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Calculator

How much is a locum really costing you?

Locums charge a premium day rate with zero continuity. Move the sliders to see the gap between a locum and Dentello's all-in £13.50 per UDA, by the day, week, month and year.

Locum day rate£550
£450£750
UDAs completed per day20
1030
Locum, per day
£550
Dentello, per day
£270
£67,200
extra you pay a year choosing a locum over Dentello
Per day
£280
Per week
£1,400
Per month
£5,600
Per year
£67,200

Dentello's £13.50 per UDA is all-in and includes the dentist, with a replacement guarantee and locum protection. Weekly figure assumes 5 working days, monthly 4 weeks, annual 12 months. Illustrative.

The hidden maths

Why a locum costs more than the day rate.

The day rate is only the visible cost. The real figure includes the sessions you cannot fill, the activity you hand back, the patients who go elsewhere, and the management time spent arranging cover instead of running the practice. The calculator above compares what you spend on temporary cover with the cost of a managed, permanent dentist.

The day rate is not the full cost

Empty sessions, unclaimed activity and lost patient revenue stack up fast. A high day rate often hides weeks where no dentist was available at all.

Temporary cover breaks continuity

Locums move on. Patients do not rebook with a rotating face, treatment plans stall, and the recall list that funds the practice quietly erodes.

A managed dentist is predictable

In England, Dentello supplies a permanent dentist from £13.50 per UDA, all in. The fee is performance-linked, there is no upfront cost, and a replacement is guaranteed.

Locum cost, answered.

What does this calculator include?
It compares your annual spend on locum or temporary cover against the cost of a managed, permanent dentist. Enter your day rate, the number of days you cover each week and the weeks per year. The result is an indicative annual figure for guidance only, not a quote.
How is £13.50 per UDA different from a locum day rate?
A locum day rate buys a person for a day, with no continuity and nothing claimed back if the session is empty. The £13.50 per UDA model in England is tied to delivered activity and includes the dentist's pay, so you pay for output rather than attendance. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the fee is a percentage of gross revenue.
Is there really no upfront fee?
Yes. There is no upfront fee under any model. You pay nothing to start, and the fee is performance-linked so it only applies as your dentist delivers. A replacement is included at no additional recruitment fee for approved clinics if your dentist leaves during the agreement.

Stop overpaying for cover.

Talk to Dentello about a managed dentist at £13.50 per UDA, all-in, with no upfront fee.

No commitment required · Response within 24 hours · No upfront fee under any model

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