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Lightwave Dental
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina

Dental Assistant - Orthodontic and Pediatric

Dental Assistant 8.0 Work-LifeFull-Time

Listed compensation

$18-$30/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

At Carolina Orthodontics and Children's Dentistry, our top priority is to provide our patients with the highest quality care in a friendly, fun, state-of-the-art environment with unmatched professional service. Our specialists and the entire team are proud to offer outstanding orthodontic and children's dental care.

Are YOU

  • Outstanding
  • Reliable
  • Technical
  • Hard-working
  • Observant
  • Passionate
  • Empathetic
  • Dynamic
  • Outstanding

WE are:

  • Compassionate
  • Authentic
  • Rowdy (at times)
  • One-of-a-kind
  • Leaders
  • Inclusive
  • Nurturing

Appreciative

At Carolina Orthodontics & Children's Dentistry we believe that every person, every job and every day is important! If you believe that too, we'd love to meet you!

PTO * Health/Vision/Dental * 401k

Position Summary

The job of an orthodontic and pediatric clinical assistant is to ensure that each patient consistently receives outstanding, individualized service at each treatment appointment.

Responsibilities

Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of each clinical day engaged and ready to participate in team morning meeting

Ensure that patients have an excellent experience by providing care in a patient-friendly environment. This includes bringing patients back on time for their scheduled appointment and greeting and acknowledging each patient by name at the treatment appointment

The goal of the assistant is to, over time, get to know the patients and interact with families on an individual level (i. e. team member remembers things about each patient)

  • Serve as chairside clinical assistant, demonstrating proficiency in all areas of assisting
  • Demonstrate proficiency in orthodontic and dental language and terminology such that clinical assistant can type chart notes using the terms and abbreviations used by the practice
  • Demonstrate proficiency in practice management software such that assistant can schedule next visit chairside
  • Efficiently run clinical chair to see 12-15 patients per day in a timely manner
  • Assist in instrument sterilization via cold sterile, dry-heat, and autoclave methods
  • Work with other team members, both clinical and administrative, to help the day run smoothly
  • Any other duties or responsibilities as assigned by the doctor

Qualifications

  • Training Requirements (licenses, programs, or certificates)
  • Dental x-ray certification

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Orthodontic assistingPediatric dental assistingChairside assistingDental terminologyPatient careScheduling

Pediatrics Career Context

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$50k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $53k in an average-cost state. 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How does Lightwave Dental compare as an employer?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score8.0 / 10 · top 5% in dental assistantranked against 342 Dental Assistant listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$37k–$62kDental Assistant median $48k (middle half $44k–$57k)193 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$53k in purchasing powerNorth Carolina index 94.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Pediatrics listings in North Carolina24 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All dental assistant listings in North Carolina225 active6,023 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNorth Carolina healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 37% state a sign-on bonus (median $15k) · 5% offer loan repayment225 active listings, Nov 2026
New Pediatrics listings1,158 in the last 30 days758 the 30 days before (+53%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (342 Dental Assistant listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. North Carolina figures use all dental assistants: too few North Carolina Pediatrics postings state pay.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Dental Assistant - Orthodontic and Pediatric at Lightwave Dental a 8.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as excellent. This places the position in the top 5% in Dental Assistant — ranked against 342 active Dental Assistant listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Pediatrics Jobs

6 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

5 jobs · 4 employers
2
<$50k
2
$50k-60k
1
$62k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution

6 jobs · 4 employers
0
1-2
0
3-4
2
5-6
3
7-8
1
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (Pediatrics)

Smilist · Langhorne, Pennsylvania

$26-$30/hr
#2

Dental Assistant (Orthodontics/Pediatrics)

Smilist · Amherst, New York

$24-$28/hr
#3

Dental Assistant (Pediatrics)

$23-$26/hr
#4

Pediatric Dental Assistant

$20-$24/hr
+ 4 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 8.0
Among the best 10% of Dental Assistant listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 342 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Lightwave Dental logo

About Lightwave Dental

Hospitals and Health Care
Woodbridge, Virginia
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

PTO
Health/Vision/Dental
401k

Living in Fuquay-Varina

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$374k
Typical market rent
$1,875/mo
Residents’ average commute
33 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.0
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Fayetteville, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.