than a few times, but it’s generally acceptable to start with the big ask, then work your way down to smaller things (the concessions).

• Give their final offer space to breath. What I mean by that is once they give you their final offer, pause – make it look like you are thinking. Sometimes that little pause (of even a few awkward seconds) can actually compel them to offer a little more on the spot.

Then, after you have paused, tell them you would like to consider it and come back to them in say 24 hours. Most employers will agree to that. But that space gives you time to properly consider it and it actually causes them to re-think their position as well and sometimes they will come back prepared to offer a little more still.

And if all you do is come back and agree to their final offer – they will feel as though they got a big win (and that will help you in the future).

Final Advice

Always maintain a high level of professionalism and even give them a “thank you” note when it’s settled – even if you didn’t get as much as you wanted. It also doesn’t hurt to request it in writing, particularly for promises that are made in the future (future reviews or increases based on some measurement).

Salary negotiation can seem a little scary and worrisome, but if you have done your homework, have a plan, get the timing right, and engage in a thoughtful conversation over it you should feel confident.

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Doug and Tracie Perry run the popular website gethiredrdh.com where the have helped thousands of dental hygienists land a great dental hygiene job.  

Oral Hygiene Education Week- WINNERS!

Thank you everyone for being part of Hygiene Edge's first Oral Hygiene Education Week! We've loved sharing tricks to help how you educate patients a little different and better. The winner's of our OHE Packets are:

Please email hygieneedge@gmail.com with your contact info!

Oral Hygiene Education Week- White Lab Jackets

What you wear to work matters and effects both you and your patient. Wearing a white lab coat has a positive effect on both.

1. Wearing a white lab coat portrays trust, respect and confidence in you from the patient. Do you think you'd be asked if you have a degree or went to school to be a hygienists if you were wearing a white lab coat? Though there is not officially a study at this time, we've heard from office's experiences that case acceptance goes up when a dentist and a dental hygienist goes up when they wear white lab coats. 

2. Studies show that when healthcare professionals wear white, they act different. They are more confident, and take pride in their profession. Who wouldn't want more confidence in treating patients and changing their oral and overall heath?

If you decide to only make one difference in your OHE routine, we recommend adding a white lab jacket. How you feel and how you act will trickle down to many different aspects of your hygiene practice.

Oral Hygiene Education- Educating about Perio

Educating a patient that presents with periodontal disease is rewarding, but can also be challenging. This patient usually hasn't been to see a hygienist regularly and can be apprehensive about being in the dental chair. Here are some tips to help:

1. Take your time with educating these patients. Use charts, pictures, and explain the procedure. If your office protocol doesn't allow you to reschedule perio patients when they are assessed, come up with some good talking points like how beneficial this extra education is to the patient, and have an educated discussion with your employer. These patients need the extra education time to know how important treatment is, and will increase case acceptance once they do. Show the patient radiographs and talk about the disease process. Treat this patient as if it was yourself- if you went to the doctor and were diagnosed with a disease that you knew nothing about, wouldn't you want to know the process of treatment, the outcomes, and the post op instructions?

2.  Ditch the word "Deep Cleaning". We've had patients ask- "Don't you always do a deep cleaning?" We do! Instead of "deep cleaning", maybe introduce the phrase "Gum infection therapy".

3. In this age of implants and bridges, patient's aren't nervous to loose their teeth as they once were since there as so many reliable ways to replace them. Instead of telling patients that this disease could cause them to loose their teeth, tell them they are loosing important bone in their jaw that is needed to place implants.

4. When explaining pocket depths and bleeding, avoid "I found..." Instead, say "You presented with" or "You have." It takes the responsibly of the disease off you and back on the patient.

Periodontal disease can have great results and high case acceptance with great patient education. How do YOU help explain periodontal disease to patients? 

Check back tomorrow for more OHE tips and tricks!

Oral Hygiene Education Week- Products We Love

There are hundreds of dental products on the market with new ones being launched every week. These are some of the products we like recommending right now. 

1. CloSYS- CloSYS makes mouthrinse, toothpaste, and oral spray, but we tend to recommend the mouthrinse mainly. It is an mild alcohol-free rinse perfect for patients with dry mouth, but due to it's stable chlorine dioxide, it is perfect for bad breathe in these patients. New studies are showing that it is almost as effective(a) than Chlorahexadine but with little side effects. The original has very little flavor so patient acceptance is high with CloSYS.

2. Interdental Aids- Hygienists love to talk about floss. It's all about the floss! However, there are so many great interdental aids on the market and honestly, lots of patients would benefit from these more than traditional floss. Right now, we love recommending Gumchucks to our patients have have a hard time wrapping floss around a tooth like teens and ortho patients. They even have an autoclavable handled set for dental professionals to use in the office.

3.  Xylitol- Xylitol can be recommended for many types of patients- dry mouth, teens, kids, orthodontic patients, even new moms. A recent study (b) showed that if a new mom chewed 3 pieces of xylitol gum a day, the bacteria transfer between her and her baby was lowered and less decay was present at age 5. Since most people chew gum, this is an easy way to have mothers help their babies with minimal effort.

Though these are the products we love right now, they many change in a few months as new products are developed. Keep an eye on the market, walk down the dental aisle at the grocery store every so often, and have reps come to your office and give lunch and learns to stay up on the latest and greatest to help your patients.

What do YOU like to recommend to your patients?

(a) Drake, D.: An In Vitro Comparative Study Determining Bactericidal Activity of Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide and Other Oral Rinses. J Clin Dent 22: 1-5, 2011. - See more at: http://www.dentaltown.com/dentaltown/article.aspx?aid=3213#sthash.8USXLQFF.dpuf

(b) Nakai, Y., et al., Xylitol gum and maternal transmission of mutans streptococci. J Dent Res, 2010. 89(1): p. 56-60. - Moms chewed xylitol gum 3x day and it decreased caries in children.

Oral Hygiene Education- Tiny Habits

Asking a patient to go from never brushing to brushing two times a day for two minutes seems impossible to both you and them! When we have patients that need a huge habit change, we actually start with tiny habits. BJ Fogg tells how to start tiny habits, and soon they will become big habits. It's worth a try it for some patients!

Oral Hygiene Education Week- Questions

After a great introduction and the patient is seated in your operatory, there are a few rules to follow to make a great connection and have education run smoothly throughout the appointment.

1. Start with the 1 minute rule. Build rapport in the first one minute of the appointment. Talk about anything positive that isn't related to dental hygiene or health, like if they have summer plans or what they like to do for fun. Try to ask open ended questions to keep the conversation moving and natural. If you're seeing a new patient, ask any question that doesn't talk about religion, politics, or controversial current events. If it's an established patient, look back at notes from last appointment and follow up with what was previously talked about.

2. Next, move onto home care questions. Again, ask questions that don't have a "yes" or " no answer. For example, try to avoid asking "How's your brushing?". Instead, ask "How many time's a day have you been brushing?" or "What do you use to clean in between your teeth and how often to do you use?" We find that while taking radiographs is a perfect time to ask this questions so you have a sense of what your patient may present  intraorally. It also will give you insight on how much the patient knows or even cares of what going on in their mouth and overall health.

3. While probing is a perfect time to talk about inflammation and the disease process that may be occurring subgingivally. One way of doing this is explaining what probing is before you start, and what the numbers mean. Also mention that greater than 5mm pockets and bleeding means there's a disease present. Disease is a huge motivating word for patients. That's exactly what it is, so we might as well be honest! Then as you probe, call out the numbers, even if you chart them yourself. This will let the patient know exactly where their level of disease is. The majority of the time if a patient has pocketing, they'll ask what needs to be done next as soon as the charting is complete, or even after the first deep pocket is called out. 

Now that the ground work is in place for your OHE, we can get into the actual education part!

Don't forget to come back each day this week! We'll be talking about products, habits, and much more!

Oral Hygiene Education Week- When Does OHE Start?

One of the questions that often gets brought up is when oral hygiene education should be started. Should it begin after the probe depths are recorded, after the diagnosis has been made, or after the prophy appointment is almost complete?

Our answer to this question is:

OHE starts in the waiting room!

What does this mean? From the very first second that you meet your patient, OHE has technically started. The patient determines from the first few minutes of meeting you if you are trustworthy and educated, or if you are just there to "polish" their teeth. This first few introduction minutes are critical to gain credibility with the patient. So make those minutes count! Make sure you are wearing clean scrubs, clean shoes, and your hair is off your face. Make sure jewelry minimal. And make sure you are wearing a white lab jacket! We'll talk more about lab jackets this week, but they can make a huge impression on patients. Second, no cattle calling in the waiting room. Treat the patient like a person. If you have never met a patient before, look up their photo or their birthday so you know generally who you will be looking for in the waiting room. Approach them, smile, and shake their hand. Direct them back to your operatory instead of running away from them and hoping they follow you along.

These little steps will help your oral hygiene education and will show your patient that what you are educating them on will help their health.

Do YOU have a favorite method of bringing patients from the waiting room to the op? Let us know below!

Stay tuned for more OHE tips throughout the week!

Oral Hygiene Education Week

We loved being able to talk to Hygienists at our Continuing Education course last week. We loved it so much, we wanted to share it every dental hygienist. For the next week, we'll be posting little tips and tricks to help your oral hygiene education practice in your offices. And to kick off the week, why not start with a giveaway? We'll be giving away 3 of the sample packs that were given away at the meeting!

Packet includes: 1 Orabrush, 1 package of Xyloburst mints, Xyloburst lollipops, Xyloburst gum samples, Closys sample package, and 1 Xyloburst oral rinse.

To enter, tell us in the comments below your favorite Oral Hygiene Education analogy you tell your patients, or your favorite product to recommend. 

Don't forget to check each day for new tips to improve your OHE!

Dentist in the Lions Den

A few weeks ago, the news feed on my phone showed the title, “Dentist Kills Protected Lion.” Of course, I was saddened by the loss of Cecil the Lion but found it very interesting that they used the word, “dentist.” Why not put man, or person instead? On the American Dental Association's website the first sentence stated is, “The dental profession holds a special position of trust within society.”  We as dental professionals have an obligation to uphold this code of conduct in all aspects of our lives. Obviously a person who holds a position of trust in society makes for a more appealing headline.  Many have spring-boarded off this topic to create a platform for bigger issues at hand, such as border control and abortion.

I  too am jumping on the bandwagon and am saying that there is an oral health care crisis in America, folks. Yes, dentists make lots of money; that is the healthcare system that we live in. High quality care at a cost. Dentists do put in the time and money to provide a specific skill set and they should be awarded proper compensation for such. However, while dentists are making money on those who can afford it, there are many out there who don’t have access to care.  Have you seen America’s Dental Care Crisis video on PBS? If not, check it out. 

Another recent article called "Why Are Dentists So Darn Rich” brought up some interesting points about the dental system in America. It mentions the different models that are up and coming in the dental field. Letting the public know about them creates more acceptance for them. This is the way of the future. It is happening.

Daily, I see comments on Dental Hygiene Facebook groups from hygienists stating that the market is flooded, and so many new schools are opening. Jobs seem scare, but what about all of those projections that this is a fast growing field and one of the top careers to choose from?

Systems are changing in every level of health care to increase access to care making it more affordable and available to all. One shift occurring in the dental hygiene field is expansion of hygienists supervision, roles and duties. I always see a place for us in the traditional dental office but, in addition, I see our future in independent practices, such as in Colorado. I also see us being hired by hospitals and nursing homes to provide preventive care. This means JOBS. The process of change is long but we have to start somewhere. Get involved in your local chapters to start, and become a member of the American Dental Hygiene Association.  Help get laws passed that will help bridge the gap in this crisis. As baby boomers are aging, our communities will start to see the need and changes WILL be made.

Cecil's death was a great loss but as a result, it has opened the eyes of many to other issues surrounding us, one of those being letting Americans know that people deserve to have better access to quality dental care. Where do you see the future of dental hygiene employment?