For practices
Hire a locum dental hygienist.
A locum dental hygienist covers an absence, for a day or for a few months.
- Start
- Sometimes within dayssometimes weeks; we tell you straight away whether it’s realistic
- Duration
- A day to monthsfor illness, leave, holidays or someone leaving
- Arrangement
- Self-employedinvoiced all-in through us, or directly by the locum
Why this comes up so often.
Illness, maternity leave, a holiday that can’t be moved or a colleague who suddenly leaves — and the schedule is full.
Dental hygienists are scarce, and you notice it straight away in the waiting time for prevention. A practice that can’t get its prevention team staffed sees patients go elsewhere — and they rarely come back.
Honestly: locum work doesn’t solve a structural shortage. If you need the same dental hygienist on fixed days every week, that is no longer locum work — and the Dutch tax authority looks at it differently too. In that case secondment or a permanent hire is the more honest answer, and we simply say so.
What a locum dental hygienist needs from you.
Handing over the clinic
A dental hygienist runs their own clinic with their own patients, and the locum takes that clinic over. Set out which patients are in periodontal treatment and who is waiting for a follow-up appointment, with where the treatment stands for each patient. Arrange access to your practice software and show how you keep the records.
Also agree how referrals back to the dentist work: who the locum reports a finding to and how quickly the patient can then be seen. Without that agreement a referral is easily left lying, especially if your own dental hygienist is away for weeks.
Agreeing tasks and appointment length in advance
What a dental hygienist does differs from practice to practice. In one, the dental hygienist gives anaesthetics or takes X-rays themselves; in another, they don’t. Say up front what you expect, so the locum doesn’t only find out at the chair that your schedule asks for something different.
The same goes for the scheduling. Practices schedule very differently, and a locum who is used to more time per patient soon runs over in a tight schedule. Compare the appointment length in your schedule with what the locum is used to, and adjust it for the period if needed. Plan the first day a little more generously, so the locum can get to know the practice and the software.
Checking qualification and insurance
A dental hygienist has no compulsory BIG registration as a dentist does. Dental hygienist is a legally protected professional title, though, backed by the BSc in Oral Hygiene, and a different profession from dental assistant. So ask for the diploma. An experiment ran on independent powers, and its outcome has not yet been settled; more on that on the page about BIG registration in dental care.
If the locum works as a self-employed professional, also ask about their professional liability insurance and their complaints scheme with affiliation to a recognised disputes body. For an independent care provider, the latter is a legal requirement.
How it works.
You call or email us what’s going on
Which days, what kind of work, and starting when. The earlier you get in touch the more choice there is, but even at short notice we’ll look at what’s possible.
We go into our network
No job-advert spam: we call the people we know do locum work and would fit your practice.
You speak to the locum yourself
If it clicks, we settle the arrangements: days, rate and period. The locum is self-employed; whether they invoice through us or directly to you, we agree once we know your situation.
Also possible.
Dental hygienist, other arrangement
Locum, other role
Frequently asked questions.
Why does finding a locum dental hygienist sometimes take longer?
Because there are few of them. Dental hygienists are scarce, and that scarcity is felt just as much in locum work as in permanent roles. You can usually find a dental assistant faster, simply because there are more of them. The sooner you know which days and which period you need to cover, the more choice there is. You usually see maternity leave coming well in advance, so ask early then too.
Is a self-employed dental hygienist’s hourly rate all-in?
Generally, yes. A self-employed dental hygienist usually charges € 50 to € 70 per hour, and rates in dental care are mostly all-in: travel time, admin and no-shows are included. The dental hygienist also pays for insurance, pension and the days without work out of it. Agree in advance which hours you pay for and what happens if you cancel a day.
Who keeps the records during and after the locum period?
You do. They remain your patients, and the locum records in your system, the way you do it in the practice. Put in the agreement how record keeping works and how the handover goes at the end: which treatments are still under way, who needs a follow-up appointment and what the dentist needs to know. Read more about those agreements in the article Hiring a locum: rates, agreements and pitfalls.
Who arranges a locum dental hygienist?
Denta Staffing finds locum dental hygienists for practices in the Netherlands and Belgium, for a day up to a few months, from a network we know personally. We tell you straight away whether your request is realistic.
What is a normal rate for a locum dental hygienist?
A self-employed dental hygienist usually charges € 50 to € 70 per hour.
How quickly can a locum start?
Sometimes within a few days, sometimes it takes weeks. That depends on the period, the days you need and how specialised the work is. We don’t promise lead times we can’t deliver — but we do tell you straight away whether it’s realistic.
Can locum work turn into a permanent role?
Yes, that happens regularly. Someone covers a period, both sides are happy, and then we look together at a permanent arrangement. That doesn’t have to be settled in advance.
What does it cost?
You pay the locum’s rate plus our margin per hour. How high that margin is depends on the duration, the number of hours and the role. We work it out for you before you commit to anything, and there is no small print. The maximum is on frequently asked questions.
Which roles besides dental hygienist is this available for?
For dentists, orthodontists, dental hygienists, practice managers and dental technicians. For assistants and front desk staff we work with secondment.
