Agency, app, Facebook group or SEEK: where should a dental clinic find cover?
For short-notice cover, post on Cover. Who employs the dental assistant, what you pay on top, and when an agency, Facebook or SEEK fits better.
Sarah Morrison
3 min read
For short-notice cover from a verified casual you employ directly, use Cover. Post the shift and every dental assistant within range of your clinic is alerted. Cover has already checked their identity and credentials, the award rate is built in, and you pay a 15% fee instead of an agency margin.2 Keep an agency as backup for days nobody on Cover is free, at a margin of 25% to 110% on pay and super.1 A Facebook group suits a long-term hire, and SEEK a permanent role.
Side by side
| Question | Cover | Agency | Facebook group | SEEK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Short-notice cover and planned leave, from a verified casual you employ | Backup, when nobody on Cover is within range or free | Finding someone for the long term | A permanent role |
| Who employs them | Your clinic, as a casual | The agency | Your clinic | Your clinic |
| Credentials checked before they accept | Yes. Identity verified and credentials reviewed by our team | Usually, and it varies by agency | No. You check them | No. You check them |
| Award rate built in | Yes. You can't post below the award rate with casual loading | The agency sets their pay | No. You work it out | No. You work it out |
| On top of pay and super | A 15% fee, with GST on the fee only. No agency margin2 | A margin of 25% to 110%, often plus a callout fee1 | Nothing | A job ad fee |
| Timesheets and payroll | Approved timesheets go into your weekly pay run on Cover, with PAYG, super and STP prepared for you to declare | The agency | You, in your own payroll | You, in your own payroll |
| Who turns up | You see who accepted before the day | Whoever the agency sends | Whoever replies | Applicants, over days or weeks |
| How fast | Depends on who is within range and free | Depends on who they have free | Varies | Weeks |
Use Cover for short-notice cover
A sick day, a run of leave or a busy week. You set the rate, see who's coming before the day, and pay a fee instead of an agency margin.
Keep an agency as backup
For the days nobody on Cover is within range or free, or when you'd rather someone else be the employer.
Use a Facebook group for a long-term hire
When you have time to get to know someone, check their credentials yourself, and put them on your own payroll. Posts there often ask for a dental nurse, the older name for a dental assistant.
Use SEEK for a permanent role
When you have a vacancy to fill for good. Shifts on Cover can cover the gap while you hire.
Who works within range of your clinic?
Cover is newer than most agencies, so how many people are within range varies by area. Check your clinic, then post your first shift.
Questions clinics ask
If I find someone in a Facebook group, what do I have to do?
You're their employer. Pay at least the award rate with casual loading, pay super, withhold PAYG and report it through STP, and check their credentials yourself.
Why is an agency margin so much higher for hygienists?
Agencies price by role, and hygienists and oral health therapists are harder to find. The margin also covers the agency's payroll tax, workers' compensation and insurance as the employer.
Can I use more than one?
Yes. Many clinics post on Cover first and keep an agency as backup, since a shift on Cover costs nothing until it's worked.
Sources
- Cover's estimate from a current dental agency rate card, weekday rates excluding GST, rounded down to the nearest 5%
- Cover pricing
Next review 1 July 2027.
Written by
Sarah Morrison
Sarah worked as a dental assistant for nearly 20 years, much of it covering shifts at other clinics, before she co-founded Cover. She leads Cover's strategy and outreach.