Resources for dental offices
High turnover in dental practices disrupts patient care and erodes team trust. When a team member leaves, replacing them quickly and effectively becomes critical to maintaining quality care. This comprehensive 90-day onboarding plan, based on ADA best practices, provides checklists, templates, and expert guidance for integrating both permanent and temporary staff. A structured onboarding process reduces turnover, builds new hire confidence, and ensures patients receive consistent, quality care throughout transitions.
Jul 11, 2025
Phase 1: Pre-Arrival Preparation (Days -7 to 0)
The foundation of successful onboarding begins before your new employee walks through the door. This preparation phase sets expectations, reduces first-day anxiety, and demonstrates your practice's professionalism.
Administrative Setup
Complete all system access requirements before arrival day. Create email accounts, practice management software logins, and any specialized dental equipment access credentials. Verify professional licenses and certifications early to avoid compliance delays. Prepare personal protective equipment, create their initial day-to-day schedule, and assign a dedicated mentor who will guide them through their first 30 days.
Workspace Preparation
Set up their designated workspace with all necessary equipment, uniforms, keys, and access cards. Test all technology systems to ensure seamless access on day one. Technical difficulties during initial login attempts can immediately undermine confidence and create unnecessary stress.
Welcome Communication
Send a personalized welcome email 2-3 days before their start date. Include their first-day agenda, parking instructions, dress code requirements, arrival time, and brief introductions to key team members they'll meet. This communication should be warm but informative, addressing the natural nervousness that accompanies starting a new position.
Compliance Documentation
Prepare a comprehensive compliance checklist specific to your practice requirements. Include training materials for OSHA regulations, radiation safety protocols, HIPAA requirements, and infection control standards. Having these materials organized and accessible prevents day-one scrambling and demonstrates your commitment to proper procedures.
Phase 2: Immersion Phase (Days 1-7)
The first week focuses on orientation, establishing belonging, and laying the groundwork for future skill development. This phase emphasizes safety, compliance, and cultural integration over productivity.
Day 1: First Impressions
A new employee's first day creates lasting impressions that influence their entire tenure with your practice. Research shows that employees who experience positive first-day interactions are significantly more likely to remain with an organization long-term. Your goal is to balance necessary administrative tasks with genuine welcome gestures that demonstrate your practice's professionalism and care for team members.
Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Begin with paperwork completion for all necessary compliance documentation. Follow with a comprehensive office tour, highlighting emergency exits, restrooms, break areas, and key equipment locations. Introduce the new hire to each team member, explaining how different departments interact and support patient care.
Lunch (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM) Schedule a mentor-guided lunch in a relaxed setting. This informal interaction allows for personal connections and provides a safe space for initial questions without the pressure of a formal evaluation.
Afternoon (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Focus on basic system navigation and observation of standard procedures. Avoid overwhelming them with hands-on tasks; instead, let them observe and ask questions.
End-of-Day Debrief (4:45 PM - 5:00 PM) Conduct a brief check-in asking: "What was your impression of the team? Were there any parts of orientation that felt unclear? Do you have any immediate concerns?" This demonstrates that their feedback matters and helps identify areas needing clarification.
Days 2-7: Foundation Building
The remainder of the first week establishes the fundamental knowledge and relationships your new employee needs to succeed. This period is intentionally structured to prevent information overload while ensuring all critical safety and compliance requirements are met. Focus on creating a supportive learning environment where questions are encouraged and mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities.
Compliance Training: Complete all required safety and regulatory training within the first week. This includes OSHA bloodborne pathogen training, radiation safety certification, and practice-specific infection control procedures. Document completion of each requirement to maintain compliance records.
Role Clarification: Differentiate between generic job descriptions and your practice's specific procedures. Provide written documentation of daily duties, performance expectations, and reporting relationships. A clear role definition prevents misunderstandings and establishes accountability from the start.
Cultural Integration: Share your practice's mission, values, and patient-care philosophy through structured conversations and team meetings. Help them understand how their role contributes to overall patient satisfaction and practice success.
Relationship Building Schedule daily 15-minute check-ins with their assigned mentor. Encourage participation in team meetings and informal gatherings. These interactions help new employees feel valued and connected to the team, which directly impacts retention rates.
Phase 3: Integration Phase (Days 8-30)
This phase transitions your new hire from observer to active contributor through structured learning and consistent support. Focus shifts to developing competency in core responsibilities while maintaining strong mentorship support.
Structured Training Development
Effective skill building requires systematic progression from basic concepts to complex applications. This training framework ensures comprehensive knowledge development while maintaining manageable learning loads. Each week builds upon previous knowledge, allowing new employees to develop confidence gradually while mastering essential competencies.
Week 2: Administrative Systems Focus on patient scheduling software, insurance verification processes, and treatment planning systems. Allow dedicated practice time without the pressure of live patient interactions. Document which concepts are easily grasped and which require additional reinforcement, such as illegal dental billing practices.
Week 3: Clinical Support Introduce sterilization protocols, instrument setup procedures, and patient flow management. Include shadowing sessions with your treatment coordinator to understand how treatment plans are presented and discussed with patients.
Week 4: Integration Practice Combine administrative and clinical knowledge through supervised real-world application. Allow them to handle routine tasks with mentor oversight, gradually increasing responsibility as competency develops.
Mentor Support System
Strong mentorship relationships are the backbone of successful onboarding programs. A dedicated mentor provides new employees with a trusted resource for questions, guidance, and emotional support during their transition period. This relationship should be structured yet flexible, offering consistent check-ins while remaining responsive to individual needs and learning styles.
Establish consistent weekly 15-minute check-ins with the assigned mentor. These sessions should focus on problem-solving rather than evaluation, asking specific questions such as:
"What felt overwhelming this week?"
"Which procedures need more practice?"
"What questions came up during patient interactions?"
Document each conversation to track progress and identify knowledge gaps. This consistency builds trust and ensures no issues fall through the cracks.
Performance Indicators
Tracking early performance indicators helps identify potential issues before they become problems and celebrates progress to maintain motivation. These metrics should focus on learning progression and integration success rather than productivity comparisons to experienced staff. Early measurement creates accountability while providing valuable feedback for both the new employee and the management team.
Begin tracking key metrics that predict long-term success:
Task completion accuracy
Patient interaction comfort level
Technical skill development
Team integration progress
Questions asked and knowledge retention
Phase 4: Mastery Phase (Days 31-90)
The final phase focuses on independence, performance optimization, and long-term integration. Formal reviews at 30, 60, and 90 days provide structured feedback and goal setting.
30-Day Performance Review
The first formal review serves as a crucial checkpoint to assess initial integration and address any early concerns. This conversation should feel supportive rather than evaluative, focusing on the employee's experience and identifying areas where additional support might be needed. Early intervention at this stage can prevent minor issues from developing into major problems.
Focus on initial impressions and immediate concerns. Key evaluation areas include:
Role expectation alignment
Comfort level with basic procedures
Team integration success
Compliance requirement completion
Patient interaction readiness
Address any training gaps identified and adjust the development plan accordingly.
60-Day Performance Review
By the 60-day mark, your new employee should demonstrate competency in core responsibilities and show clear signs of successful team integration. This review shifts focus from basic orientation concerns to performance quality and professional development opportunities. Use this conversation to set expectations for the final 30 days and beyond.
Evaluate deeper performance metrics and full integration success:
Patient satisfaction feedback
Productivity benchmarks
Error rates and quality measures
Peer feedback and team dynamics
Professional development interests
90-Day Performance Review
The final review determines whether your onboarding investment has succeeded and establishes the foundation for long-term employment. This comprehensive evaluation should address both immediate performance and future potential, setting the stage for ongoing professional development and career advancement within your practice.
Conduct a comprehensive evaluation determining long-term fit and career development opportunities:
Overall performance against established metrics
Cultural fit and team contribution
Professional growth potential
Compensation and advancement discussions
Long-term goal alignment
Key Performance Indicators
Measuring success requires tracking specific metrics that correlate with long-term employee satisfaction and practice stability. These indicators should be monitored throughout the onboarding process and beyond, providing objective data to support subjective observations about employee performance and fit.
Track metrics that predict long-term success:
Patient satisfaction scores indicate connection with clientele
Production numbers reveal efficiency and competence
Error rates highlight areas needing additional training
Attendance patterns signal engagement levels
Peer feedback reflects team integration success
Technology and Automation
Implementing an efficient and consistent onboarding process is crucial for integrating new dental employees seamlessly into your practice. By leveraging technology, you can streamline this process, ensuring that every new hire receives the same foundational information and support. This not only saves time and resources but also promotes a positive and professional first impression, setting the stage for a productive and long-term working relationship.
Digital Systems
Implement practice management software that automates task lists and sends training reminders. Centralize all employee handbooks, training videos, and procedure documentation in accessible digital formats. This provides new hires with 24/7 access to resources and reduces administrative burden on existing staff.
Documentation and Tracking
Create digital checklists for each onboarding phase, automatically tracking completion and identifying overdue items. Use cloud-based systems to maintain consistent access across all devices and locations.
Staffing Solutions Integration
For practices utilizing temporary staffing services, integrate onboarding systems with staffing platforms to track credentials, performance history, and availability. This creates valuable data for making permanent placement decisions based on documented performance rather than assumptions.
Measuring Success
The true value of your onboarding investment becomes clear only when you measure its impact on your practice's long-term performance. Without concrete metrics, it's impossible to know whether your efforts are producing meaningful results or where improvements might be needed. Effective measurement transforms onboarding from a cost center into a strategic advantage, providing data-driven insights that justify continued investment and guide program refinements.
A successful onboarding program should demonstrate measurable improvements in:
Employee retention rates beyond 90 days
Time to productivity for new hires
Patient satisfaction scores during transition periods
Reduced training costs and management time
Improved team cohesion and communication
Find the Right Dental Staff for Your Practice with Teero
Effective onboarding is an investment in your practice's future stability and success. By following this structured 90-day system, you create a foundation for long-term employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and consistent patient care. The key lies in preparation, consistency, and genuine commitment to each new team member's success.
For practices that utilize temporary staffing as part of their hiring strategy, platforms like Teero are a valuable recruitment resource. The Teero dashboard tracks credentials, shift performance, and availability, making it ideal when working with traveling dental hygienists who can float between practices. You can see who's completed specific training modules and monitor how temps perform across different practices.
This visibility helps when you're deciding whether to extend an offer for permanent placement. Instead of guessing about someone's skills, you have documented performance data from actual shifts. If you're looking for your next new hire, sign up for a free Teero account to get paired with qualified dental hygienists who have already demonstrated their competency through measurable performance metrics.