Your dental assistant called in sick. What now?
Post the shift, see what Cover has already checked, and make someone new feel at home in their first 10 minutes.
Sarah Morrison
3 min read
Post the shift on Cover. Every dental assistant within range of your clinic is alerted straight away, and you see who accepts. Cover has already verified their identity and reviewed their dental assisting qualification or experience, so they can start as soon as they arrive. You set the rate, at or above the award.1,2
Who works within range of your clinic?
Search for your clinic to see the dental assistants on Cover who travel to you.
1. Post the shift
On Cover you choose the role, day, hours and rate. The lowest rate Cover accepts is the award rate with the casual loading, $40.84 an hour for a dental assistant on a weekday. Cover recommends $42.00 an hour.2 On top of pay and super, Cover charges a 15% fee.
Every dental assistant on Cover within range of your clinic is alerted as soon as you post, and you see who accepts.
This shift, ready to post
Dental Assistant · Today · 8:30 am – 4:30 pm · $42.00/hr
How fast someone accepts depends on who is within range and free that day. Cover is newer, so this varies by area. Check your clinic before you need it.
2. What has Cover already checked?
Before anyone can accept a shift, Cover verifies their identity, and our team reviews their Certificate III or IV in Dental Assisting, or their experience and a reference. You see their profile before they arrive.
If they'll be taking x-rays, ask whether they hold your state's radiation licence.3
3. The first 10 minutes
A few minutes at the start make someone new comfortable for the whole day.
- Introduce them to the team at the morning huddle, by name.
- Give them a few minutes with the dentist they're working with: names, how they like instruments passed, suction, and their usual materials.
- Show them the tea room, the bathroom, and where to leave their bag.
- Tell them when their lunch break is, and where to park next time.
- Walk them through sterilisation, PPE, the emergency kit and the fire exits.
- Show them your practice software and how you chart.
- Go through today's list, and tell them who to ask when something's unclear.
4. What happens after the shift?
You approve their timesheet on Cover. It goes into your clinic's weekly pay run on Cover, with PAYG, super and STP prepared for you to review and declare, so there's nothing to add to your own payroll software.
Questions clinics ask
How quickly can I get a dental assistant in?
It depends on who is within range and free. On Cover, every dental assistant within range of your clinic is alerted as soon as you post. Check your clinic to see how many that is.
Do I have to pay the casual loading?
Yes. A casual employee under the award is paid a 25% casual loading.1 The minimum rate on Cover already includes it.
Can the dental assistant covering the shift take x-rays?
Only with a radiation use licence where your state requires one.3 Ask them before they start.
Can one of my own part-timers pick up the hours instead?
Yes, but watch their hours. Under the award, ordinary hours stop at 10 hours in a day, and time beyond that is paid as overtime.1
Is a dental nurse the same as a dental assistant?
Yes. It's an older name for the same role, and some agencies and states still use it.
What if nobody accepts?
Move what you can and keep the shift open. A higher rate or shorter hours often helps.
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], pay guide published 26 August 2026
- Cover pricing: the minimum rates and the 15% platform fee
- State and territory radiation regulators
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.