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VUMC
Nashville, Tennessee

Dental Assistant - Pediatrics

Dental AssistantFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 2h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system.

Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research.

Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated.

We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization

CHOC DOT 9 Peds Clinics

Job Summary

Assists in preventive, therapeutic, cosmetic and other dental services with occasional guidance by a board certified dentist..

Key Responsibilities

  • Performs dental assistant duties.
  • Prepares patient for procedure and/or exam.
  • Provides patient with instructions.
  • Maintenance and cleaning of equipment.
  • The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned. TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
  • Sterilization Preparation (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate sterilization preparation in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Generally works under the direction of others while accomplishing assignments.
  • Patient Documentation (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate patient documentation in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Generally works under the direction of others while accomplishing assignments.
  • Dental Terminology (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate dental terminology in practical applications of moderate difficulty.
  • Patient Exam Room Care (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate patient exam room care in practical applications of moderate difficulty.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

Core Accountabilities

  • Organizational Impact: Performs clearly defines tasks and methods described in detail to achieve standardized solutions that impact own performance with regular guidance. * Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Follows a well established process to solve routine problems where solutions are clearly prescribed. * Breadth of Knowledge: Has basic job knowledge of systems and procedures that are common to own job. * Team Interaction: Individually contributes to the team.

Core Capabilities

Delivering Excellent Services: Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service. Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns in a timely manner.

Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality: Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.

Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond.

Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department.

Managing Resources Effectively: Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources.

Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error.

Fostering Innovation: Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them. - Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications

Responsibilities:

Certifications

LIC-Registered Dental Assistant - Tennessee

Work Experience

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level

Less than 1 year

Education

Graduate of an Approved Discipline Specific Program

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.

Requirements

Requires graduation from an approved discipline-specific program and a Tennessee Registered Dental Assistant license. Relevant work experience is required, with the stated experience level being less than one year.

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Dental AssistingPatient PreparationPatient InstructionsEquipment MaintenanceEquipment CleaningSafety ComplianceTeamwork

Pediatrics Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Dental Assistant market look like in Tennessee?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedDental Assistant median $346k (middle half $300k–$400k)107 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingTennessee index 91.9US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Dental Assistant listings in Tennessee103 active5,716 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedTennessee healthcare professional listings: 17% state a sign-on bonus · 0% offer loan repayment103 active listings, Nov 2026
New Pediatrics listings1,228 in the last 30 days811 the 30 days before (+51%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Pediatrics Jobs

4 matches · ranked by pay
#1

Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (Pediatrics)

Smilist · Langhorne, Pennsylvania

$25-$30/hr
#2

Dental Assistant (Orthodontics/Pediatrics)

Smilist · Amherst, New York

$24-$28/hr
#3

Pediatric Dental Assistant

$20-$24/hr
#4

Expanded Duties Dental Assistant-Danville Pediatric Dentistry

$16-$20/hr
+ 2 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 50% of Dental Assistant listings

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

VUMC logo

About VUMC

Hospitals and Health Care
Nashville, Tennessee
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive Benefits Package (Health, Disability, Retirement, Wellness)
PSLF Eligible Employer

Living in Nashville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$409k
Typical market rent
$1,820/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.3
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026).

BEA 2024 · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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