** Ensure you come in for regular checkups and professional dental cleanings. 

** Break the bad habit of biting on hard items like pens, ice, hard candies or popcorn kernels.  Your teeth are meant for chewing soft foods.  These habits can lead to chipped or broken teeth.  They may also damage fillings, crowns or other restorations.

** Be sure to protect teeth with a mouthguard when playing contact sports.

** Try to stop smoking and using chewing tobacco.  While the problem with tooth staining is bad enough, these habits can lead to gum disease, or worse, oral cancer.

** Watch what you eat.  It is not only good for your waistline, it’s good for your teeth.  Starchy foods are as bad as sugary ones.  Instead snack on raw veggies, nuts, and cheeses.

**Cut back on coffee or tea.  Excessive amounts of these beverages can stain teeth.

** Be sure to brush and floss regularly.  If you’re not sure you’re doing it right, ask us at your next visit.  But be gentle-do not brush your teeth and gums too roughly.

** Remember to change your toothbrush every three months.

** Do not ignore the early signs of gum disease: bleeding gums, tender, puffy, or red gums; receding gums (pulling away from teeth), chronic bad breath, changes in bite, loose permanent teeth.

**TAKE PROPER CARE OF YOUR TEETH SO THEY LAST YOU A LIFETIME!

Why do celebrities whiten their teeth?  Because they know a sparkling smile is a key to looking great, feeling great, and making a memorable impression.  There is a strong link between a healthy , brighter smile and success in the workplace and social situations.  Now everyone can feel like a celebrity and enjoy an outstanding smile by getting their teeth their whitest thanks to the Zoom! whitening system.  This system is offered at Dr. Donnelly’s office in San Marcos.

Zoom! patients are getting teeth an average of eight shades whiter in about an hour, giving them an immediate boost in confidence.  Besides being fast, it’s safe, effective, and convenient.  No more days of wearing trays.  More than a tooth whitening procedure, Zoom! is an experience in image enhancement and self-esteem…. plus instant gratification.

How Does It Work?

The Zoom!whitening procedure is simple and painless.  It begins with a short preparation to isolate your lips and gums.  We then apply the proprietary Zoom! whitening gel, which is activated by a specially designed light.  A five-minute fluoride treatment completes the procedure.  You’ll be amazed with the results!  In most cases, teeth get even whiter the first few days after the procedure.

Zoom! allows people with even the busiest of lifestyles to feel dramatically better about their appearance in just about an hour.  Call and make your appointment at Dr. Donnelly’s office today.

You have probably seen commercials for Invisalign, the invisible way to straighten your teeth without braces.  Invisalign uses a series of clear removable aligners to straighten your teeth without metal wires or brackets.  No no one but your dentist needs to know you are correcting the position of your teeth.  The best news is our office is certified to offer Invisalign.

The fact they are invisible is one of the most popular reasons to opt for Invisalign treatment, but that’s not the only reason why.  Many like the fact the aligners are removable.  This makes eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing much easier.  This means healthier teeth and gums at the end of treatment.  Of course, Invisalign is also much more comfortable to wear since their are no mouth abrasions from metal braces and wires.  Plus no regular appointments for adjustments.

Your fist step in achieving a straighter smile is to come to our office.  We will evaluate your teeth and work out the best method of treatment.  This will include taking impressions of your teeth which we will send to Invisalign.  There, they use advanced 3-D computer imaging technology to transform your bite impressions into a custom-made series of clear and removable aligners.  There may be as many as 48 in the series or as few as 12, depending on your individual treatment plan.

At your next office appointment, you get your first set of aligners.  We will most likely give you a few additional sets to wear before you return for your next visit.  You just start wearing them and enjoy the results of your new smile.  Please call our office at 512-396-5225 to schedule your free Invisalign consultation today.

We’re always striving to find ways to improve the overall dental health of our patients.  Your smile is the greatest resource you have.  If we can help you improve it and make you feel better about yourself, then we can make a difference.

Are your dentures uncomfortable?  Do you experience dental pain when you eat?  Are you missing teeth and embarrassed to smile?  Have you noticed your remaining teeth are beginning to move or becoming crooked?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, dental implants may be for you.

The concept of dental implants has been around thousands of years.  Egyptian mummies have been found with several teeth replaced with carefully shaped seashells which were probably placed during the mummification process.  In recent times, the science of implantology was popularized in the 1950’s and 1960’s. 

Dental implants are an effective, natural-looking way to replace missing teeth and we can perform the entire process in our office.  Dental implants are the number one restorative option for the treatment of missing teeth.  They are virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth and prevent bone loss and gum recession that often accompanies bridgework and dentures.  The implants themselves are small titanium posts which are placed where teeth are missing and act as your tooth root, only stronger.  A crown is then attached to the implant to simulate a real tooth.  Our goal for each and every dental implant we perform is for maximum strength and longevity of the reconstruction procedure.

Dental implants can also be used to better secure dentures enabling you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence.  They are secure and offer freedom from slipping and clicks associated with dentures.

If you think dental implants might be a solution for your smile, arrange a consultation with Dr. Donnelly.  Picture yourself with a big, bright smile once again.