Hygiene is the department most DSOs forget to lead.

Open chairs, turnover, uneven schedules and results that fade are symptoms of the same gap: no one owns hygiene. I help DSO leaders close it. Built by an operator who has been in every seat.

TheProblem

Why Hygiene Results Don't Last

Hiring hygienists is hard and getting harder. In an April 2026 survey by the ADA Health Policy Institute, only 60% of dentists said their hygienist staffing was adequate, and 91% of those recruiting called it very or extremely challenging. More hygiene graduates haven't fixed it: enrollment is up, but the number of people working in dental offices has stayed flat.

So the hygienists you have matter more than ever, and keeping them takes more than pay. Most DSOs have tried to fix hygiene with training. Results move for a quarter, then drift. When hygiene is managed at the clinical level and never owned in the C-suite, nobody is accountable for holding the results, or the hygienists, once the trainer leaves.

How it Works

One System, Two Growth Channels

Same-store growth comes through hygiene and through your doctors. They aren't separate problems. One system connects them.

Leadership owns it. Hygiene gets an executive owner, clear expectations and a rhythm of review.

The hygienist builds the case. Clinical findings are documented and explained so the patient understands what's needed.

The doctor closes it. The doctor exam is the most valuable 8 minutes in the visit. When the hygienist sets it up well, the patient understands what's needed and treatment is accepted, which supports both hygiene and doctor growth.

The organization sustains it. Onboarding, coaching and accountability keep results going and keep hygienists on your team.

Who This is For

For the people who answer for growth

I work with DSO CEOs, COOs, CDOs and Clinical Leaders who want hygiene to be a reliable part of their growth plan. I also work with your hygiene leaders, because it only works when they're on board.

How I Work

Strategy with leadership, execution on the ground

I work with your leadership team on strategy and ownership. If necessary, experienced coaches handle hands-on clinical implementation with your teams. You get one plan, not a stack of disconnected trainings. Clinical judgment stays with your clinicians, and hygiene growth never means production pressure on clinical decisions.

"Heidi took an honest look at our hygiene business and how it was led, then worked alongside our leadership team to rebuild it. We ended up with a stronger leadership structure and two clear priorities. Within six months our hygienists were staying, openings were filling faster, and growth followed." - CEO - >60 location DSO

  • Hygiene revenue up more than 17% in six months

  • Doctor revenue up 8%

  • Time to fill a hygiene position: 120 days to 54 days

  • CEO: >60 locations DSO

About

I started as a dental hygienist, moved into clinical operations, became a COO, then CEO of a PE-backed DSO. I've built and sold a consulting firm, and I sold and exited Strive Dental Management. I've seen hygiene from the chair, the P&L and the boardroom. And, I have always used Hygiene as the strongest growth engine.

Let’s Make a Hygiene Growth Engine You Own

If hygiene is a bigger opportunity in your group than your numbers show, let's talk about why, and what leadership can do about it.