Julie M. Gillis DDS

Accredited Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD)

In addition to her membership in local, state, and national dental organizations, Dr. Gillis is an Accredited Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), the world’s largest association for cosmetic dentists.* She was the first and is currently one of only four dentists from Colorado to have achieved this honor.

 
Accreditation is earned by the demonstration of excellent skills in advanced restorative and cosmetic dentistry before an international panel of accredited dentists. In response to her stunning artistic results and obvious attention to detail during her own accreditation in 1997, Dr. Gillis was asked by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) to join the Accreditation Review Board as an Examiner. Dr. Gillis and a group of international accredited dentists examine other dentist’s work on 5 unique cosmetic cases to evaluate if they meet the criteria required for Accreditation in the AACD. Dr Gillis is currently the Chair of the Written Examination Committee for the AACD. To become accredited, dentists must pass a written examination and all 5 case types. Dr. Gillis writes exam questions for dental publications that dentists can take to fulfill their continuing education requirements. She has also published articles in Dental Economics. Since her accreditation, Dr. Gillis serves as a mentor for other dentists undergoing the accreditation process.

*AACD accreditation is not a program put on by the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Continuing Education

To maintain the highest quality of patient care, Dr. Gillis attends about 100 hours of continuing education each year. This enables her practice to grow with evolving dental techniques and products. Her extensive training and experience in the expanding field of cosmetic dentistry allows her to use both science and artistry to create beautiful smiles for each patient.

Hobbies & Free Time

Dr. Gillis truly believes every day is a gift! In her free time Dr. Gillis enjoys running, hiking, biking, painting, cooking and photography. Her office showcases many of her photographs of travel adventure and her own patient’s portraits. Dr. Gillis loves spending time with her husband, Russ, family, friends, and her dog.

Q&A with Dr. Gillis

Q: What made you decide to become a dentist?

A: My career plans changed a couple times following High School. I completed a degree in Architecture and worked for a couple years doing drafting and illustration for Architects in Boulder and Denver. I decided to become a dentist knowing that I could contribute more to others and be more fulfilled with a career that used my hand and eye skills more directly. I also knew that everything I loved about architecture and illustration could be incorporated into a dental career.

Q: What is the key focus of your patient care philosophy?

A: I believe, and I have always believed, that people deserve the highest-quality dental care in a clean, caring, comfortable, and enjoyable environment. I want to treat my patients as I would want to be treated personally, or as I would want my family or dear friends to be treated. My dental practice style is to combine sophisticated technology and artistry with one-on-one patient care.

Q: With so many dentists to choose from, why you?

A: While it is very true that there are many dentists to choose from, I ask the question: Are there many very good dentists that really care about their patients and the quality of dental treatment that is provided? I believe the combination of high-tech, high-quality, caring treatment that we provide makes our office an outstanding choice for anyone who wants to take the best care of their teeth and be comfortable while they are receiving dental care.

Q: Are there any dental cases you are particularly proud of?

A: Absolutely! Early in my career I decided I wanted to advance my training beyond what can be offered in the standard dental school curriculum. I wanted to become exceptional at improving people’s smiles and their ability to chew comfortably. My dental team and I love transforming an average smile into a beautiful smile that restores a person’s self-esteem and confidence. This may be done with a combination of periodontal treatment, bleaching, orthodontics, implants, beautiful porcelain veneers, and cosmetic bonding.

I really love to restore health and function to a person with extensive dental needs. We call this full mouth rehabilitation. This may involve a combination of dental surgery, periodontal care, dental implants, crowns, bridges, tooth-colored fillings, and partial dentures. Sometimes the patient is so pleased, they go the extra step to also include teeth whitening and porcelain veneers to their treatment.

What is important to me is that treatment decisions are made to fit our patient’s needs and goals. We spend the time to discuss dental care in as much depth as they would like. Our patients are always given treatment options for their dental care. If finances are a concern, we can often phase treatment so that we can still achieve an ideal result. I continue to devour continuing education courses to stay on top of the latest techniques and improvements in dental care so that I am able to provide treatment at the highest level.

Q: What do you feel are some of the most significant advancements or breakthroughs in dentistry?

A: Our ability to conservatively restore teeth with bonding techniques has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last 30 years. It wasn’t that long ago that every dentist was placing fillings made from silver and mercury, a known toxin. We are saving more teeth because of improvements in periodontal therapy (treating the supporting structures of the teeth) and enhanced treatment of dental infections. We are working with many materials that did not exist 30 years ago. For example, porcelain materials continue to be stronger and more esthetic, tooth bleaching materials are kinder to teeth and more effective, tooth-colored filling materials work better, are stronger, and look better than ever before—if a dentist is willing to master the techniques. Dental implants are now proven and common, and an exceptional alternative to missing or loose teeth. 3-D scanning and printing is now commonplace.

Lasers can now be used for enhanced dental treatment in both hard and soft tissues. These include periodontal procedures, tissue recontouring, tooth preparations, treatment for ulcers and cold sores, and pain therapy. We have several lasers in our office, and the applications for their use continues to grow. The incorporation of lasers into dentistry (laser dentistry) has advanced significantly—helping us provide better, more comfortable care.
Perhaps one of the most notable advancements is our ability to take high-quality digital 2-D and 3-D X-rays. What’s not to love about less radiation for our patients; bigger, way better images; improved ability to diagnose; improved accuracy; and safer care due to our ability to position three-dimensionally and see more clearly.

Q: What excites you most about the future of dentistry?

A: I love that smart, energetic people are always testing products and techniques to come up with ideas and materials that are even better. There are innovative technologies yet to be discovered. We continue to be able to deliver dental care more comfortably and my patients love this! Information is getting out to people that teeth should last a lifetime with the proper care, and we are thrilled to be a part of this.

Q: Any last piece of advice for someone looking for a dentist?

A: If you are looking for high quality combined with a caring dental team, choose our office! I am very proud of my dental team. My treatment assistants are smart, thorough, caring individuals. Most of my team has been with me for over 20 years. Our combined knowledge of dental care is impressive and not found in many offices. We obviously work very well together! I believe my dental hygienists are outstanding in their understanding of and delivery of periodontal therapies to achieve oral health, and their chairside manners are wonderful. My business assistant is very skilled and caring and really gets our patient’s financial concerns. All of my team are cross-trained and very willing to help each other and our patients.

Do You Have More Questions for Dr. Gillis and Our Team?

We welcome you to contact our practice to speak with our knowledgeable team and schedule your appointment.