Hygienetown: How Long Should a Dental Cleaning Take?

Categories: Hygiene;
Hygienetown: How Long Should a Dental Cleaning Take?


Ask 10 dentists or hygienists how long a prophy should take, and you will get 12 different answers. A recent Dentaltown survey showed the majority, about 56 percent, schedule an hour. Another 18 percent move patients through in 30 minutes, while 12 percent aim for 45. Only a handful stretch beyond the hour. Behind those numbers lies a much bigger story about staffing shortages, patient management, and the tug-of-war between efficiency and quality.


The one-hour standard
For many hygienists, 60 minutes is non-negotiable. They argue a recall visit is more than scraping and polishing. It includes radiographs, health history updates, blood pressure, perio charting, oral cancer screening, home care education, and the doctor’s exam. For new patients or perio maintenance, some stretch to 75 or even 90 minutes, insisting that education and relationship-building are as important as instrumentation. Their warning is clear: cut the clock, and you cut quality.


The thirty-minute hustle
On the other side are those who thrive on efficiency. Assisted hygiene often drives this model. An assistant handles X-rays, polishing, notes, and turnover while the hygienist scales. Thirty to 40 minutes is seen as plenty for a healthy recall. Advocates argue patients do not want to be in the chair for an hour, and with ultrasonics and streamlined systems, they don’t need to be. Critics call it “corporate mill dentistry,” while proponents point out that some patients actually prefer being in and out quickly.


Splitting the difference
Many offices settle in the middle with 45 to 50 minutes. This keeps production reasonable while leaving breathing room for patient education as the standard, while others expand to 40 minutes and charting. Some hygienists are given discretion to schedule longer for complex cases, while others follow strict templates for predictability. Pediatrics brings its own rules. Some offices set 30 minutes across the board, while others expand to 40 if braces or behavior management are involved.


Assisted hygiene: Help or headache?

Assisted hygiene draws passionate opinions. Dentists love the efficiency and reduced exam delays. Hygienists worry about burnout, loss of patient trust, and missing the chance to educate. Some assistants lack the training to document accurately, leading to legal headaches. The consensus seems to be that assisted hygiene only works when the assistant is dedicated to hygiene and not split with other duties. Otherwise the stress outweighs the benefits.


The money factor
Looming over the whole discussion is money. Hygiene wages in many markets now range from $55 to $70 an hour while insurance reimbursements stagnate. Some dentists are scaling themselves and delegating polishing to assistants. Others push for paying hygienists on production, arguing that incentives drive efficiency. Hygienists often push back, preferring hourly wages for stability. Both sides admit the math is tight: paying a hygienist double or triple what an associate earns for the same procedure stings.


The big picture
At the end of the day, hygiene scheduling is about more than minutes on the clock. It is about practice philosophy. Fee-for-service practices often emphasize education and relationship building. High-volume PPO and pediatric practices lean on efficiency. What everyone agrees on is that hygiene is the backbone of the practice. It drives patient retention, restorative case acceptance, and long-term success.

Is hygiene scheduling really about time, or is it about philosophy. Are we measuring minutes, or are we measuring the value we bring to patients?


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