“Caring for my team is important to me. Being of service to my patients and staff is what motivates me to become a better dentist.” – Dr. Stillman
Mt. Dora is a thriving community that has charming antique stores and a well-established art festival. Its 14,000 residents enjoy living at a relaxed pace in a town voted the #1 retirement destination in Florida. The town attracts people from all over the world, including Dr. Michelle Stillman.
Born in the Philippines, Dr. Stillman emigrated to Australia at the age of two and lived there for five years. After leaving Australia, her family moved to Florida. Dr. Stillman then lived and worked in Mt. Dora and Ocoee until she graduated from high school.
She worked as a Disney cast member during high school, dancing in the daytime and evening parades. During college, she worked for a telecommunications company and danced for a professional area football team. She graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida with a BS in Molecular Microbiology.
As a child, Dr. Stillman was a resident of the Mt. Dora area. After graduating from Nova Southeastern University in 2008 with a DMD, she did her residency at the Malcolm Randall VA in Gainesville. She then practiced in Tavares, Florida for several years, after which she joined the Dental House on Donnelly, a dental practice that has served Mt. Dora for close to 100 years.
Dr. Stillman is committed to continuing education, taking around 100 hours of coursework each year, over six times the amount required by the state of Florida. She is also passionate about patient education, taking the time to go into detail with her patients before scheduling dental procedures.
“I never want my patients to feel that I am hiding treatment details or overplanning. If they have questions, I have no problem reviewing as much as they need. I want them to know that I am giving them an honest recommendation.”
Dr. Stillman is a Fellow of ICOI, the world’s largest organization of implantologists. She is also a member of the ADA, AGD, the Florida Dental Association, and is a past president of the Lake County Dental Association.
She is a graduate of the Dawson Academy (which teaches master-quality complete dentistry and aesthetics) and a member of Crown Council, a national organization of dentists dedicated to promoting quality dental care.
In her free time, Dr. Stillman volunteers at St. Luke’s Dental Clinic, at St. Paul’s Catholic Charities, and participates in the Mission of Mercy and Baptist Bus, a traveling dental clinic. She likes relaxing at home watching Netflix with her husband, Frank. She enjoys walking her dog Yoshi and especially loves playing with her son Neo.
“I like the one-on-one personal interaction. I enjoy connecting with patients and making them comfortable.”