Locum Dental Nurse & Hygienist FAQs

We’re actively recruiting Locum Dental Nurses and Hygienists across Yorkshire, the Midlands, North West, North East & Scotland, including major areas such as Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Our network is continuing to grow, so if you’re based outside these areas, still get in touch — we may already be expanding into your location or have opportunities nearby.

Yes. One of the biggest benefits of locum work with S4S Locum Team is the flexibility to choose when and where you’re available to work.

There’s no minimum number of days you have to give us. Whether you want occasional shifts alongside another role or regular locum work throughout the week, you tell us your availability and we’ll work around it.

You can also set your travel preferences, so we know the areas and distances that work for you when offering suitable shifts.

Your availability can be kept up to date through the S4S Locum Team app, making it easier for our team to offer you bookings that genuinely fit around your life.

The easiest way to get started with S4S Locum Team is to send us your CV through our website. Tell us a little about your experience, availability, location and how far you’re happy to travel, and a member of our recruitment team will get in touch for a proper conversation about what you’re looking for.

If we’re a good fit for each other, we’ll then guide you through our onboarding and compliance process using the S4S Locum Team app, where you can complete your registration and securely upload the documents we need.

Once you’re fully registered, the app becomes the hub for managing your locum work with us — including your availability, shift offers, bookings and electronic timesheets.

Send us your CV here to get started.

S4S Locum Team does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis where everyone has to race to claim a shift.

Instead, we allocate bookings fairly and practically, taking into account your availability, location, travel preferences, experience and the requirements of the practice.

Suitable shifts are offered directly through the S4S Locum Team app, so there’s no need to constantly watch a group chat or worry that you’ll miss out simply because someone else responded a few seconds before you.

Our aim is to make shift allocation fair, organised and appropriate for both the locum and the practice.

We’ll always give you as much notice as possible. Around 90% of our Locum Dental Nurse shifts are booked in advance, so a large proportion of the work we offer can be planned into your diary ahead of time.

We do also receive last-minute and same-day bookings when practices need urgent cover. If you’ve told us you’re available, we may offer these to you through the S4S Locum Team app — with an enhanced rate available for same-day Dental Nurse bookings.

You’re always in control of your availability, so there’s no expectation for you to accept a shift that doesn’t work for you.

New Locum Dental Nurses joining S4S Locum Team are paid through PAYE, so we take care of your tax and National Insurance through payroll.

At the end of each shift, your hours are confirmed through the S4S Locum Team app, and we take care of the rest. Our Locum Dental Nurses are paid monthly, on the last working day of the month, making it easier to plan around regular bills and commitments.

Locum Dental Hygienists work with S4S Locum Team on a self-employed basis, invoice the dental practice directly for the work they complete and set their own hourly rates. Rates are confirmed with the practice before each booking.

Our Guaranteed Hours option is designed for Locum Dental Nurses who want the variety of locum work with a little more financial security.

You agree to be available for 4 or 5 set days each week, and we provide a guaranteed minimum level of pay each month based on that agreed weekly commitment. Your actual practice bookings can vary during the month, but you still have the reassurance of that minimum monthly pay.

If the hours you work during the month take you above your guaranteed minimum, you’ll simply be paid for the additional hours as normal.

Our Locum Dental Nurses are paid through PAYE, with rates typically ranging from £17.25–£20.25 per hour depending on the type of shift worked, including enhanced rates for same-day, weekend and specialist nursing shifts.

Guaranteed Hours opportunities are available in selected areas and depend on our current recruitment needs.

S4S Locum Team actively supports our Locum Dental Nurses with their CPD and ongoing development.

If S4S Locum Team is your only dental-related job, we can provide access to the Agilio iLearn CPD platform, helping you keep on top of your ongoing GDC CPD requirements.

We also organise Core CPD and practical training, including face-to-face Medical Emergencies and CPR courses, as well as looking for opportunities for our nurses to develop additional skills through training such as digital scanning and iTero.

If you’re ever unsure what CPD or documentation you need to keep up to date, our team is there to help and guide you.

To register as a Locum Dental Nurse with S4S Locum Team, we’ll need the documents and information required to complete our onboarding and compliance checks.

These include your GDC registration, Dental Nursing qualification, Enhanced DBS, professional indemnity insurance, Hepatitis B evidence, relevant core CPD certificates and Right to Work documentation. We’ll also obtain two professional references as part of the registration process.

Your documents are uploaded securely through the S4S Locum Team app, where our team can check everything and let you know if anything is missing or needs updating.

Don’t worry if you’re unsure what you need when you first apply. Our recruitment team will guide you through the process and explain exactly what is required at each stage.