Some dental offices change hands and names so often that patients never learn their hygienist's name. Willis & Associates Family Dentistry Ivy is the other kind of practice. For close to three decades, dentistry has been practiced at the same spot on Ivy Road — 2216 Ivy Rd #205, on Route 250 about 8 minutes west of UVA Grounds — long enough to care for children who now bring in children of their own. And through every year of it, the office has been owned by a working dentist, never a chain or an investment fund.
Founded by Dr. Michael Tisdale
The practice was founded roughly thirty years ago by Dr. Michael Tisdale, who spent his entire career practicing in Ivy. Over those years he built exactly the kind of steady, trusted neighborhood office that a community remembers — the dentist families came back to, and referred their friends and parents to. That reputation is the foundation everything here still rests on.
Doctor to Doctor: Dr. Willis Since 2022
In 2022, Dr. James Willis purchased the practice from Dr. Tisdale. That detail matters more than it might sound. The office didn't get rolled up into a regional group or handed to a management company; it passed from one dentist to another, and it stayed independent and doctor-owned. When the owner is a dentist rather than a private equity group, every decision runs through a clinical filter first — which technology to invest in, how long an appointment should last, whether a treatment is genuinely needed. Dr. Willis has written about that philosophy in his own words on choosing a dentist.
Growing Without Losing the Plot
Longevity only counts if a practice keeps getting better. In 2026, the office was expanded with five additional treatment rooms and CBCT 3D imaging — room to see more neighbors without rushing anyone, and the diagnostic detail that makes implant and root-canal planning far more precise. It sits alongside the rest of our technology: iTero digital scanning in place of goopy impression trays, and Overjet AI reviewing every X-ray beside the clinical team for earlier, more objective findings. Each addition has faced the same test — does it make care gentler, earlier, or more honest? If not, it doesn't come through the door.
Who Runs the Practice Today
Dr. Willis and his partner, Dr. Michelle Kim — the practice's current lead dentist — oversee operations together. You can read more about Dr. Kim on her bio page. Between them, the standard is simple and unglamorous: show up on time, explain things plainly, invest in better tools, and treat every patient like a neighbor, because they usually are. That is what patients describe on our reviews page, and it's the culture we hire for on our careers page.
Still Here, Still Independent
Nearly thirty years in one place comes with obligations we take seriously: supporting the community that supports us, and keeping care reachable — including through our Virginia Dental Club membership plan for neighbors without dental insurance. History, in the end, is just a promise about the future: the way this practice has treated patients for three decades is the way it intends to treat you. Come see for yourself. We're open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM — call (434) 977-4101 or book online.