How to Search, Book, and Send a Dental Locum Booking Request in the UK
By Eugene Bojé, Founder of Airlocum
Airlocum is a UK dental locum staffing platform that connects dental practices with verified temporary dental professionals - including dental nurses, dentists, hygienists, therapists, and receptionists. Booking a locum on Airlocum takes just a few minutes, whether you need same-day cover, last-minute emergency staff, or a planned future shift. Most shifts are filled in under 15 minutes.
⚡ At a glance ✔ Available roles: Dental Nurse, Dentist, Hygienist, Therapist, Ortho Therapist, Receptionist ✔ Average time to confirm a locum: under 15 minutes ✔ Payment: only charged after the shift is completed and timesheet approved ✔ Support: live chat available — ask to speak to a person at any time |
Step-by-Step: How to Book a Dental Locum
Step 1 — Log in to your Airlocum account
Visit airlocum.co.uk and sign in to your practice account. If you are not yet registered, you can complete a free quick registration in under two minutes.
Step 2 — Select the date and locum role
Enter the date you need cover and choose the role you require:
• Dental Nurse
• Dentist
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Therapist / Ortho Therapist
• Receptionist
Step 3 - Choose your booking method
Airlocum offers two ways to find a locum:
Method | Best used for |
Quick Book ⚡ | AI-powered. Fastest option for same-day, urgent, or last-minute dental locum cover. Recommended for shifts under 24 hours away. |
Search Locums 🔍 | Browse available locums, filter by skills, ratings, distance, and price. Best for planned future shifts or when you have specific requirements. |
Step 4 — Review locum profiles
Each locum profile displays:
Photo, ratings, and verified reviews from other practices
GDC registration number (automatically verified in real time)
Qualifications, specialisms, and skills
Hourly rate and reliability score
Travel distance from your practice
Decide whether to proceed with all matching locums (recommended) or select specific individuals from your search results.
Step 5 — Send your booking request
Click Proceed with All to notify every matching locum instantly, or select specific locums manually.
At checkout, you can:
Adjust arrival and leave times
Review the total cost — hourly rate + Airlocum service fee + VAT, all shown transparently
Click Send Booking Request 🚀 to go live.
💡 Pro tip: Send to 30+ locums for urgent shifts For shifts under 24 hours away, sending your request to 30 or more locums dramatically increases fill speed. The first locum to accept secures the shift — more recipients means faster confirmation. All locums on Airlocum are pre-vetted. Broad reach does not mean lower quality. |
Step 6 — What happens after you send the request
All selected locums receive your booking request instantly.
The first locum to accept gets the shift — the booking closes automatically.
Most dental locum shifts fill in under 15 minutes.
You receive instant SMS and email updates when a locum accepts or declines.
Booking Request Tracker: After sending, a live tracker appears showing how many locums have been notified, viewed your request, and are checking their availability. It refreshes every 20 seconds.
Automated rebooking: If no locum accepts within 2 hours, Airlocum automatically resends your request to increase coverage — using the same filters you set.
Step 7 — Payment
You are only charged after the shift is completed and after you have approved the locum's timesheet. Your payment method (card or invoice) is never charged for unverified or incomplete work.
Pay by Card Charged automatically after timesheet approval. Secure, instant, no invoicing required. | Pay by Invoice Invoices issued after shift completion and timesheet approval. Activate invoicing in "Payment Methods" tab. |
Booking Tips for Faster Fill Rates
Use Quick Book for same-day or last-minute dental locum cover — it automatically contacts the best-matched, most available locums first.
Send to 30+ locums for any shift under 24 hours away.
Use filters precisely: filter by skill, distance, and price to match your shift requirements — but avoid over-filtering on urgent requests.
Build a Favourites list: add trusted locums to your Favourites so you can re-book known professionals faster. Aim for 15–30 favourites for the best results.
Plan ahead where possible: sending requests 48–72 hours in advance gives locums more time to confirm and increases acceptance rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to book a dental locum on Airlocum?
Most shifts are confirmed in under 15 minutes. Quick Book typically achieves confirmation faster than the Search Locums method for same-day or urgent requests.
What dental locum roles can I book through Airlocum?
You can hire a dental nurse, dentist, dental hygienist, dental therapist, ortho therapist, or receptionist. All professionals are GDC-verified before they appear in search results.
Can I book a dental locum for today or tomorrow?
Yes. Use Quick Book for same-day or next-day cover. For the best results on short-notice shifts, send your request to 30 or more locums simultaneously. Airlocum has 1,100+ registered locums across the UK.
Is Airlocum cheaper than a dental staffing agency?
Yes. Airlocum charges a small service fee per shift — typically a fraction of what traditional agencies charge. The exact amount is included in the hourly rate seen on locum profile cards, and shown before you send your request. There are no subscription fees or registration charges."
What happens if no locum accepts my booking request?
Airlocum's automated rebooking system resends your request after 2 hours if no one has accepted. You can also manually resend or broaden your search. For urgent unfilled shifts, contact the Airlocum team via live chat.
When am I charged for a dental locum booking?
You are only charged after the shift is completed and you have approved the locum's timesheet. Your payment method is never charged in advance.
How does the Booking Request Tracker work?
After sending a booking request, a live Booking Request Tracker shows you how many locums have been notified, have viewed your request, and are checking their availability. It updates every 20 seconds.
Can I re-book the same locum again?
Yes. Add locums to your Favourites list and use the 'My Favourites first' filter when searching. This lets you re-book trusted professionals directly and quickly.
What if I need a locum with specific skills (e.g. sedation, orthodontics)?
Use the Skills filter in Search Locums to find locums with verified specialist qualifications.
