Dental Staffing Agency: How to Choose the Right One

Choosing a dental staffing agency is one of the most important hiring decisions a practice owner makes. The right dental staffing agency keeps your chairs full when a hygienist calls off, helps you cover maternity leave, and finds permanent hires you can trust. The wrong one sends unvetted temps, leaves you exposed to misclassification risk, and costs you patients.
This guide walks you through what a dental staffing agency actually does and the 10 questions to ask before you sign up with any dental temp agency.

A dental staffing agency connects dental offices with qualified dental professionals: dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, EFDAs and front office staff. Most agencies offer some mix of:

• Temporary (contract) staffing for same-day call-offs, vacations and leave
• Contract-to-hire placements so you can try a candidate before committing
• Direct hire recruiting for permanent roles
• Payroll services for staff you found yourself

A full-service dental staffing agency typically also handles vetting, credential checks, payroll, insurance and scheduling, so your team can focus on patients instead of paperwork.

1. Are your professionals W-2 employees or 1099 contractors?
This is the most important question. When a dental staffing agency places W-2 employees, the agency is the employer of record: it withholds taxes, pays unemployment insurance and carries workers’ compensation. When an app or dental temp agency treats workers as 1099 contractors, it results in a misclassification risk . The U.S. Department of Labor takes misclassification seriously, and so do State agencies.
2. Who carries malpractice and workers’ compensation?
Ask for proof. If a temp is injured in your office, or a patient files a claim, you need to know which policy responds.
3. How do you verify licenses and credentials?
A reliable dental staffing agency verifies identification, state licenses, certifications such as CPR, continuing education and work history before a professional ever walks into your office.
4. How fast can you reach a dental staffing agency for a same-day request?
Most dental staffing agencies use software applications for management of staffing needs. But imagine, a hygiene call-offs at 6:30 a.m. Is there a reliable recruiter from the staffing company you can reach out to, at once to help with this predicament? Ask how the agency handles such urgent requests and whether support is available 24/7.
5. Which roles do you staff?
Make sure the agency covers every seat you might need to fill dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, EFDA/EDDA, and front and back office.
6. What does it cost, and when do you pay?
Many practices prefer a dental staffing agency with no subscription fees that only charge when a request is filled. Make sure there are no hidden fees over and above the laid-out rates.
7. Do you offer contract-to-hire?
Contract-to-hire lets you evaluate a professional in your actual workflow before making a permanent offer. It is one of the lowest risk ways to hire.
8. Is there a guarantee on direct-hire placements?
A good agency stands behind its permanent placements. Ask about the guarantee period and what happens if a hire doesn’t work out.
9. How do I request staff and approve hours?
Modern dental staffing should be simple: post a request from an app, track it on a calendar, and approve timesheets weekly.
10. Can I talk to a real person?
Technology helps, but staffing is about people. The best dental staffing agency pairs an easy app with a team that learns your office, your software and your culture.

• Workers classified as independent contractors by default
• No proof of malpractice or workers’ compensation coverage
• Vague answers about how credentials are verified
• Monthly subscription fees whether you use their services or not

Founded in 2004, Dental Dynamic Staffing (DDS) is a full-service W-2 dental staffing agency. Every professional we place is a W-2 employee, which means employer-paid taxes, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and malpractice coverage are handled by us, not you.
With DDS you get:

• Unlimited job posts and no subscription fee; you pay only on successful placement
• Temp, contract-to-hire, direct hire and payroll services
• Vetted dentists, hygienists, assistants, EFDAs and office staff
• Reliable support from our real time recruiters the convenience of an app for posting job requests, tracking them and approving worked hours of professionals

Whether you need a temp dental hygienist tomorrow morning or a permanent office manager, DDS is the dental staffing agency built for both.

Ready to fill your schedule? Post a staffing request in minutes.