Dr. Patrick B. Lillis, DDS, Dentist in Overland Park, KS
Dr. Patrick B. Lillis, DDS, is the owner and only dentist at Overland Park Dental Design, a privately owned practice at 4601 West 109th Street in Overland Park, Kansas.
Dr. Lillis completed a two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at UMKC, has treated complex restorative and cosmetic cases in Johnson County since 2004, and teaches other dentists through Seattle Study Club.
Dr. Lillis at a glance
- Dental school
- Doctor of Dental Surgery, Creighton University School of Dentistry
- Undergraduate
- Marquette University
- Residency
- Two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry, UMKC School of Dentistry, 2002 to 2004
- In practice
- Overland Park since July 2004
- The practice
- Privately owned, one dentist, four operatories
- Treatment focus
- Full mouth rehabilitation, dental implants, porcelain veneers and crowns, preventive and longevity care
- Teaching
- 20+ years lecturing to dentists, through Seattle Study Club and Straumann
- Ceramics
- Layered by hand at a small ceramic studio in West Hollywood, California
- Office
- Foxhill Medical Building, 109th and Roe, Overland Park, KS 66211
Why Dr. Lillis became a dentist
Five moments that shaped a practice built on hands-on training, mentorship, and the decision to stay small.
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Growing up in my grandfather's lab
I grew up in a close Italian family, a short walk from my grandfather's house. He was a dentist, and he practiced until he was 80.
By 13, I was in his laboratory waxing and casting. I was the only kid in my class doing anything like that.
He loved dentistry, and he was home at five o'clock every day. That looked like a pretty good life to me, so I followed him into it.
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Training at Marquette, Creighton, and UMKC
I went to Marquette University, then earned my Doctor of Dental Surgery at Creighton University School of Dentistry.
Out of dental school, I wasn't sure which direction to take. One of our clinical directors told me to go do the Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at UMKC, so I did.
I signed up for one year and stayed for two. The complex cases I inherited at the school needed the time, and I worked through full-mouth, implant, and cosmetic cases with attending faculty watching every step.
In my residency program, I stubbed my toe like 900 times. But I was a resident, with attendings over my shoulder. I can't fathom doing those cases without that level of training.
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Learning veneer bonding from the dentists who worked it out
One of my attendings was Dr. Frank Gardner. Frank and Dr. Bernie Williams were among the dentists who figured out how to bond porcelain to teeth, and they helped develop a porcelain veneer cement dentists still use around the world.
What I learned from them about preparation design and bonding I use every hour of every day. The materials and scanners have come a long way since then, and the fundamentals are the same ones they taught me.
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The Overland Park practice Bernie Williams built
I opened my practice in July 2004. A couple of years later, I joined Bernie, who lectured around the world on TMJ and occlusion, and we merged the two practices. I eventually took it over.
A porcelain veneer cement now used worldwide was beta-tested in this office.
Between Bernie and me, this practice has cared for patients in Johnson County for about 50 years.
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Staying small on purpose
Bernie was an incredible clinician, and he was the first to admit he wasn't a business person. I came out of residency with advanced clinical training and almost no business training.
So in our first year together, we brought in a practice consultant and built the structure we still run on. We had three operatories for two decades and added a fourth a few years ago.
While most of dentistry chased scale, with more doctors and more locations, we doubled down on staying boutique. When you call, you know who you're talking to, and when you come in, you see me.
“Everybody's gone scale, scale, scale. We said no, we're going to stay small. It's our identity and how we do things.”
How Dr. Lillis plans a case
- 01
Look at the whole system
When you come in, I look at the whole system: your teeth, your bite, your jaw joints, the muscles that move them, and your airway. A tooth that keeps breaking is usually telling us something about the rest.
- 02
Diagnosis comes first
We gather records, make a diagnosis, and then give you a few options with costs. The diagnosis always comes first. Nearly every failed case I'm asked to fix went wrong at that step.
- 03
Get out of the cycle
My running joke with patients is that you have better things to do than live your life in a dental office. My goal is to get you out of the cycle of perpetual dentistry.
The cases other dentists send here
For about 15 years, my marketing budget was zero. General dentists, oral surgeons, and periodontists across Kansas City sent me the cases they didn't want to take on, and a big share of our work still comes from them.
Some of my patients are dentists themselves.
The hardest cases I see are worn teeth where the bite has collapsed, and the lost height has to be rebuilt. There's no margin for error in the records, the bite, or the preparation design, which is why a full mouth reconstruction takes the planning it does.
There's no substitute for time and experience. I was trained to do these cases in residency, I've done them for 20-plus years, and I had a mentor who did them. They're still hard.
Professional Referrals Welcome
Natural cosmetic dentistry starts with function
I tell every cosmetic patient that function comes first. When the teeth are designed around how your bite works, the ceramic lasts and the teeth fit your face.
A successful case is one where people tell you your smile looks great and can't tell you had anything done. That's how we plan porcelain veneers and crowns here.
The ceramic studio behind every veneer and crown
My ceramic work comes from a small studio in West Hollywood, California, run by a technician I've known for many years. The studio doesn't advertise, and it doesn't take on every dentist who asks.
The same studio builds ceramic for cosmetic practices in Beverly Hills. My patients get that level of work here in Kansas City, at Kansas City fees.
The studio also develops printing and scanning workflows with SprintRay. I sit down with my technician every few months to hear what's coming in digital dentistry, so new techniques reach this office early.
Why Dr. Lillis still teaches dentists
I've lectured to other dentists for more than 20 years. Bernie pushed me to keep going at a point when I was ready to stop speaking and just practice.
Teaching made me a better dentist. When you know a case is going up on a big screen in front of your peers, you take extra time to refine it.
It also connected me with the people and ideas that shaped how this practice works. I come back from every trip energized, with something new to use in the office.
Dr. Michael Cohen, who founded Seattle Study Club in 1992, brought me into the organization. Today most of my lecturing is through Seattle Study Club, along with programs with Straumann.
A course on the whole life of a dentist
A while back, I spent part of a lecture on business topics, and the reviews asked for more. So I built a course that ties business, leadership, practice management and clinical dentistry together. It's called Dentistry 360.
My mission for the next decade of teaching is to help younger dentists build the kind of career I've been lucky to have.
They tell me they want a small, fee-for-service practice. I tell them, let me show you how. I'm doing it in Overland Park, Kansas. Why can't you do it where you are?
The values this practice runs on
I went to a Jesuit university, and at 18 I thought the philosophy and theology classes were a waste of time for someone headed into dentistry.
Decades later, I rarely think about organic chemistry, and I use the critical thinking from those classes every single day.
Our core values come straight from that education. We call them MAPS:
- 01
Men and women for others
- 02
Always be growing
- 03
Passion in everything we do
- 04
Service above self
The best advice I ever got came from my grandfather, and I still share it with young dentists.
As my grandfather used to say: “Don't worry about the money. Just do a good job, and the money will follow.”
The team patients have known for years
Patients call and talk to the same front desk person they've talked to for years. My assistant has been with me for 15 years or more.
Our hygienist, Shanda Overbeck, RDH, was Bernie's hygienist when I joined, and she has been full-time here for more than 20 years.
I hire star performers who can work as a team, and I ask for their opinions. You'll feel it the moment you walk in.
“As soon as you turn the doorknob and come into the office, you're going to feel it. I can't go to work at a depressing place.”
Life outside the practice
I leave the office at four o'clock most days. If a dentist is at the practice until all hours of the night, the practice isn't structured correctly.
Lecturing almost cost me time with my kids. When my son was in grade school, he told me he missed me while I was gone.
Not long after, a corporate acquisition ended my speaking contract, and I took it as a sign. I stayed home and lectured sparingly while the kids grew up.
It was the best decision I ever made. When I dropped them off at college, they knew who I was. Now that both are away at school, I'm lecturing more again, and I've learned to say no. My wife, Shannon, and I have been married 24 years. She has a master's in genetics, and she's the smart one in our house.
I've been an athlete since I was a teenager. These days that means more strength training than running, plus skiing and as much time as I can get in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
A patient once asked if they could call me Pat. I told them if you show up on time and pay your bills, you can call me whatever you want.
Common questions about Dr. Lillis
Where did Dr. Lillis train?
Dr. Patrick Lillis earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Creighton University School of Dentistry after studying at Marquette University. Dr. Lillis then completed a two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the UMKC School of Dentistry, from 2002 to 2004.
How long has Dr. Lillis practiced in Overland Park?
Dr. Lillis opened the practice in July 2004 and later merged with the practice of Dr. Bernie Williams. Together, the two practices have cared for Johnson County patients for about 50 years.
Will I see Dr. Lillis at every visit?
Yes. Overland Park Dental Design has one dentist and one location, so every exam, diagnosis and treatment is with Dr. Lillis. Hygiene visits are with the same hygienist each time.
Does Dr. Lillis take referrals from other dentists?
Yes. General dentists, oral surgeons and periodontists across the Kansas City area refer complex restorative, implant and cosmetic cases, including work that needs correcting after treatment elsewhere. Referring offices can call (913) 451-7330.
Who makes Dr. Lillis's crowns and veneers?
A small ceramic studio in West Hollywood, California, builds every crown and veneer by hand, in layers. The studio works with a limited number of dentists and develops digital printing and scanning workflows with SprintRay.
Where does Dr. Lillis teach?
Dr. Lillis has lectured to dentists for more than 20 years, mainly through Seattle Study Club and in programs with Straumann. The course Dentistry 360 covers business, leadership, practice management and clinical dentistry.
Is Overland Park Dental Design privately owned?
Yes. Dr. Lillis owns the practice outright. There is no corporate owner and no private equity group behind it.
Book a consultation with Dr. Lillis
If dental work keeps failing, or you want a dentist who looks at the whole picture, start with a consultation. You leave with a diagnosis and a written plan.