Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics

What Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics does

Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics is a private orthodontic practice headquartered at 10 N.W. Chipman Rd., Lee's Summit, Missouri, founded in 1972 by Dr. Dan Blackwell and currently operated by Drs. Beth Blackwell Nill (joined 1996) and Scott Francois (joined 2001). The practice delivers comprehensive orthodontic care to three patient segments — children requiring early interceptive treatment (ages 6-10), adolescents needing comprehensive braces, and adults (~25% of patients) seeking aesthetic or corrective alignment — across malocclusions including underbite, overbite, crossbite, crowding, spacing, and openbite.

The clinical offering rests on a multi-modality brace portfolio: metal braces (stainless steel), ceramic braces (translucent), and Invisalign clear aligners, supplemented by 3M-sourced systems including Damon, Clarity, and Incognito. Supporting treatment includes palatal expanders, headgear, MARA, Herbst, and habit appliances for growth modification, plus three retainer formats (Hawley, fixed, Essix) for post-treatment retention. Diagnostic and planning workflows incorporate digital imaging and 3-D computer graphics, with HIPAA-compliant online patient registration.

The business is a single-site, professional-services revenue model. Fees for orthodontic treatment are collected at time of service with cash, check, credit card, or CareCredit financing. The practice is a participating provider with Delta Dental, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Guardian, and Cigna, files insurance claims on behalf of patients, and offers free initial consultations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the practice's website, dentist referrals, and self-referral within a Lee's Summit and greater Kansas City catchment. Patient intake is supported via online and printable registration forms.

Name

Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics

Legal name

Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics

Website

https://blackwellnillfrancois.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics is a private, single-site orthodontic practice in Lee's Summit, Missouri, founded in 1972. Drs. Beth Blackwell Nill and Scott Francois provide metal, ceramic, and Invisalign treatment to children, adolescents, and adults in the greater Kansas City area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Orthodontic Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (6212)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Orthodontic Clinics (HLABABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clear Aligner Orthodontics (HLABABAD), Early Interceptive Orthodontics (Phase I) (HLABABAF), Adult Orthodontics (HLABABAC)

Keywords

• Orthodontic treatment services
• Braces and aligners
• Interceptive orthodontics
• Orthodontic appliances
• Retainer therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lees Summit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Orthodontic Treatment Fees: Professional orthodontic services including braces (metal, ceramic), Invisalign treatment, and retainers. Treatment costs are paid at time of service with financing options available. The practice accepts cash, checks, and credit cards.
2. Insurance Billing: The practice files insurance claims for patients and participates with multiple insurance carriers including Delta Dental, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Guardian, and Cigna as preferred providers.
3. CareCredit Healthcare Financing: The practice offers CareCredit healthcare patient payment plans for treatments and procedures insurance doesn't cover.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics is a private orthodontic practice in Lee's Summit, Missouri that provides comprehensive orthodontic treatment for children, adolescents, and adults. Core offerings include metal braces, ceramic braces, Invisalign clear aligners, retainers (Hawley, fixed, Essix), and ancillary orthodontic appliances such as palatal expanders, headgear, MARA, Herbst, and habit appliances. The practice also offers interceptive (early) treatment starting at age 7 and accepts multiple dental insurance plans with CareCredit financing.

Product overview

Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics offers a comprehensive suite of orthodontic treatments centered around three main brace systems: Metal Braces, Ceramic Braces, and Invisalign clear aligners. The practice provides age-specific treatment programs including Early Treatment (interceptive care for ages 6-10), Adolescent Treatment (braces on permanent teeth), and Adult Treatment (full range of options). Post-treatment retention is supported through three retainer types: Hawley Retainers, Fixed Retainers, and Essix Retainers. The practice also offers various orthodontic appliances (palatal expander, headgear, MARA, Herbst, and habit appliances) to address specific orthodontic needs. Patient intake is facilitated through online and printable registration forms with HIPAA-compliant data handling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Braces Traditional metal braces made of high-grade stainless steel that are smaller, more comfortable, and more attractive than older versions, used for orthodontic correction in children, adolescents, and adults.
• Ceramic Braces Braces made of translucent (clear) ceramic material that blend with natural tooth color, most popular with adult patients due to cosmetic appeal.
• Invisalign Clear Aligners A series of clear, customized, removable aligners generated by computer simulation to gradually move teeth without wires and brackets; virtually undetectable to others. Requires Invisalign certification.
• Early Treatment (Interceptive Orthodontics) Interceptive orthodontic treatment for children ages 6-10 (Phase I and Phase II) to guide jaw growth and development, addressing crowded teeth, protruding teeth, crossbites, open bites, jaw alignment, and speech problems to make future treatment faster and less invasive.
• Adolescent Treatment Orthodontic treatment for teenagers involving braces on permanent teeth to straighten teeth and align the jaw, typically starting at ages 12+; addresses crooked teeth, gaps, bad bites, malocclusions, and self-confidence issues related to smile appearance.
• Adult Treatment Full range of orthodontic treatments designed for adults including traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, and Invisalign clear aligners, addressing misaligned teeth, aesthetic concerns, bad bites, TMJ/TMD pain, tooth decay, gum disease, bone loss, and irregular tooth wear. Represents approximately 25% of orthodontic patients.
• Retention (Hawley, Fixed, and Essix Retainers) Post-treatment retention using three retainer types: Hawley retainers (removable metal wire and acrylic), fixed retainers (permanent lingual bonding on lower canines), and Essix retainers (clear removable retainer covering the entire arch).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Delta DentalcoreOthersParticipating insurance provider. Delta Dental members can use their orthodontic benefits at this practice.
• Blue Cross/Blue ShieldcoreOthersParticipating insurance provider. BCBS members can use their orthodontic benefits at this practice.
• GuardiancoreOthersParticipating insurance provider. Guardian members can use their orthodontic benefits at this practice.
• CignacoreOthersParticipating insurance provider. Cigna members can use their orthodontic benefits at this practice.
• CareCreditcoreOthersHealthcare patient payment plans offered through CareCredit, a GE Money Company, for treatments and procedures insurance doesn't cover.
• Align Technology (Invisalign)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Invisalign clear aligner system for teeth straightening. Only orthodontists trained and certified by Align Technology can diagnose and treat using Invisalign.
• American Board of OrthodonticsminorOthersThe world's oldest organization for orthodontists. Both Dr. Nill and Dr. Francois are members.
• American Association of OrthodontistsminorOthersThe world's largest organization for orthodontists. The practice follows AAO recommendations for initial orthodontic evaluation at age 7.
• American Dental AssociationminorOthersThe largest professional organization of dental professionals. Dr. Francois is an active member.
• 3M (Damon Braces, Clarity Braces, Incognito)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides orthodontic products including Damon System braces, Clarity ceramic braces, and Incognito lingual braces. The practice offers all these treatment options.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Smile Doctors: Largest ortho-focused dental support organization in the US, operating hundreds of affiliated orthodontic clinics offering braces and clear aligners. Directly comparable on treatment menu, patient segments, and insurance-driven revenue model, but at vastly greater scale and with corporate support functions.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Dental: Largest US DSO supporting general dentists and dental specialists, including orthodontic services, across thousands of locations. Comparable as an orthodontic service provider and DSO model, though orthodontics is one specialty within a much broader general-dentistry portfolio.
• Smile Brands: DSO supporting affiliated dental practices including orthodontic service lines across multiple brands. Comparable on the orthodontic offering and multi-location structure, though it sits within a broader multi-specialty dental group model.
• Great Expressions Dental Centers: Multi-specialty DSO offering orthodontic services alongside general dentistry across multiple states. Comparable on orthodontic treatment delivery and insurance-driven economics, but embedded within a much broader group-practice platform.
• Aspen Dental: National DSO with hundreds of offices providing general dentistry alongside orthodontic treatment (braces and clear aligners). Comparable as a multi-location orthodontic provider, but embedded within a broader retail-dentistry model rather than a pure ortho specialty practice.
• Pacific Dental Services: Major US DSO providing practice management and support services to dental offices including orthodontic practices. Comparable on the underlying orthodontic service delivery and insurance-driven economics, though it operates at significantly larger scale as a B2B support platform.

Emerging players

• Candid: Direct-to-consumer clear aligner company offering at-home orthodontic treatment with remote monitoring. Comparable as an alternative channel for adult clear-aligner cases — the same ~25% adult segment this practice serves — but competes by bypassing the in-person orthodontic visit.
• Byte (Dentsply Sirona): DTC clear aligner brand acquired by Dentsply Sirona, offering at-home orthodontic treatment. Comparable as a price-disruptive alternative for adult and teen clear aligner patients, competing for the same end customer with a remote-care delivery model.

Regional players

• Western Dental & Orthodontics: DSO with a significant orthodontic service line primarily concentrated in the Western US. Comparable on orthodontic treatment menu and DSO-backed operations, but operates in a different geography than this Lee's Summit, Missouri-based practice.

Others

• Align Technology: Manufacturer of the Invisalign clear aligner system and iTero scanners, and a core technology partner for this practice. Not a direct competitor for orthodontic services, but a critical supplier whose product economics and certification requirements shape the practice's clear-aligner offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nillfrancoisdds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackwell Nill & Francois Orthodontics