Guides

Covering dental staff, explained.

What to do when someone's away, what cover costs, and the rules for employing dental staff. For dental assistants (some clinics say dental nurses), receptionists, hygienists and oral health therapists.

A phone ringing on a bedside table before dawn, beside a glass of water and an alarm clockMoments4 min read Your dental assistant called in sickA woman smiling at her laptop at a desk in a dental clinic, with a calculator and papers beside herCosts3 min read What dental staff cover costs in 2026A practice manager at a dental clinic's front desk, chin in her hand, thinking, with her laptop and the phone beside herComparisons3 min read Agency, app, Facebook group or SEEK?Two dental professionals in navy scrubs and masks treating a patient, with an X-ray on the screen behind them and Sydney Harbour outsideEmploying staff5 min read Can you pay a dental assistant as a contractor?Four members of a dental clinic's team talking and laughing at the front deskHow Cover works5 min read How Cover works, and why it isn't an agency

Every guide is checked by the Cover team against Fair Work, ATO, AHPRA and state sources, and again at its review date.

Tools

Tool Coverage check How many professionals on Cover work within range of your clinic, by role. Check your clinic Tool Shift cost calculator Price a shift for any role and day, then post it with the details filled in. Price a shift

See who's within range of your clinic

Search for your clinic to see how many dental professionals on Cover work within range, by role.

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