David M. Donnelly, DDS

I've been going to Dr. Donnelly since moving to San Diego 11 years ago, and he is by far the most highly skilled and knowledgeable dentist I've ever had; he's also excellent at diagnosing and solving problems. He and his staff are meticulous, transparent, and take pride in doing a great job.

Beware, there is something very wrong about this dentist. Although everything seemed rosy at first, this turned into the worst experience I've ever had with a dentist, and I've been to a lot of dentists in my life. His office is very high tech, as others have commented. That costs money. Donnelly is very interested in replacing all of your crowns so that he can pay for his expensive Cerac (crown making) machine. During the 3 years that I was a patient, he replaced TEN crowns in my mouth, because he said they were all "leaking," even ones that were less than 4 years old. REALLY? I was so naive to believe him. How did I discover the chicanery? He finally replaced a crown that had just been done 3 years before, and weakened the tooth to the point that it just broke off one night while I was eating Chinese food. I had to have the roots of that tooth pulled and get an implant, costing me over $6000. I complained to him about it and he agreed to repay me what I'd paid him for that crown, but he wanted me to sign a waiver. What honest person asks for a waiver? Stupidly I signed it, thinking that this was the only bad work of his that I'd suffered from. Turns out that those crowns that he makes in his office don't fit very well, he leaves open margins (google that), meaning that the crown does not fit flush against the tooth and bacteria gets in, decaying the tooth. Then guess what? Your crown has to be replaced, with more of the tooth ground away in the process. Now I'm going to a real dentist, who has crowns made in an independent lab, and I had to have THREE crowns replaced that Donnelly put in within the last 4 years because they had open margins AND one had a HOLE in it after three years. The new dentist showed me the open margins on xrays, and I have a picture of the crown that had a hole in the top. That's not normal, people. It's shoddy work. I've contacted Donnelly about these defective crowns, even sent xrays and pictures. He sent back a certified letter stating that I'd signed a release, so too bad for me. Really? That's how an ethical professional deals with his own mistakes? I say again, beware. If he starts suggesting that you need crowns replaced, or crowns installed where a filling might do, think twice. Seek a second opinion. Better yet, just run, fast and far.

My visit was exemplary. It was for a root canal (+crown) so, many things were engaged in 3 sittings. The scheduling was excellent; by choice I received automated email and text notice asking for confirmation of the appointment, which I found handy and convenient. There was also an email soliciting details of my visit, that they may improve with customer suggestions over time, which I find as the mark of a savvy and caring team. The pain management was flawless as I was neither over- nor under-dosed. I got swabbed with the first anaesthetic, which made the second anaesthetic (shot) more bearable. Plenty of time for pain prep, I was not made to feel rushed. Also I was consulted several times regarding my own level of ongoing pain awareness. I received an outstanding cleaning, great advice, a flawless procedure which in 36 hours - had me chewing with a mouth-area that I'd been avoiding due to temperature and sensitivity - honestly for over a year. The digital x-ray system is fast & convenient compared to offices that still use film. And if the quality of this visit was not enough, I too did enjoy the conversation and level of engagement from them all. They were well coordinated, insightful & consultative throughout, kind throughout, a high-tech high-touch experience - I'm not sure how this could have been a better experience given the difficult occasion of needing a root canal.

Professional, friendly dental practice.