Dr. James Willis, DDS

Dr. Willis did not set out to build a group of dental practices. He set out to earn the trust of one community, one patient at a time. He began his career in 2009, shortly after earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the West Virginia University School of Dentistry, stepping into a Virginia practice whose beloved founder had recently passed away. Many of those patients were still grieving, and he understood that he was not there to replace anyone. He was there to listen, to provide excellent care, and to earn his own place. Those years shaped a philosophy he still practices by: be gentle, be honest, and recommend treatment only when it genuinely improves a patient's health, comfort, function, or confidence. His approach is conservative and straightforward, with clear explanations, realistic expectations, no pressure, and no overtreatment. That standard now guides every clinician across Willis & Associates, the dentist-owned group he founded, including the team caring for Lynchburg families on Thomson Drive. Today his own chair time is devoted to the aesthetic work he loves most: full smile rehabilitation, custom porcelain veneers, porcelain and ceramic crown work, and Invisalign. A former member of the American Academy of Clear Aligners executive committee, he is the architect of the clear aligner program used across Willis & Associates, a group that has completed more than 1,000 Invisalign cases; here in Lynchburg it is delivered by Dr. Kim and Dr. Azevedo. An early adopter of dental technology, he served as a clinical test pilot for early AI-assisted diagnostic software. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the West Virginia University School of Dentistry Alumni Association, supporting the school that prepared him and encouraging the next generation of dentists. Outside the office, he lives in the Blue Ridge with his family, happiest somewhere on a Virginia mountainside.