Almost an equal number of dental hygienists are divided between saying production in their offices is "steady" as opposed to "slipping slightly." The survey, which was posted in the July 25 issue of RDH eVillage, drew 312 responses.
The survey was sparked in part by a Dental Economics survey that indicated a 25 percent drop in dental hygiene production from May 2008 to June 2008. RDH eVillage asked its readers if a decline in production was noticeable:
• 117 readers (38 percent) said dental hygiene production in their offices "remains steady."
• 112 readers (36 percent) said production "has slipped slightly."
• 41 readers (13 percent) said production "continues to increase."
• 35 readers (11 percent), however, indicated that hygiene production "has dropped dramatically."
Most employers (44 percent) have not reacted to the news of an economic slowdown by changes in dental practices. The RDH eVillage readers who do report changes say they are occurring as:
• A reduction in hourly schedules in recent weeks (17 percent)
• A halt in awarding raises (21 percent)
• Consolidating tasks among fewer employees (6 percent)
Thirty-nine percent of RDH eVillage readers said their employers appeared to be "very optimistic" about practice growth. Only 6 percent were "very pessimistic" about the growth of dental practices. But the survey did capture 33 percent of the responses who said employers seem "to be very wary, cautious about trying anything new that might affect the bottom line."
An overwhelming majority of dental hygienists react to the news about the economy in a more personal way; 75 percent "try to spend less and be more conservative about my spending habits."
