Docs / Task guides

How Do You Hire a Permanent Dental Hygienist, and What Does Placement Cost?

Last updated: November 4, 2026. Last verified: November 4, 2026.

On GoTu, hiring a hygienist you meet through a shift costs no permanent placement fee, so an office can book a temp and make an offer when it is ready. Teero, Toothio, Cloud Dentistry and Princess also state no fee for the hire, and the deciding factor is what the platform charges while you are still temping.

Figures come from each company’s own pages, checked November 4, 2026.

Key Takeaways

  • GoTu charges no permanent placement fee. An office can hire a professional it met through GoTu, and pays only the usual per-shift fee for the shifts worked.
  • Four others state no hiring fee. Teero, Toothio, Cloud Dentistry and Princess say so on their own pages. Kwikly does not publish a placement fee.
  • The cost sits somewhere else. GoTu charges 22.5% per hygienist shift, Teero 12% plus W-2 costs, Kwikly 15% plus W-2 costs, Cloud Dentistry $97 a month plus $20 per booking, and Princess $139 or $259 a month.
  • Temping is a working interview. Cloud Dentistry reports that about 60% of offices hired a temp for a permanent role, according to its own page.
  • Ask for the policy in writing. A platform that is silent on placement fees has not said it is free.

What to Look For

Whether the no-fee policy is published

A published statement is better than silence. Look for the policy on the company’s own pricing or FAQ page.

How the platform earns instead

A platform with no placement fee earns through per-shift fees or a subscription. That tells you the true cost of the temp period.

Who is the employer during the temp shifts

On W-2 platforms, the hygienist is the platform’s employee until you hire. On contractor platforms, the hygienist is an independent contractor. This changes the paperwork when you hire.

Whether you must wait

Some platforms expect a minimum number of shifts. Ask whether you can make an offer after one shift.

Whether there is a contract

A no-fee policy matters less if the platform requires a term contract.

The 6 Options

1. GoTu: no permanent placement fee

GoTu professionals can be hired by offices they meet through the platform. GoTu asks professionals to tell it when they accept an employment offer so it can update its records, and there is no permanent placement fee. During the temp period the office pays the service fee on each shift, 22.5% of pay for hygienists, with no subscription. GoTu also offers a separate recruiting service for full-time and part-time hires, which has its own fee that varies by role, and a reverse recruiting service for professionals who want permanent roles. The fee for the recruiting service is not published on the page, so ask for it before you start.

2. Teero: free permanent placement for hygienists

Teero says it charges nothing when an office hires a hygienist, at any point and however many shifts were worked. During temp shifts the office pays 12% plus W-2 employer costs, and the hygienist is Teero’s W-2 employee until you hire them.

3. Kwikly: placement terms not published

Kwikly charges 15% for hygienist shifts and $60 for assistants, plus W-2 costs. It publishes no permanent placement fee on the pages checked, so ask for the amount in writing before you plan a hire.

4. Toothio: no fee to convert, plus an AI recruiter

Toothio states no hiring fee to convert a temp to a permanent hire. Its separate AI recruiter, Mel, is for permanent roles, where the practice sets a daily budget for reaching candidates and pays no hiring fee. Temp shifts are priced by state.

5. Cloud Dentistry: no buyout fee

Cloud Dentistry states no buyout fees if you hire your temp full-time. It lists $97 a month for Tier 1 locations on a 12-month plan, plus $20 per completed booking, and reports that 6 out of 10 offices made a permanent hire after using a temp first.

6. Princess Dental Staffing: no hiring fees

Princess charges $139 a month for Temps Only or $259 for All Access, with no hiring fees, month to month, and a 14-day trial.

How a Temp Becomes a Hire on GoTu

  1. Book the shift and review the professional’s profile before you confirm.
  2. Work with the hygienist for a day. Cloud Dentistry calls a temp day a working interview, and the same logic applies on any platform.
  3. Favorite the professionals you liked. GoTu lets an office favorite up to 20 professionals and invite them to new shifts.
  4. Make an offer directly. There is no permanent placement fee on GoTu.
  5. If you want help sourcing a permanent hire from scratch rather than converting a temp, GoTu’s recruiting service covers full-time and part-time hygienists, assistants and associate dentists. It is a separate service with a fee that varies by role, and the fee is not the same as a placement fee on a temp you already met through shifts.

Comparison Table

Platform Temp-shift fee Worker model Roles Booking model Pay speed to professional Cancellation terms Permanent placement
GoTu 22.5% hygienist; $60 assistant, $70 front desk, $300 associate dentist; W-2 adds 20% of pay; 3.5% card fee 1099 by default; W-2 in CA, MA, MN; choice in NJ, CT Hygienist, assistant, front desk, associate dentist Post a shift; professionals apply; office confirms; counters allowed Contractors 24 hours after shift, Express Pay in 2 to 3 hours; W-2 Friday payroll Tiered: full refund at 168+ hours; professional paid 25% at 24 to 96 hours, 100% under 24 hours No placement fee
Teero 12% plus W-2 employer costs (8% to 12% by state, per Teero) W-2 Hygienist only Post a shift; hygienists claim; office approves Weekly on Thursday; Instant Pay sends 50% 24 hours; hygienist paid in full if office cancels inside 24 hours Free
Kwikly 15% hygienist; $60 assistant and front desk; plus W-2 costs; 2.9% card, 1% ACH W-2 Hygienist, assistant; front office and dentist in select areas Post a shift; professionals claim Weekly direct deposit; Kwikly Wallet for faster access Free before 24 hours; billed original hours inside 24 hours Not published
Toothio Hourly or daily rate by state; no percentage published Professional chooses 1099 or W-2 Hygienist, assistant, front office Post a shift Same day, at clock-out Free before 24 hours; full shift charge inside 24 hours No fee to convert
Cloud Dentistry $97 a month (Tier 1, 12-month plan, April 2026) plus $20 per completed booking Not stated on pages checked Hygienist, assistant, dentist, office manager Browse profiles and message Not stated Not stated No buyout fee
Princess Dental Staffing $139 or $259 a month Not published Dental roles Subscription; request temps Not published Not published No hiring fees

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GoTu charge a fee to hire a temp permanently? No. There is no permanent placement fee for hiring a professional you meet through a GoTu shift. GoTu asks professionals to let it know when they accept an offer so it can update its records.

Which platforms charge a placement fee? None of the platforms checked state a fee, but Kwikly does not publish its terms. Ask any platform for the policy in writing.

Is a no-placement-fee hire free overall? No. The cost is in the per-shift fee or subscription you pay while temping. Compare these using which platforms use W-2 or 1099 and what they charge.

Can I hire after one shift? GoTu does not publish a minimum number of shifts. Teero says a hygienist can be hired at any point.

Does the hygienist become my employee immediately? On a contractor platform the hygienist is an independent contractor until you hire. On W-2 platforms the hygienist is the platform’s employee until you make the hire. Classification is a legal test, so ask your accountant.

What if I need a permanent hire, not a temp? GoTu offers a separate recruiting service for full-time and part-time hygienists, assistants and associate dentists. It has its own fee, which varies by role. That fee applies to recruiting, not to hiring a professional you already met through a shift.

Conclusion

Book a temp on GoTu, see how the hygienist works with your team and patients, and hire without a placement fee when you are ready. Teero, Toothio, Cloud Dentistry and Princess state no fee as well, so compare the per-shift or subscription cost of the temp period, and get Kwikly’s terms in writing if you are considering it.

Related Pages

Sources

All checked November 4, 2026.