Celebrating 10 Years of Dental Leadership
Ten years ago, there were two paths in dentistry—private practice on one side, corporate dentistry on the other—and nothing in between. We saw an opportunity to build something different. We believed then, and we still believe today, that dentists are the natural leaders of the dental practice, and Lightwave was formed as the industry’s first Dental Leadership Organization (DLO) to help dental professionals grow, lead, and reach their goals. Today, looking at what we’ve built together over the past decade, I am filled with gratitude and pride.
A Vision for Something Different
Lightwave Dental was founded on a simple but powerful belief: that exceptional patient care comes from exceptional dental leadership. Yet most dentists in private practice struggle to carry the dual burden of being a full-time clinician and a small-business owner. Dentists in a corporate structure, on the other hand, struggle with a lack of clinical autonomy and little strategic input into the direction of the company. From day one, Lightwave was committed to elevating dental leadership by relieving the business-ownership burden while creating a dentist-owned and dentist-led culture where exceptional dentists can thrive personally, professionally, and financially.
From Eight Practices to a Thriving Community
When we launched Lightwave in 2016, we started with 8 practices in Virginia, a small team, and a lot of belief. Those early days were not without their challenges. We think back to driving 48,000 miles in a single year, spending time every week in our practices from Virginia Beach all the way to Leesburg. By gathering top-tier dentists, distilling best practices, and shaping our strategy with doctor input, we planted the seeds that have blossomed into one of the highest-quality dental groups in the United States.
Over the past decade, that belief compounded into something remarkable. Our group has grown to over 100 dental practices across Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Lightwave is a multi-specialty group with key opinion leaders across general dentistry, orthodontics, pediatrics, endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery. While supporting more than 250 dentists, our doctor engagement continues to lead the industry—we retain over 95% of our doctors each year. And with more than 1,800 talented team members across the Lightwave community, we have sustained a world-class employee net promoter score of 50 or higher for five straight years.
Developing Dental Leaders
Nothing defines our Dental Leadership Organization more than the growth and development of our dental leaders. We built the DLO because we believe the best dental organizations are led from within—by dentists who have been mentored, challenged, and given real opportunities to lead.
When Triangle Family Dentistry and Carolinas Orthodontics & Children’s Dentistry joined Lightwave in 2019, there were 10 practices, 19 dentists, and 160 employees providing just over $19 million a year in patient care services. Today, there are 23 locations, 60 dentists, and over 340 team members providing more than $65 million in patient care services.
When CarolinasDentist joined Lightwave in 2019, there were 6 practices with 16 dentists and 150 team members providing just over $16 million a year in patient care services. Today, there are 28 practices, 61 dentists, and over 500 team members providing more than $88 million in patient care services.
While these two stories stand out, I could create a long list of examples of doctor development, partner promotions, regional and practice manager excellence that have contributed to Lightwave’s success. This is what Lightwave is all about: expanding exceptional patient care in beautiful, modern offices, led by teams and dental leaders who are truly invested in the care they provide, the growth of their people, and the success of every practice.
Advancing Clinical Excellence
Alongside our growth in practices and people, our clinical impact has expanded in meaningful ways over the past decade. We’ve welcomed hundreds of doctors into the Lightwave community—each bringing clinical excellence, new capabilities, and a shared commitment to patient-centered care. Together, they’ve helped advance how we deliver care across our network—expanding access to multi-specialty services, integrating new technologies, and continually elevating the standard of care within our practices.
From early investments in clinical education to the continued expansion of Lightwave’s CE programs, we’ve built an environment where doctors can grow as both clinicians and leaders. That ongoing focus on development has translated into stronger patient outcomes, more comprehensive treatment offerings, and a culture where clinical innovation is not only supported, but expected. This is what it looks like when dental leadership truly scales—impacting not just our practices, but the communities we serve.
Looking Ahead
To every team member who has been part of this journey—whether you joined us in year one, year five, or just recently: THANK YOU!
The next chapter is one we are genuinely excited about as we move Fueled by Vision and Driven by Traction into a year-long celebration of our 10th Anniversary. Stay tuned—we’ll reveal details in the coming weeks.
Thank you for being a key part of Lightwave’s success. We are just getting started, and the future is bright!
With gratitude,
Justin Jory & Clifton Cameron