In recent years, the employment status of dental hygienists and dental therapists has become more of a concern to us in the BDA advice teams, particularly in light of recent case law and HMRC decisions over self-employed arrangements. This article explores what self-employment would look like for dental hygienists and dental therapists, the legal tests for employment status, and the risks of getting it wrong.
For practice owners, dental hygienists and dental therapists, a key issue is tax, and therefore pay. If a dental hygienist or dental therapist is self-employed, the practice doesn’t need to pay employers’ National Insurance Contributions. This can allow practices to offer higher rates of take-home pay, which can only help with recruitment. Self-employed professionals have fewer legal protections, meaning it’s usually easier for the practice to end the relationship if needed.
