Thank you for visiting the web site of Dr. Donnelly. Welcome.
Our site provides important information for our own patients as well as prospective patients that are considering joining our practice for their dental treatment.
We’ve designed our website to answers to frequently asked questions. Please feel free to call us anytime. We appreciate this opportunity to introduce ourselves and we look forward to providing you with quality dental care.
We want you to know that in our office you can expect to be treated with respect at all times. We strive to deliver the best diagnosis and treatment that dentistry has to offer. We believe that these goals can be met through a continuous and open dialogue between you and our entire team.
We encourage you to involve yourself in your own treatment and to ask questions throughout our relationship. In our opinion, an informed and involved client is most likely to achieve the highest level of health, and we look forward to working with you to achieve this.
What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay begins with the Streptococcus mutans bacteria. These bacteria join with food particles and fluids in the mouth to create plaque, a constantly forming biofilm which sticks to the surface of tooth enamel.
The bacteria in plaque convert the sugars in our foods into lactic ...
Every tooth has two sections: a crown, the visible part of the tooth above the gum line, and one or more roots, which anchor the teeth within the jaw. Each tooth has three basic layers: an outer layer of hard enamel (which protects the crown) or cementum (which covers the root), a middle layer of softer ...
The bacteria in plaque produce acids that erode tooth enamel, eventually creating a hole, or cavity, in the tooth surface. Left untreated, this decay can spread to the interior of the tooth, and might lead to the need for a crown, a root canal, or even extraction. When caught early, your dentist can ...
A dental veneer is a thin, durable porcelain shell that is custom-fabricated to cover the front of a tooth. Veneers can restore the appearance of teeth with chips, cracks, and stains, can close small gaps between the teeth, and can reshape misshapen or slightly misaligned teeth.
Veneers are a popular ...
Take a few minutes to watch our educational videos and learn more about different dental treatments and procedures. Video topics include general & cosmetic dentistry, Implants, oral health and hygiene, orthodontics and preventative dentistry. ...
Using lasers, dentists can detect tooth decay that is not yet visible and would otherwise be undiagnosed using traditional methods.
Laser cavity detection is based on the fact that healthy tooth structure reflects light, or “fluoresces,” differently than does decayed tooth structure. Teeth with decay ...
Lasers direct a controlled force of energy that can remove or alter bone and tissue. By applying varying wavelengths of energy, dental lasers are used to detect and treat a myriad of oral health issues, including detecting oral cancer and treating small cavities.
There are two different types of dental ...
A tooth that has been structurally damaged by decay or trauma sometimes needs to be crowned or “capped” so that it can look good and function properly again. A crown is a durable covering that is custom-made to fit over the entire tooth from the gum line up.
Getting a crown used to mean multiple ...
X-rays are one of the most important parts of a dental exam, and can help medical professionals detect problems long before they are visible to the naked eye, including early tooth decay, gum disease, abscesses, and abnormal growths.
Benefits of Digital X-rays
Easy to obtain
Digital X-rays are obtained ...
Slightly bigger than a pen, an intraoral camera is an innovative tool that can take up-close pictures of teeth, gums, and other hard-to-reach places in the mouth. Intraoral cameras can help dentists detect dental issues like tooth decay, periodontal disease, and oral cancers.
Benefits of using an intraoral ...
