Restorative dentistry repairs or replaces decayed, cracked, broken, worn, or missing teeth so they chew, feel, and look like healthy teeth again. It covers fillings, onlays, crowns, implants, dentures, and full mouth reconstruction.
At Overland Park Dental Design, Dr. Patrick B. Lillis, DDS, finds out why a tooth broke down before he repairs it, and he plans every restoration around how your teeth meet. The office sits at 109th and Roe in Overland Park, on the Leawood line.
The right repair depends on how much healthy tooth you have left, and Dr. Lillis chooses the option that preserves the most.
| Treatment | What it does | Best for | Visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tooth-colored filling | Replaces a small area of decay or an old silver filling | Small to medium damage with strong tooth walls | One |
| Onlay | A lab-made piece that covers the damaged part and one or more cusps | Larger damage where some of the tooth is still strong | Two |
| Dental crown | A cap that covers the whole visible tooth | Cracked, broken, or heavily filled teeth, and teeth after a root canal | Two |
| Dental implant | Replaces a missing tooth and its root | A missing tooth, or one you can't save | Several, over months |
| Dentures | Replace several or all teeth in an arch | Many missing teeth | Several |
| Full mouth rehabilitation | Rebuilds most or all teeth together | Worn teeth, a collapsed bite, or many failing restorations | Planned in phases |
Your treatment depends on what failed and why, so the first visit focuses on diagnosis.
Restorative dentistry repairs damage and brings back function, while cosmetic dentistry changes how healthy teeth look. The two overlap constantly, because a well-made crown on a front tooth does both jobs.
Dr. Lillis plans function first. When the bite works, the teeth look better as a result, and the cosmetic dentistry lasts longer.
When dental work keeps breaking or coming loose, the cause usually sits in the bite or the original plan, and replacing the same restoration the same way fails the same way.
“Function is always first. Cosmetics will be a byproduct of proper function.”
Dr. Lillis looks at the whole system: teeth, jaw joints, jaw muscles, and airway. If another office did the work, a second opinion starts with new records and a new diagnosis.
“You have better things to do than live your life in a dental office. I want to get you out of the cycle of perpetual dentistry.”
Every restorative plan starts with records and a diagnosis, and you see your options and costs before any treatment begins.
Dr. Lillis examines your teeth, gums, jaw joints, and bite, and takes X-rays, photos, and scans. He looks for the reason each tooth broke down, since a restoration that ignores the cause tends to fail early.
He walks you through what he found, what needs attention now, and what can wait. Each option comes with a written cost, and you decide the order.
Single teeth usually take one or two visits. Larger cases move in planned phases, so you keep a working bite the whole way through.
Your hygienist checks your restorations at every one-hour hygiene visit, and small problems get caught early.
Dr. Patrick B. Lillis completed a two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the UMKC School of Dentistry, treating complex restorative, implant, and reconstructive cases under attending faculty.
His passion for dental craft began at age thirteen in his grandfather's dental laboratory, where he learned the art of waxing and casting crowns firsthand. Today, he evaluates every restorative case—from single-tooth fillings and crowns to comprehensive full-mouth reconstructions—with the meticulous eye of an experienced technician.
After founding Overland Park Dental Design in July 2004, Dr. Lillis has continued to share his expertise in advanced restorative procedures and bite alignment by lecturing to fellow practitioners through the Seattle Study Club.
5.0 on Google · 32 reviews
Their team is detail oriented. You don't leave their office unless everything is perfect. I had major dental work performed. Since then I've received numerous compliments from family, friends & strangers about my new smile.
I've been to a number of dentists over the years. This past year I had to have some major work done. Since it affected my smile, I really wanted a top-level dentist on the job. I also have extreme anxiety about having impressions made like when you need a crown.
First let me say that all the staff at Overland Park Dental Design. are friendly and helpful. Dr. Lillas is truly a top-tier highly skilled dentist with a support team to match. They also have some type of 3d scanning software that means I didn't have to have traditional impressions which was incredible.
My teeth look perfect and the process was super smooth and painless!
I highly recommend Overland Park Dental Design!
I was sent to Dr. Lillis by referral to fix a crown that I was told was not fixable. Not only did Dr. Lillis listen to all of my concerns but he was able to fix what others could not in a timely manner and with the utmost regard to detail and perfection. I honestly CANNOT say enough good things about this office. Every single staff member as well as Dr. Lillis himself have exceeded my expectations in all areas of care!!!! I highly recommend Dr. Lillis for all your dental needs.
Restorative costs range from a single filling to a phased full-mouth plan, so the price depends on how many teeth need work and what treatment each one needs.
After your exam, you receive a written plan with the cost of each option. Dental insurance often covers part of restorative care, and your coverage depends on your plan.
Overland Park Dental Design is in the Foxhill Medical Building at 109th and Roe, just off I-435 at Roe Avenue, on the line between Overland Park and Leawood. Patients come from Leawood, Prairie Village, Mission Hills, Olathe, Lenexa, and across the Kansas City metro.
Overland Park Dental Design, Patrick B. Lillis, DDSRestorative dentistry repairs or replaces damaged and missing teeth. It includes fillings, onlays, crowns, bridges, implants, dentures, and full mouth reconstruction.
Dentists also call it operative dentistry when it involves fillings and direct repairs, and full-mouth reconstruction when it involves the whole bite. Prosthodontics is the dental specialty focused on replacing teeth.
A dentist usually can't save a tooth when a crack runs below the gum line or into the root, or when too little healthy tooth remains above the gum for a crown to grip. When you can't save a tooth, an implant replaces it.
The high-speed handpiece, the dental drill, gets the most use because it removes decay and shapes teeth for fillings, onlays, and crowns. Digital scanners now replace putty impressions in many offices, and a curing light hardens tooth-colored fillings.
Most dental plans cover part of fillings, crowns, and other restorative work, often at a different rate than cleanings. The office gives you a written cost for each option so you can compare.
A filling works when the tooth walls around the damage stay strong. When a crack, a large old filling, or a root canal has left the tooth weak, a crown or onlay protects it.
If a tooth is cracked, worn, missing, or your dental work keeps failing, the consultation tells you why, what the least invasive fix is, and what it costs. You decide from there.