Dr. Willis grew up in Jacksonville, NC and graduated from Jacksonville High School. He received his BS degree from Wake Forest University and completed dental school (DDS) and orthodontic residency (MScO) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the U.S. Army Dental Corps from 1962 to 1965.
After completing his schooling in 1968, Dr. Willis returned to Jacksonville to start his private orthodontic practice. In 1987 he was elected to the American College of Dentists and was voted a "Best Dentist in America" by Consumer Reports in 1998. He has also been president of the UNC Orthodontic Alumni and the North Carolina Association of Orthodontists.
Dr. Willis is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. His paper on temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) has been published in the Journal of the American Association of Orthodontists,