Denise Alexander, DDS

I recently completed an implant procedure. I must admit, I was a little nervous in the beginning, but Dr. Williams and her staff have great personalities which helped with communication and alleviated my awkwardness. All my questions/​concerns were answered. I have to admit, I was scared for nothing. The results of her work has truly met my expectations and more. I Can’t Stop Smiling. Thank you Dr. Williams and your wonderful staff for your professionalism, compassion and detail.

Dr. Alexander and her staff have always given me excellent dental service for the 8 years I have been a patient. They always seem to run on time and the front desk staff is friendly and helpful. Thankfully my dental care is fairly routine. In addition to cleaning she has also filled in miscellaneous nicks or small chips on tooth edges for a nicer appearance. I have never felt pressured to do additional or unnecessary services as other Unilocalers have noted.

So It’s been over 5 years since I first stepped into this dental office.
Let me say that the staff was friendly and the waits were short.
The service, however, was not great. I was in need of a veneer/​crown (have been told by several dental offices before this one). I eventually went to this one because of its convenience. Such a bad idea!
I ended up getting a veneer, and the color was not exactly correct. After it was on, it looked so unnatural. The dentist DID NOT care; as long as I had one, it was fine. Keep in mind, I spent $$$ on this veneer.
Shop around before you buy.

During my last check up, they did some massive fillings for my teeth, but I am not complaining on that, since I have had my braces for over 7 years.
Went back half a year later complaining about one of the teeth that they have worked on, saying it was annoying me (gum near filling swollen every other day) At the time, they said i had a root canal done on it before and I shouldnt have any feelings on the teeth (8 years ago from a different dentist), she said it is okay. In addition, the filling was not smooth, it cuts my tongue when i run it over the filling (they sand it down a little, but i still feel it). My gum have been feeling different ever since that filling!
moving forward to today, I just had my braces off and notices a air bubble in my front tooth with the filling and a little discoloration and a hold on the (previous complained tooth), I ask her about it, she said my teeth were abnormal, I said I dont think so. I dont remember having them their growing up. She basically question me and wouldnt admit her mistake of anything. There was awkward silence between us, because I was not happy with her answer and attitute. I CAN SEE THE LITTLE HOLE and air bubble! geez!
She treated me like i dont know anything about my own teeth!
I may not know the technicalities, but at least I remember my teeth were not born with a air bubble and a hole in them, especially those are my front teeth!!!
I had previously recommended them to my roommate, and he came back complaining how they were trying to sell him $ 300 worth of hygiene products…
I am going to a different dentist and will never recommend them to any of my friends!

I’ve only ever done regular cleanings here over the last 5 years but they do the job fine by me. Sometimes I haven’t waited long but other times had to wait a long time, not so much in the waiting room, but more often in the dentist’s chair (and I’d sit in that chair for 30 minutes to an hour before anyone actually showed which is kind of more awkward than sitting in the waiting room). I also get bounced to a different dentist almost every time I go in.
That being said, the front desk and the rest of the doctors and staff are nice and interesting people to talk to which I haven’t found to be typical. They also send a ton of reminders for your appointments which can be a little annoying but in my case more helpful than not.

I went to this place for teeth cleaning and had some work done on various teeth. One of them required me to put a filling in one of the teeth. The next day, the filling came out. So I went back, and she «fixed» it. I went home and the next day, it came out again. So I went back, and she was upset with me. Why was she upset with me? I should be the one upset picking this wack dentist to get my teeth done. The dentist talks to you in a condescending manner. There are so many better dentists. Please avoid this place.

They do good cleanings (hence 2 stars), but everything else is horrible.
I had fillings done on my molars, they were hurting and I had to go back to have them resurfaced.
They always try to sell me some stupid cancer screening liquid test. I always say NO.
You should know that Jacquelyn Williams, DDS must have been on probation before because the California DDS board has the status ‘PROBATION TERMINATED’ when you look her up. Feel free to see for yourself:
— click ‘Denal License’, then use this info
Last Name (Williams), First Name (Jacquelyn), City (Berkeley), County (ALAMEDA), then click ‘Find’.
So watch out for her if you go to this office.
Let me tell you what happened to my wife, so that you don’t end up in a similar situation… My wife went for a cleaning and they tricked her into letting them replace her crowns. Dr. Jacqueline Williams is the one who was responsible for my wife’s misery. After she removed her old crowns, she took a second look at the x-​ray and told my wife that she needs a root canal done. WHY DIDN’T SHE TELL MY WIFE ABOUT THE ROOT CANAL PRIOR (!!!) TO TAKING OFF THE OLD CROWN? We had run out of coverage and we couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket for the root canal. They further tried to trick my wife into letting them finish the crown even though they knew the crown would get damaged during the root canal procedure. So my wife ended up wearing a temporary crown for the last 3 months of the year until our insurance would cover the root canal work. This was a terrible experience. My wife had to be careful every time she ate out of fear that her temporary crown would fall off.
Bottom line, let them clean your teeth but do NOT let them do anything else.

I went here because the location was convenient and because SHIP covered it. I had a particular tooth bothering me, which is why I made the appointment. I did not meet with Dr. Alexander and I don’t remember the guy’s name who I did meet with. He seemed pretty uninterested in what I was telling him. I didn’t feel like he was understanding what I was telling him, or making the effort to. At the end, after taking and reviewing my X-​rays, he said that there was nothing wrong, but that I needed to have my wisdom teeth pulled.
Several months later the situation got worse and I went to see another dentist. Dr. Alexander’s office made me pay to have my X-​rays sent to the new dentist, which was a pretty petty move. The new dentist told me what was wrong and said that it was noticeable on the X-​rays that were taken at Dr. Alexander’s office. At this point, I will be lucky if a root canal will save the tooth, though I may have to have it extracted — I find out tomorrow.
I can’t help but to wonder what would have happened if this dentist would have listened to what I was telling him and/​or noticed what the new dentist noticed on the X-​ray.

Super friendly staff. I hadn’t been to the dentist for a really long time because of some insurance problems back home. So, I couldn’t waive SHIP. Since I was already enrolled in SHIP, I might as well take advantage of the optometry and dental plans.
It’s super easy to search for a dentist. Just log on to the MetLife website (Tang Center ppl will give you all the info) and type in the zip code. I found several decent dental practices but I was just interested in going to the one that required minimal walking distance from my apartment since I’m a pretty lazy person.
There are two levels: top floor belongs to another dentist and bottom floor is Dr. Denise Alexander’s. Again, because I was very lazy, I just went into Dr. Alexander’s without even considering the other dentist because I didn’t have to walk up the stairs. =D
As soon as I entered, the receptionist kindly greeted me and asked if I’d made an appointment. I told her it was my first time and was just seeking for a teeth-​cleaning and checkup. She gave me some information/​pamplets and had me fill out paperwork. After wards, I made an appointment for the following Thursday.
On the day of my appointment, I waited for about 20 minutes because they were running behind. The receptionist apologized many times and asked if I needed water or a magazine. I didn’t care because I wasn’t in a hurry. I just wanted to take a nap after my appointment. When it was finally my turn, Dr. Liao came and greeted me. I had no idea that there was an Asian dentist working there because his business card was not at the front desk. (And he was kinda attractive because he was so nice =D…i like nice guys) Anyway, Dr. Liao was very patient and explained everything to me. His assistants were also very nice and frequently checked up on me to see if I was in any pain. But overall, I had no problem and my teeth were in good health. The basic teeth cleaning was very thorough but the X-​ray hurt like hell! And at the very end, Dr. Liao told me I had no cavities (yay!), gave me a complimentary toothbrush/​floss and said he would see me again in 6 months.
My experience far exceeded my expectation. Already told several of my friends to go for a visit! You should too!

pretty shitty… just don’t go. I don’t have super high standards or anything. but this place just sucks! I’m not even going to bitch about the waiting, the large hands of denise alexander or anything… just don’t go.

If there was a way to give zero stars I would. I was told that I had pre-​gingivitis and given and extensive (and painful) cleaning and then told that i had 4 cavities. I was skeptical and had only two filled, and have never been in more pain after a filling before. Miserable for 48 hrs. I have never had such a bad experience. And then, a couple weeks later, one of those teeth cracked! No wonder it was such a painful process, they had put a fracture in my tooth.
At this point I did not trust them, so I went to another dentist. He was happy to repair my tooth, and noted that all my other teeth were fine (none of those other cavities that they had mentioned…).
In short, I have never been so dissatisfied and inconvenienced by a dentist, please do not give them business.

I like dr Williams and dr Alexander. I have been meaning to get over there and I was 10 months without a cleaning. I had received cards in the mail reminding me and a few phone calls. Today, I got a call from the office saying they had an opening at 5 and I took the opportunity. I have never received that kind of service. I am busy like everyone else and I need that kind of help with everything that is happening in my life. after my cleaning? They also stayed a bit late for another patient an I which I appreciate. It was 7 when I left. That is the latest time I have ever left a dentist office.
The quality of service is good. Three of my coworkers also go there which is how I learned about them. My coworkers had some real problems with their teeth and this little office fixed them right up.
I would advise to ask about pricing and charges before you approve procedures or any purchase really. But with that in mind, Dr Williams is an out of network provider meaning I have to pay more and I think it is worth it. They are all good people with experience and they care. 1000x better than western dental. If you have ever had that type of dental experience… You will appreciate this office!

A great dental office. I’ve never had to wait after arriving for an appointment, and everyone who works here is cool and good at what they do. Walked out of my cleaning today with a nice and sparkly smile. Highly recommend.

I definitely experienced the wait issue in my first cleaning in January — but I was pleasantly surprised this week.
The dentist was great and talked me through the cleaning and flossing which was amazing. They were very attentive of a tooth issue I was worrying about — and they were able to get me in and out of the office very quickly, which I appreciated. The receptionists were pleasant and helpful, and I really enjoyed my experience at this dentist.

LOOOOONG ass waits all 3 times that I went. Seriously, I clocked more then a couple hours in that itty-​bitty tiny waiting room. That fact alone ranks them pretty low in my book. It also pisses me off because I chose them almost SPECIFICALLY because they were close to my work. I assumed (wrongly) that their close location would save me time and I could actually get some work done on my much feared «dentist-​day».
How wrong I was.
So, here is how my year with this little office went:.
1^st appt (Novemeber 08): I came in 10 minutes early… waited 1 hour to see the dentist. The full x-​ray scans were very slow to get, and took at least another hour to get. The ruler-​in-​gum examination hurt, a LOT. Notably, even when they told me that that some of my gums were receeding, they did not write this on the damn chart. I know this because I have the chart on my lap right now. Good job documenting… seriously. Dr. Alexander was who I saw that day (for the first and last time)…she seemed okay, but she was in a bit of a hurry too.
I was told I had a suspect cavity that day. I was immediately scheduled for a filling 2 months later, and the usual 6 month check up (which I think is just a ploy to ensure that you will come back…).
2^nd appt. (January 2009): Again… what the HELL with the ½ hour wait!!! Same magazines too, all from November! What is this place? A time capsule? Also, I was slightly irritated with the non-​stop calling and emailing that I got from this place prior to my appointment. I felt stalked. It seems like for every call you don’t return, they will send two more.
I met with Dr. Jacobs… who, for whatever reasons, could not find my cavity (why wasn’t that on the chart?!?). After a ½ hour of poking and no new x-​rays, he finally asks the dental hygienist, who promptly points it out on the old x-​rays. He looks at it, and says it’s small. Possibly could go without being filled. Asks me if that’s what I want.
I’m your average American dental coward here: if given any choice to avoid mouth drilling and getting on with life (especially after a 1 hr wait)…I’ll take it. I was also happy to hear that the cavity was small… so I say: «surely, Doc». I leave after 1.5 hrs with nothing new being done. I also pay an exorbitant amount of dough for a teeny bottle of Dr. Jacob’s recommended fluoride (for the small cavity) and a completely annoying amount of «post-​op» singing from the front-​desk crew.
3^rd appt.: Best appointment so far (only a 20 minute wait, which is why I give them 2 stars). However, upon first opening my mouth for my 2^nd cleaning at this place, the very attentive dentist (who was neither Alexander or Jacobs… it was Dr. Williams) notices I have a cavity. Before scheduling me for another 2 month appointment, I beg the dentist to fill it on the spot. It doesn’t hurt, but this cavity appears to be a phantom disease who appears and disappears at whim… and I now know that I just can’t get myself to lose anymore time from work in that waiting room.
She complies, and fills it (thank god)…While filling she notes that the cavity is rather deep and anything but «small». I’m on the verge of a root canal, she warns. I leave (**to the tune of the front-​desk singers***), literally seething that I wasted that second appointment and risked a damn root canal on the advice of Dr. Jacobs.
4^th appointment: I told the phone confirmation nazi’s to lose my number. I would never return to that office again having moved to another area… and lost my taste for singing front-​desk monkeys.
Thanks for nothing people.

I moved to Berkeley three years ago after having the same dentist for twenty+ years. I did a lot of research and called a local Dental Association to find out who to see in my insurance plan. They recommended Dr. Alexander.
The people here are extremely friendly, almost comically so. On that front they get 5 stars.
The first appointment I was told I had 3 cavities. Having NEVER had one before, I was reluctant to believe them as I had been to my old dentist less than a year prior with a clean bill of health.
My low rating comes from the last two times I went– the first time I waited for 30 minutes in the waiting room, which seemed a little long, but not unreasonable. When I was called in, they tied the bib around my neck and left me there. I had been up at 4:45 am that morning and was exhausted. While I was waiting I was kind of dozing and at one point opened my eyes to look to see what time it was. 45 minutes had passed! I got up and asked to be helped and they finally got to me 15 minutes later.
Yesterday I went in for my 4:00pm appointment. Over the last month they had sent me 4+ e-​mails asking me to confirm my appointment. I got there at 3:50 and checked in. At 4:10 I asked how long I would be waiting and they told me 10 – 15 minutes. At 4:30 I asked again and I think they knew how annoyed I was because they came and called me before the girl who had been there waiting longer than I had.
I told them she was first and continued to wait 15 more minutes until I was called. In that time 1 other person came in for his 5:00 appointments and were brought in!
I sat in the chair with the bib on and the dental assistant clearly felt bad. I told her I was annoyed and although I felt like a bitch, I was so mad at this point I had to say something. I sat for almost 20 more minutes waiting. At this point one of the (very nice) front desk people came to, «talk to me». She apologized and offered me a $ 25 gift certificate towards any procedure.
At this point I had been waiting for over 90 minutes and although I understand that emergencies happen, they should either call their patients and let them know of the delay, or at least give you a reasonable estimate of time.
The procedure went fine and they were very apologetic. I feel bad for being so mad, but I have spent over 75 minutes waiting each time so I think it is justified.

The place was okay and the staff is really nice.
Like everyone else, I feel that they pressure you a little too much on buying unnecessary proceedures.
I came in for a teeth cleaning and she noticed i had a tiny cavity on one of my molars and suggested that I get it filled. So i did, but she also suggested teeth whitening and to fix the extremely small chip in my front tooth that I’ve had since I was 8.
I told her the chip wasn’t that big of a deal cause its been there forever and it doesn’t bother me because it was so small.
After coming in to get my cavity filled, they went ahead and did the procedure of filling the chip in my front tooth without telling me, after I told them I didn’t need it because I didn’t want to pay for something I had no desire to fix.
Afterwards I came in for another teeth cleaning 6 months later and they suggested that I buy some stupid flossing thing to get into the back of my mouth. When she described it, I was invisioning this device that I really needed but it turned out to be some stupid plastic thing from Oral-​B that you could buy at the grocery store and I had to pay for it because they opened it.
I say, for a teeth cleaning, they do a really good job and Dr. Alexander is really nice, but other than that because they also do cosmetic dentistry, don’t get suckered into extra procedures you don’t need.

I don’t recommend this place at all.
I waited almost an hour past my scheduled time. They said they were really busy that day and were running behind but I was the only one in the waiting room… So after my 45 minute wait they let me in and THEN told me I wasn’t going to see my regular dentist Dr Alexander and that I was going to see someone else… couldn’t they have told me that before I sat down in the dentist chair?!? What if I didn’t want to see anyone but Dr Alexander? Anyway I’m pretty easy going so I just went ahead with it since I waited 45 minutes already. I think her name was Dr Sou or sounding similar to that. She spent about 20 minutes cleaning my teeth, did a decent job cleaning.
The office atmosphere was like a party, staff laughing and giggling, seems more like a get together than a professional business. They had James Brown blasting in the background. Anyway I’ve been going to this place for a year out of convenience… It’s right across the street from where I live… but after 2 visits and both times waiting longer than I expected (20+ minutes from scheduled time to be seen by a doctor)… I will be going back to my old dentist in San Francisco.
It’s a much better service and environment. 2 minute walk across the street vs 30 min drive to the city… the 30 minute drive is much better in this case. The Quality outshines convenience unfortunately.

I went to this office 8 years ago when I was a freshman at UCB, and it sounds like nothing has changed. I recall the dentist spent most of his time trying to get me to buy an electric toothbrush. In the end I got a filling that was horrible and needed to be replaced. I paid out of pocket to have it re-​done somewhere else because I did not want to go back. Venture a little farther from campus if you are a student…

Tons of people go to this dental office just because it’s close to campus and takes the student health insurance (that’s what drew me in). Maybe those business advantages make the people running this place think they can do a crappy job. Whatever the case, several people I know have various horror stories about Denise Alexander’s office. Here’s mine:
I show up for the first appointment of the day, which I specifically scheduled so I could get to work without being too late. I show up on time, but I have to wait for about 45 minutes because the office staff lost my chart. (My guess is that my chart was lost because I had originally scheduled my appointment for a previous day, but they cancelled my appointment at the last minute and must have lost the chart in the process of rescheduling) The office manager tries to make things right by promising me «a special treat» when my appointment is finished. My special treat turned out to be the complimentary brush and sample-​sized paste that is standard in every other dentist office in the country. That was just insulting. Ok, so my story wasn’t a HUGE deal — but it was irritating enough to make me not go back.