An empty hygiene chair costs far more than a placement fee. Here’s how to fill it fast, keep control of who you book, and skip the agency markup entirely.
Short answer: Dental offices fill hygiene shifts without agency markups by posting directly to a marketplace like TempStars, where you pay one flat placement fee ($73 CAD or $38 USD) after a completed shift — no hourly markup, no subscription, no hiring fee. You review each candidate’s credentials, ratings, and rate before you accept.
The real cost isn’t the fee — it’s the empty chair
A single dental hygienist generates roughly $1,500–$2,800 in practice production per day. When a hygiene shift goes unfilled, that’s cancelled patients, lost revenue, a disrupted schedule, and a front desk scrambling to rebook. Seen against that, a flat placement fee is a rounding error. The goal isn’t to minimize the fee — it’s to never leave the chair empty.
What agency markups really add up to
| Option | What you pay | Control over who comes |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional agency | $100–$150+ placement fee, plus a $30–$60/hr markup on the hygienist’s rate | None — the agency assigns the candidate |
| Personal network / Facebook groups | No fee, but unpredictable and unvetted | High for people you know; none for strangers |
| TempStars marketplace | Flat $73 CAD / $38 USD per completed shift; no markup, no subscription | Full — you review ratings, credentials, and rate before booking |
Because TempStars adds no hourly markup, the money an agency would have skimmed can instead go toward a higher hourly rate — which attracts stronger candidates and fills your shift faster.
How to fill a hygiene shift on TempStars (about 5 minutes)
- Create a free office account — no subscription, no credit card required to start.
- Post your hygiene shift with date, hours, and a competitive hourly rate.
- Qualified hygienists nearby are notified immediately; most offices see offers within hours.
- Review each candidate’s ratings, registration status, and rate, then accept the right fit.
- You’re charged the flat placement fee only after the shift is completed successfully. No shift, no charge.
Prefer it hands-off? Auto-Book automatically matches high-reliability professionals to your shift based on availability, rate, and location — filling many shifts in minutes rather than hours.
If you love a temp, hire them — for free
Find a hygienist who’s a perfect fit for your team? You can bring them on permanently with no conversion or hiring fee. Traditional agencies typically charge 15–25% of annual salary to convert a temp to a permanent hire. TempStars doesn’t — you don’t even have to tell us.
Every shift is backed by guarantees
TempStars protects offices with a Payment Guarantee, a PPE/Infection Control Guarantee, and a Cancellation Guarantee on every shift. These are contractual commitments, not marketing slogans — and they’re part of why 97% of dental professionals rate their TempStars experience as “Very Happy.”
Frequently asked questions
A flat placement fee of $73 CAD per completed shift in Canada or $38 USD in the United States, charged only after a successful shift. There is no hourly markup, no subscription, and no hiring fee.
Most offices receive their first offer within hours, and many shifts fill within minutes using Auto-Book or when Pro/Elite professionals Insta-Book. Hygiene is the highest-demand role, so it tends to fill fastest.
You only pay the placement fee after a shift is completed successfully. If a professional cancels or the shift doesn’t happen, you pay nothing, and TempStars helps repost it.
Fill your next hygiene shift
Post in about two minutes. Free to sign up, and you only pay after a successful shift.
Post a shift on TempStars
