Temporary Dental Staffing Solutions to Secure Urgent Staff

As a dental practice manager or owner, you understand how critical it is to maintain a full staff. However, unexpected circumstances such as maternity leave or employee illness can disturb your team's workflow, putting a strain on the efficiency of your office. That’s why temporary staff can be such a valuable resource.

Hiring temporary dental staff workers (“temps") can help maintain a fully functional practice and guarantee that your office continues to operate at full capacity. Here are some tips for using temporary dental staff in your practice:

Maximize Efficiency with These Temporary Dental Staffing Tips

To get the most out of your temporary dental staff, it's critical to create a plan ahead of time. Start by making a list of tasks that need to be done on a daily basis to maintain production. Then decide which of these tasks your permanent staff can handle in the event of someone’s absence, and which ones require a temporary dental professional. . This will help you determine what the workload will look like for your temp.

Consider integrating temp workers into your permanent team. Having flexible staff ensures you always have the ideal team size to accommodate your patients on any day. Since you only pay temps for the exact hours they work, this staffing model will also help reduce your employment costs.

Temporary dental assistants and dental hygienists give you the flexibility to accept last-minute appointments. If your permanent assistants and hygienists already have full schedules, hiring temporary dental professionals allows you to take more patient appointments with little to no notice, all without compromising on the quality of your dental care.

Partner with a Reputable Dental Temp Agency

When hiring temporary dental staff, it's vital to use a reputable dental assistant temp agency that specializes in comprehensive dental staffing including dental hygienists, assistants, and receptionists. These agencies can provide you with experienced and skilled temporary staff members who are well-versed in dental protocols and procedures.

Types of Temp Dental Agencies

There are two common types of dental temping agencies:

• Traditional dental temp agencies
• On-demand dental temp agencies

Traditional dental temping agencies and on-demand dental temp agencies might seem similar, however, there are vast differences when it comes to quality, risk factors, and costs. 

Traditional dental staffing agencies are usually locally operated with connections to dental professionals in a specific area. These agencies typically depend on phone calls, emails, and texts to reach temporary employees. This approach is slow and creates more work for offices. 

On-demand dental temp agencies leverage technology to create an online marketplace where offices and professionals can easily be connected. These platforms have a large network and are easy to get started with This provides a quick and simple resource for dental offices that have an urgent, last-minute staffing need.

Toothio is an on-demand dental temporary staffing company that combines top-notch service with cutting-edge technology to provide the best temporary dental staffing experience. 

Why You Shouldn’t Use Traditional Dental Temp Agencies

When a staff member needs to take a sick day or some personal time off from work, you should begin finding a replacement for them immediately. However, in your rush to find a dental temp, be careful not to make any hasty decisions you might regret later.

If you’re considering partnering with a traditional dental temp agency when you need a dental assistant, hygienist, or receptionist, here are a few reasons why you may want to reconsider your decision.

They’re Expensive and Time-Consuming

The main problem with traditional dental temporary agencies is how much money and time it costs for dental practices. 

With traditional temp agencies, not only do you have to comb through numerous resumes of dental professionals, but you also have to go back and forth with the agency in order to book a temp.

All this meaningless waiting means it may take you days to find the right temp. And canceled appointments lead to lost revenue. When you hire dental staff from a temp agency, you’re stuck waiting and hoping they’ll get back to you with the response you need.

You Can’t Speak to Dental Professionals 1:1

Once you have a short list of possible temps, it’s time to start interviewing them. It’s critical to find someone who’s a good fit for your dental practice and your team. Someone who not only has the necessary skills but also has the right personality and attitude.

When you need a temp in a hurry, some traditional temp agencies will send someone right to your practice with very little thought for what’s best for your dental office. Having a person work for you who you haven’t talked to is chancy and could cause you to waste even more time and money if the person isn’t right for your dental practice. You then must start the search for a dental professional all over again. 

Finding High-Quality Temporary Dental Professionals 

Dental practice owners and managers depend on temporary dental staffing agencies to find professionals with the necessary licenses, experience, and certifications. For example, you want temp dental hygienists, receptionists, and assistants who will:

• Show up on time for their shift
• Onboard quickly
• Integrate effortlessly into your dental practice
• Meet your protocols and standards
• Treat your patients like you do

When posting your request, be sure to specify the qualifications and certifications you’d like the temporary dental professional to have. For example, some dental assistants have pediatric experience while others only have general dentistry experience. 

To find top talent, it’s crucial to set your experience requirements and have an in-depth candidate vetting and meticulous review process, which not all traditional staffing agencies offer.

Streamline Paperwork and Payment 

Most dental temp agencies have contract professionals, also known as “1099 contractors.” When you hire a contractor, your office is accountable for all the administrative work, including tax forms and payments. This can be time-consuming and expensive.

Toothio is different. We handle all the administrative paperwork for you, including taxes and pay. It’s really that simple.

Customer Service

Your last consideration should be how well the dental temp agency addresses your questions and handles any issues, especially when you need a dental temp professional quickly. When you need to staff your practice ASAP to avoid losing patients, you want a partner who understands the urgency and responds accordingly. 

Toothio offers live support via text, chat, phone, and email, allowing you to get in touch quickly. Our customers value this level of support and we know it’s crucial to all our clients who are dental office managers and dental practice owners.

A Simple Way to Find High-Quality Dental Temps

With Toothio, you don’t have to worry when you have an urgent need for a dental assistant, hygienist, or receptionist. Just post your temporary employment request on our platform and get matched with one of the 10,000+ dental professionals on our platform. Unlike traditional dental temp agencies, you can post your empty shift in minutes and sit back and relax while we match you with a dental professional who meets your staffing needs. 

Want to learn more? Contact us today to find out how Toothio can save you money, and time, and give you peace of mind when your office needs a dental assistant, receptionist, or hygienist in a hurry.