Most dental recruitment agencies use the same model.
They send CVs.
You choose a dentist.
You pay a fixed fee of around £5,000–£10,000 plus VAT for the introduction.
That invoice usually lands upfront or shortly after the start date, long before you know whether the dentist will:
• hit your UDA targets
• fit clinically and culturally
• stay long enough to justify the cost
There is often a short rebate period of a few weeks or months. After that there is:
• no refund
• no obligation to replace
• no performance guarantee
At the same time, you still have to pay the dentist a high UDA rate to stay competitive. So you end up with:
• a large agency invoice
• a high UDA cost
• no real protection if it goes wrong
The agency has been paid. All of the risk sits with you.
For many practices, Dentello is now the alternative to a dental recruitment agency – a way to recruit dentists without paying another £5,000–£10,000 plus VAT every time.
The hidden game: repeat fees, no accountability
Practice owners often see the same pattern.
A dentist leaves one clinic.
The agency places them into another clinic.
The second clinic pays another £5,000–£10,000 plus VAT.
The same dentist can generate multiple fees over time. Each practice takes the risk on performance, clawback and culture fit. The agency makes money on movement, not on stability. Once the rebate window closes, they are not commercially tied to your UDA results.
How Dentello’s dentist recruitment platform is different from a dental recruitment agency
Dentello is not a traditional agency. It is a clinical workforce platform and dentist recruitment platform designed around performance, protection and clarity of cost.
1. Clear, predictable cost – from £12.50 per UDA including our fee
With Dentello, you are not writing a £5,000–£10,000 plus VAT cheque on day one.
You pay from £12.50 per UDA, including Dentello’s fee. That means:
• no big lump sum agency invoice
• a single, predictable cost per UDA
• you only pay as UDAs are actually delivered
You are not paying twice – once to an agency and again through an inflated UDA rate. The platform fee is built into the UDA value.
2. Shared risk and a real replacement guarantee
Dentello links its income to performance. If a Dentello dentist leaves early or clearly does not work out within the agreed period, Dentello provides a replacement under your agreement.
Agency model: a short rebate and then you start again from scratch.
Dentello model: a replacement guarantee, and a partner who is directly interested in getting a working dentist back in your chair.
You are not paying another £5,000–£10,000 plus VAT for the same problem.
3. End to end support – not just CVs
Dentello wraps recruitment and compliance into one relationship:
• pre vetted dentists matched to your UDA targets and clinic profile
• Skilled Worker sponsor licence handled with Dentello’s legal partners
• sponsor licence legal work passed through at cost price
• visa application legal work absorbed by Dentello, with you or the dentist only paying government fees
• NHS performer onboarding and ongoing support built in
You are not juggling a dental recruitment agency, an immigration firm and your own admin team. Dentello functions as your long term workforce partner.
Dental recruitment agency vs Dentello dentist recruitment platform at a glance
Dental recruitment agency
Dentello dentist recruitment platform and clinical workforce partner
Upfront cost
£5,000–£10,000 + VAT per dentist, paid upfront
No large upfront fee
UDA cost
High UDA rate on top of agency fee
From £12.50 per UDA, including Dentello’s fee
Link to performance
None once the short rebate window closes
Fees tied to UDAs actually delivered
Replacement if it fails
Short, limited rebate only
Clear replacement guarantee within the agreed period
Risk
100% on the practice
Shared – Dentello feels underperformance with you
Visas / UKVI / PL
Usually excluded; you pay lawyers separately
Dentello coordinates and absorbs / passes legal fees transparently
Involvement over time
Ends once invoice is paid and rebate ends
Ongoing – Dentello is invested in long term delivery and retention
One model sells you a CV, takes a cheque and steps away.
The other ties its income to your long term UDA success, from £12.50 per UDA including the platform fee, and backs it with a replacement guarantee.
What to do next
Think about your last agency placement:
• How much did you pay in fees – was it £5,000–£10,000 plus VAT?
• Are you also paying a high UDA rate to keep that dentist?
• What protection do you have if they leave or underperform?
If the honest answers are “a lot”, “yes” and “none”, the agency model is not working in your favour.
Dentello offers a different deal:
• starting from £12.50 per UDA including our fee
• no heavy upfront agency cheque
• a genuine replacement guarantee
• shared risk on performance
• end to end support with sponsorship, visas and performer onboarding
If you want to see what that looks like in real numbers for your clinic, the simplest step is to book a short call with the Dentello team, share what you currently pay agencies and your typical UDA rate, and compare it directly with the Dentello model.
For many practices, that one comparison is enough to stop writing cheques to dental recruitment agencies and start treating Dentello as their long term workforce partner.