Benefits of Using Airlocum for Dental Practices
Airlocum is a UK dental locum booking platform connecting practices with over 1,100 verified dental professionals — including dentists, dental nurses, hygienists, and orthodontic therapists. It replaces the slow, expensive process of booking through traditional staffing agencies with a fast, automated platform that puts practices in control.
Most urgent shifts are filled in under 15 minutes. Registration is free. There are no subscription fees.
Airlocum in Numbers
1,100+ verified dental locums across the UK | 92% shift fill rate when 30+ locums contacted | <15 min average fill time for well-configured requests | ~£29 service fee per day vs £40–80 at traditional agencies |
💬 What practices say
"One morning our hygienist called in sick at 7am, and by 9am we had an Airlocum temp hygienist in the chair. Another time, a nurse cancelled at 10pm the night before, and we still had cover by morning. Airlocum has genuinely transformed how we manage recruitment — it's fast, reliable, and tailored to our needs."
Leila Evinipoor, CQC Registered Manager, Southside Dental Care, London
What Airlocum Gives Your Practice
✅ Access to verified, GDC-compliant locums Every locum on Airlocum is pre-vetted before joining the platform. GDC registration is checked automatically every 28 days — so you can only ever book a locum who is currently compliant. → You never need to chase compliance documents manually. |
⚡ Fill shifts in under 15 minutes Quick Book sends your request to the most reliable, available locums in accelerated waves — the fastest route to confirmation. Most urgent shifts are filled in under 15 minutes. The platform supports same-day, next-day, and planned bookings. → 92% fill rate when requests are sent to 30+ locums. |
🔄 Automated rebooking — no action needed If no locum accepts your request within 2 hours, Airlocum's automated rebooking system activates and resends your request to a wider pool — without you doing anything. If an accepted locum cancels, rebooking starts immediately. → 94% of automated rebookings successfully find cover. |
💷 Lower cost than traditional dental agencies Airlocum charges approximately £25 per booking day — compared with £30–60 at traditional dental staffing agencies. Automation and direct matching cut out the overhead that inflates agency fees, and the savings pass directly to your practice. → No subscription fee. No registration fee. Pay only when a shift is completed and approved. |
🎯 Targeted matching — find exactly who you need Filter locums by role, skills, GDC-verified qualifications (conscious sedation, implant nursing, orthodontic nursing, intra-oral scanner proficiency), hourly rate, travel distance, star rating, and availability. The platform shows only locums who meet your criteria and are genuinely available for your shift. |
⭐ Full profile transparency before you book View each locum's star rating, reliability score, detailed review history, skills, qualifications, and average response time before sending a booking request. No surprises — you know who you're booking before the shift begins. → Reliability scores are updated after every completed shift. |
❤️ Favourites list — your own trusted locum pool Save preferred locums to your Favourites list. They receive your booking requests first, before the wider pool — giving you consistent quality and faster confirmations. Build a list of 15–30 locums for the best balance of speed and reliability. → Locums who receive a 5-star review are automatically added to your Favourites list. |
🚫 Blocklist — full control over who can accept your shifts If a locum isn't the right fit, add them to your Blocklist. They will never appear in your search results or receive your booking requests again. The blocklist is reversible at any time. → Corporate practices can share a blocklist across all locations for group-wide quality control. |
💳 Simple, protected payment — card or invoice Pay by debit/credit card (processed by Stripe) or invoice with 14-day payment terms. You are never charged upfront — payment only processes after the shift is completed and you approve the locum's timesheet. You have a 24-hour window to review and dispute before payment is triggered. → Card payments are certified to PCI DSS Level 1 via Stripe. |
📲 Real-time notifications throughout Receive instant SMS and email notifications when a locum accepts your booking, when they are en route, and when the timesheet is submitted. The Booking Request Tracker updates every 20 seconds so you always know the status of a pending request. |
📊 One dashboard for all your bookings and admin Manage bookings, view invoices, track locum performance, and switch between practice locations — all from a single, mobile-friendly dashboard. Adding Airlocum to your phone home screen gives you one-tap access at any time. |
🏢 Corporate and multi-site tools built in Corporate dental groups and multi-site practices can manage all locations under a single login, with instant switching between sites. Group-wide tools include: a Shared Blocklist across all locations, the ability to standardise maximum rates, and centralised invoicing. Each location maintains its own bookings, Favourites list, and locum ratings independently. |
🕐 Support that responds in under 2 minutes Live chat support is available during business hours with an average response time of under 2 minutes. Phone and email support are also available. For urgent booking issues, ask to speak to a person — the team can check locum availability in your area and assist with cover directly. |
Airlocum vs Traditional Dental Staffing Agencies
⚡ Airlocum | Traditional agency | |
Time to fill urgent shift | Under 15 minutes | Hours to days |
Service fee | Less than agencies | £30–60 per day |
Registration cost | Free | Often requires contract |
GDC compliance checks | Automated every 28 days | Manual, variable |
Payment protection | Pay only after approval | Variable |
Locum ratings & reviews | Full history visible | Rarely available |
Out-of-hours booking | 24/7 via platform | Business hours only |
Booking method | Self-service + Quick Book | Phone or email to agent |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of using Airlocum instead of a dental staffing agency?
Airlocum is faster, cheaper, and more transparent than traditional dental staffing agencies. Shifts can be filled in under 15 minutes via Quick Book, compared with hours or days through an agency. The service fee is approximately £25 per booking day versus £30–60 at most agencies. You can view each locum's ratings, reliability score, and review history before booking, and you are never charged until the shift is completed and you approve the timesheet.
How does Airlocum verify dental locums?
Every locum is pre-vetted before joining the platform. GDC registration is checked automatically every 28 days — only locums with current, valid GDC registration can be booked. Hepatitis B vaccination status and professional indemnity insurance are also verified. Specific clinical skills such as conscious sedation, implant nursing, and orthodontic nursing are confirmed before appearing on a locum's profile.
How quickly can Airlocum fill a dental locum shift?
Most well-configured booking requests are filled in under 15 minutes. Practices that send requests to 30 or more locums simultaneously achieve a 92% fill rate. Quick Book — Airlocum's AI-powered booking method — contacts the most reliable available locums in fast waves and is the recommended method for urgent and same-day cover.
Is Airlocum free for dental practices to use?
Registration is free and there are no subscription fees. Airlocum charges a service fee of approximately £25 per booking day, which is shown transparently at checkout. You are only charged after the shift is completed and you approve the locum's timesheet — there are no upfront costs.
Does Airlocum work for corporate dental groups?
Yes. Airlocum supports multi-site management with a single login, instant switching between locations, a Corporate Shared Blocklist across all sites, and centralised invoicing. Each location maintains its own bookings, Favourites list, and payment data independently. Contact the support team for enterprise setup assistance.
What happens if no locum accepts a booking request?
Airlocum's automated rebooking system activates after 2 hours if no locum accepts your request, resending it to a wider pool without any action needed from you. 94% of automated rebookings find cover. For urgent shifts, contact the support team via live chat — the team responds in under 2 minutes and can assist directly.
Ready to start booking? Register free at airlocum.co.uk — takes under 2 minutes. Support is available via live chat at any time — ask to speak to a person for direct assistance. |
Register for free at airlocum.co.uk. Support is available via live chat — ask to speak to a person at any time.
