Dr. Ray is originally from Arizona and from a family of dentists which include her father, husband, brother, brother-in-law, and two sisters-in-law! Dr. Rays passion for dentistry originates in her growing up and helping at her fathers oral surgery practice.
Dr. Ray completed her undergraduate studies at the University of San Diego in California, where she graduated Cum Laude. She relocated to Texas when accepted to the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry where she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. Dr. Ray distinguished her academic career at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry with two Clinical Excellence Awards and a Comprehensive Dentistry Award.
Upon graduation from dental school, she was selected for the Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency program at the VA hospital in Temple, TX. This advanced training emphasized IV and oral sedation, implant surgery, and periodontal surgical techniques. Dr. Rays training, experience and confidence in the areas of surgery and sedation help make our dental office a true center for dentistry in Garden Ridge.
Dr. Ray is an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry, San Antonio District Dental Society, Texas Dental Association, and the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. She is currently a Director of the San Antonio Fellowship Exchange Study Club for New Dentists in San Antonio through the Texas Academy of General Dentistry.
When she is not practicing dentistry, Dr. Ray enjoys spending time with her husband Ramn who is also a dentist! When they are not working, they love exploring San Antonio with their dog. Dr. Oliva Ray enjoys yoga, hiking, and reading especially mystery novels. Both Drs. Ray look forward to welcoming their first child in the fall of 2021!
Dr. Mark Howell brought dentistry to Garden Ridge, Texas in 1985. Since then, he has developed the Garden Ridge Center for Dentistry into a state-of-the-art facility to keep pace with this fast growing area.
Dr. Mark graduated from Memorial High School in Houston, Texas in 1973. He went to Georgetown, Texas to attain a Bachelor of Science degree at Southwestern University in 1977. Prior to attending dental school, he was an engineer for Dresser Industries International until 1979. He achieved his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry in 1983 along with fellow classmate and wife, Dr. Maria Howell. They married shortly after graduating from dental school.
His professional affiliations include the San Antonio District Dental Society, Texas Dental Association, American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Functional Orthodontists, and the International Academy of Orthodontists.
Although recently retired due to a hand injury, Dr. Mara Lpez Howell continues to support her husband, Dr. Mark Howell and their family business at the Garden Ridge Center for Dentistry with office management.
Dr. Mara completed a B.A. degree in biology in addition to a minor degree in Chemistry from St. Marys University in 1979. In 1983, both Dr. Mara and Dr. Mark completed Doctorate of Dental Surgery degrees at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry and married later that year. In 1995, Dr. Maria completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency.
Dr. Mark Howell asked her to come and work with him in 2002 when the Garden Ridge area was developing rapidly and his dental practice was growing. While in private practice, Dr. Mara Howell continued to lecture nationally to dental assistants in the area of dental materials.
Dr. Howell was a spokesperson for the American Dental Association from 1991-2020. She regularly met with local, national, and international media outlets regarding dental consumer issues. In 1988, she was selected as the national host of the American Dental Associations Dental Minute, an informative 60-second television and radio program covering many dental topics that aired until 2014. The shows were finalists for a 2006 Freddie Award in the area of national and international healthcare media and were honored with a Nielsen Media Research award for the longest running public service announcement series in television history.
Serving her profession of dentistry has been a passion. Dr. Howell has served as President of the Academy of Operative Dentistry, the Southwest Academy of Restorative Dentistry and the Texas Section of the American College of Dentists . She is a retired member of the American Dental Association, the Hispanic Dental Association,the American College of Dentists, and the International College of Dentists.
In 2015, Dr. Mara Lpez Howell was honored as the first Distinguished Alumna for the UT Health Dental School in San Antonio. The San Antonio Dental Society and the local chapter of the Academy of General Dentistry nominated Dr. Howell for Texas Dentist of the Year in 2003 and again in 2021. In addition to helping manage the Garden Ridge Center for Dentistry, Dr. Mara pursues interests in physical, nutritional and frequency health and spending time with children, Blake & Meredith Howell and Candace & Matt Finn.