12 SMART Goals Examples for Dental Hygienists

Dental hygienists play a vital role in the dental profession, ensuring optimal oral health for patients. Setting SMART goals is essential for any professional career; the same is true for dental hygienists.

In this article, we will look at some examples of SMART goals that can be used to guide and motivate dental hygienists in their careers. Here is everything you need to know about SMART goals.

What is a SMART Goal?

The SMART strategy can assist you in developing practical goals. For those unfamiliar, SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.

Here is a more detailed explanation for each SMART component:

Specific

Having detailed goals will increase your chances of meeting them. Ambiguous goals will likely lead to failure in many cases.

For example, suppose you want to improve productivity. While this is a worthy goal, it needs to be more precise. How will you go about attaining this goal? Are there specific tools and techniques you’re considering?

Incorporating specificity into your goals and plans will allow you to create an actionable roadmap for success. You’ll know what steps are necessary to reach your ideal destination.

Measurable

You need to have some strategy to assess goal progress. This will let you understand whether you’re on the right track.

Using the last example, if your goal is to boost productivity, try making them quantifiable. For instance, “increase clinical productivity by 7%.” You can verify progress more efficiently since you have an exact percentage to strive for.

Attainable

When creating goals, try to be as reasonable as possible. Becoming a successful dental hygienist can only be achieved after some time. You must have enough time and resources to tackle this long-term goal.

Relevant

Ask yourself, “Why am I setting this goal in the first place?” It would be best to recognize that defining meaningful goals will drive up self-motivation. You’ll be able to persevere even in the direst circumstances.

Time-Based

With an end date, you’ll be hyper-focused on your goals. Everything will be crystal clear as you progress on your journey, and you’ll have a strong desire to take action.

12 SMART Goals Examples for Dental Hygienists

Here are 12 examples of SMART goals for dental hygienists:

1. Monitor Patient Health Records

SMART Goal: I’ll review patient health records at the beginning of each day to ensure that I am aware of any existing health concerns or medications that may affect the patient’s oral health. I will also take notes on any changes or new medications the patient may have taken since their last visit.

Specific: This goal is clear because it outlines the steps a dental hygienist needs to take to monitor patient health records.
Measurable: Evaluate your progress by counting the patient records you reviewed daily.
Attainable: This goal is feasible as it does not require special skills or resources to which the dental hygienist may not have access.
Relevant: Monitoring patient health records is integral to a dental hygienist’s job, making this goal suitable.
Time-based: You will pursue this ongoing goal every day for success.

2. Increase Clinical Productivity

SMART Goal: By the end of this quarter, I want to increase my productivity by 10% by streamlining processes and cutting wasted time. I’ll implement an electronic charting system to reduce paperwork and unnecessary steps.

Specific: The SMART goal outlines what will be done, the timeline, and how it will be achieved.
Measurable: You can measure productivity through the electronic charting system.
Attainable: This is achievable due to the step-by-step implementation of an electronic charting system.
Relevant: This goal relates to boosting efficiency and reducing wasted time and resources.
Time-based: There is a one-quarter end date for meeting this goal.

3. Use Technology for Diagnoses

SMART Goal: To enhance patient care, I will research and purchase new technology that can be used to diagnose dental issues by the end of three months. This will enable me to provide faster, more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans.

Specific: The individual aims to research and purchase new technology that can be used for diagnoses.
Measurable: The goal is measurable because it has a time-bound end date.
Attainable: This is a realistic goal because the person is taking steps to research and purchase new technology.
Relevant: The statement is applicable because it will improve patient care by providing faster and more accurate diagnoses.
Time-based: Three months is required to complete this particular goal.

4. Enhance Communication with Colleagues

SMART Goal: To improve communication and collaboration between staff members, I will implement regular team meetings with at least one dental staff member present every other week. I’ll also ensure that all team members can access easy-to-use communication software to stay connected and share information.

Specific: This goal is about improving communication and collaboration between staff members.
Measurable: This can be evaluated by having team meetings with at least one dental staff member present every other week.
Attainable: Team meetings and access to easy-to-use communication software are achievable.
Relevant: Effective communication between staff members is essential for a successful practice.
Time-based: This reoccurring goal has a set timeline of every other week.

5. Become More Organized

SMART Goal: I want to become a more organized dental hygienist. I’m committing to creating and maintaining an organized filing system for patient records and notes for four months. This will help me to stay on top of my work, be more efficient, and provide a better patient experience.

Specific: The goal is to create and maintain an organized filing system.
Measurable: You could count the average time spent searching for patient records.
Attainable: Being more organized is easily possible with enough practice and dedication.
Relevant: Organization will allow dental hygienists to work more efficiently and provide a better patient experience.
Time-based: There is a four-month deadline for achieving this goal.

6. Increase Patient Satisfaction Scores

SMART Goal: I will increase patient satisfaction scores by 15% in the following 6 months by ensuring that all my patients feel supported and respected during dental visits. I will foster effective communication and provide exceptional service.

Specific: This is specific as the person aims to increase patient satisfaction scores by 15% within 6 months.
Measurable: Check the difference in patient satisfaction scores before and after the 6-month period.
Attainable: This is attainable with the right strategies, such as providing exceptional service and fostering effective communication.
Relevant: Increasing patient satisfaction is essential for any dental hygienist who cares about their job.
Time-based: The goal must be achieved after 6 whole months.

7. Develop Team Leadership Skills

SMART Goal: I’ll take a team leadership and management course by the end of three months and use what I learn to mentor my fellow dental hygienists. I want to create a culture where everyone is supportive of each other and feels comfortable coming to me with questions or concerns.

Specific: Taking a team leadership and management course is the action you’ll take to reach your goal.
Measurable: Make sure you complete the course within three months.
Attainable: Depending on the length and difficulty of the course, this could be an achievable goal.
Relevant: This goal relates to the primary objective of developing your team leadership skills.
Time-based: You should expect goal attainment within three months.

8. Pursue Continuing Education Opportunities

SMART Goal: I want to seek out and attend at least one continuing education opportunity for 9 months to develop my professional skills. I’ll identify the topics most relevant to my dental hygiene career and strive to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in my field.

Specific: The goal is clear. The person knows they want to attend at least one continuing education opportunity over 9 months and develop their dental hygiene knowledge.
Measurable: The individual will identify the topics most relevant to their career and strive to stay current with the latest developments.
Attainable: This is realistic and achievable if you free up time to educate yourself.
Relevant: The statement is appropriate for the individual’s desire to expand their professional skills.
Time-based: Goal attainment will be met within 9 months.

9. Utilize Online Scheduling Platforms

SMART Goal: To better manage client bookings and streamline my workflow, I’ll research and implement an online scheduling platform before the end of the year. I will make booking appointments easier for my clients and improve the accuracy of their data and records.

Specific: The SMART goal is explicit in outlining the plan of action.
Measurable: Evaluate the research, implementation, and eventual use of the online platform.
Attainable: The given deadline is a reasonable amount of time to reach the goal.
Relevant: This is directly related to improving the accuracy and efficiency of client appointment bookings.
Time-based: Goal achievement is expected by the end of the year.

10. Promote Oral Health Awareness

SMART Goal: For 7 months, I’ll hold two oral health awareness events that allow people in the community to learn more about the importance of dental hygiene and the dangers of poor oral health. I want to encourage people in my community to take better care of their teeth and gums.

Specific: This goal outlines what you need to do (hold two events) and how long it should last (7 months).
Measurable: You could count the number of events held within the 7 months.
Attainable: Holding two events within the provided time frame is absolutely doable.
Relevant: Promoting oral health awareness in your community is a worthwhile effort.
Time-based: You should complete this goal over the 7 months ahead.

11. Reduce Missed Appointments

SMART Goal: I’ll strive to create a system to reduce missed appointments in two months by sending out notification emails or text messages three days before the appointment. This will help us reduce the number of patients who forget or don’t show up for their appointments.

Specific: The goal is easy to understand, stating precisely the objective and how it will be reached.
Measurable: By sending out notifications three days before each appointment, the team will be able to track the effectiveness of this strategy.
Attainable: This goal can be accomplished by working with the front desk staff to develop a notifications system.
Relevant: This is pertinent to success since it will reduce missed appointments and increase patient satisfaction.
Time-based: There is a two-month timeline for accomplishing this goal.

12. Enhance Time Management

SMART Goal: I will dedicate 15 minutes each day to improving my time management skills. I’ll use this time to plan out tasks for the following day and create a schedule that best fits my needs and resources.

Specific: The individual outlines the exact activity and time commitment.
Measurable: Make sure you spend at least 15 minutes daily.
Attainable: This is reachable because the dental hygienist only needs to set aside some time every day.
Relevant: The goal is appropriate because it focuses on improving efficiency and effectiveness overall.
Time-based: You have one month to reach this time-bound goal.

Final Thoughts

SMART goals are an amazing way for dental hygienists to maximize their potential as healthcare professionals. As these examples show, SMART goals can take many forms, from increasing patient satisfaction with dental services to expanding the scope of preventive care.

Having clearly defined goals helps motivate hygienists and makes it easier for them to track their progress and accomplishments over time. Even small successes can impact the overall health of a practice and its patients.