How Riverbend Family Dental staffed two hygienists in a day

Challenge

As a single-location practice, Riverbend Family Dental runs lean. There is no dedicated HR person and no in-house recruiter, so when a hygienist calls out the work of finding coverage lands on whoever is closest to the front desk. On a busy morning, that is the last thing anyone has time for.

The math was painful. A single empty hygiene chair meant rescheduled cleanings, frustrated patients, and a full day of lost production. The office manager estimated that even one uncovered callout could quietly erase a good chunk of the week's margin.

Calling around and working through a personal contact list was slow and unreliable. On a morning with patients waiting, spending an hour tracking down a single available hygienist simply was not workable. Riverbend wanted a faster, more predictable way to keep every chair full, without turning staffing into a second job for the front office.

Solution

Riverbend started posting its open shifts on WORKFORCE. Instead of working the phones, the office manager fills out a short request in the portal, picks the position category, and sends it out. The request instantly reaches vetted, license-verified professionals within travel distance, who can claim the shift in a tap.

The same flow handles both temporary coverage and permanent hiring. When Riverbend wanted to add a full-time hygienist, the office posted the role, reviewed the professionals who responded, and moved a favorite temp toward a permanent offer, all in one place. Licensing, taxes, and insurance are handled on every placement, so there is no paperwork scramble before a new face starts.

Results

On its first real test, Riverbend filled two open hygienist chairs the same day it posted them. Both requests were claimed within hours, patients kept their appointments, and the day ran at full production instead of half.

One of those hygienists turned out to be an exceptional fit for the team. The following week, Riverbend extended a permanent offer and the hygienist accepted, turning a same-day temp shift into a long-term hire.

Just as importantly, the office now keeps a standing bench. Callout alerts push last-minute openings to professionals Riverbend has worked with before, so the next surprise absence is far less likely to become a lost day.

Why it works for a solo practice

For an office without an HR department, the biggest win is time. Staffing that used to eat a morning now takes a minute, and the platform absorbs the compliance overhead that a solo practice is least equipped to handle on its own.

Blending temp coverage with permanent placement also means Riverbend never has to choose between covering today and building the team for tomorrow. The same network does both, which is exactly what a growing practice needs.

What is next

Riverbend plans to lean further on alerts for same-day callouts and is already eyeing a permanent associate dentist as the practice grows. With staffing handled, the team can spend its energy where it belongs, on patients.