Dr Alderson has been my dentist since 1994, that pretty much says it all. I was also her assistant for a couple of years and witness first hand how well she cares for her patients and how ethical she is when it comes to making treatment recommendations. She is honest, thorough and inciteful in her approach and just an overall great person! read more

Great hands on care. Attentive and doesn't upsell unnecessary services to her patients

Dr. Alderson is a wonderful, highly knowledgeable and skilled, and calm dentist. I found her when I was looking for a biological dentist 10 years ago, and have been going to her since. She is so much more than a dentist -- she a naturopath, homeopath, and very knowledgeable about energy medicine. With Dr. Alderson, I receive whole body healing. She is warm, caring, professional, and nurturing. Her calm presence grounds and soothes my anxiety and high sensitivity to pain. Her staff is wonderful as well -- I have felt so taken care of in every experience from the first phone call, to scheduling, and teeth cleaning. They are warm, welcoming, friendly, and skilled. I highly recommend Dr. Alderson! read more

I have been seeing Dr. Helen Alderson for several years now and it's a miracle that she (and her associate David) don't fire me as a patient! I originally drove three hours (from Middletown, CA) to see her based on the fact that her website mentioned that she was a biologic dentist that was adept at dealing with folks that deal with dental anxiety (raising hand now!), now I fly from Portland. I do this because not only do I think she is beyond brilliant, she is also responsive to the needs of anxious folks such as myself. Today's medical environment is confusing to navigate to say the least, and finding someone that you trust, beyond all else when it comes to your health and wellness, speaks volumes. I can't tell you how many times she has made me feel better with just a simple email. Her conservative and holistic approach is something I am convinced is an anomaly! Thank you Helen, for all you do! read more

Great dentist, unfortunately her administration and staff - in particular David - falls very short. What is normally a simply process has been extremely difficult for no reason. It was nearly impossible to get an appointment that wasn't months out, and the staff was simply rude about it. Finally, when I got one, even though it was a month out and and during school, I took it. When I called to get location info a few days before, they had no appointment in their system! I took time off that day and arranged to pull my son from class - informing his teacher and the school in advance. David argued at length with me about the appointment, but finally when I showed him the email confirmation on my end, he acknowledged the mistake. When I finally got another appt, the consult price went up by $25 from what I had been told over the phone. They could not find my insurance info, so ended up paying it all out of pocket. When I asked to find out what some of the optional treatment costs would be it took several emails just to get this. Dr. Alderson is smart, warm, and I enjoyed our consult. However, she comes at a hefty price, and simple fillings cost a lot more than they would at a regular dentist. Plus, her staff, namely David, makes everything complicated, talks down and blames others. All told, I have had at least 10 phone calls and 10 emails about getting my son some fillings. And the cost, even after two dental insurance plans, is prohibitive. Simply not worth the time and energy to deal with office mismanagement of this sort. read more

Excellent practice! I have been a patient here for 3 1/2 years and cannot say enough about these folks. Your positive experience starts with the front desk personnel. David has usually been the one I've dealt with, and he is courteous and responsive, always makes sure to check if there are any questions or concerns. I have wimpy gums so I get a cleaning every 3 months to keep things in check, and he is good about finding me a replacement time slot if I need to reschedule. Cheryl, the hygienist I prefer, is thorough but gentle. Dr. Helen is very skilled, reassuring, explains what she is doing and takes care to keep the patient as comfortable as possible. I am getting ready to move out of state and needed some old fillings that had eroded, replaced; I liked this practice well enough to do that before moving. Thanks Dr Helen and crew!! read more

Phenomenal Practice if you can get an appointment! Fantastic dentist who cares enough to go out of her way for her clients. David in the office is a talented gem and makes billing easy and painless. read more

Disappointing. My fiance recommended Alderson saying that she had a terrific first time appointment during which the doctor used all those hi-tech gadgets you've read about, including some kind of uv wand to clean stains off her teeth, and spent a total of 30 minutes with her. She must have had some cancellations that day, because the first thing I noticed was that three other people signed in for 9 am appointments too! Needless to say, I had a different experience. After leaving my drivers license and SS# on my info sheet (why do they need that?) and then revisiting it to change some of the numbers, I was greeted by a friendly Mexican gentleman, who did not speak the greatest English. We went back to the chair (which is in a row of chairs out in the open so that you can share all your medical information with anyone who cares to listen in the next chairs over - What? It's wrong that I don't want to hear about your abscess?). I brought my previous x-rays from less than a year ago, but because they were normal film prints, and not the hi-tech digital x-rays Dr. Alderson is so proud of, she decided to shoot another round (mind you, she said my previous x-rays didn't show anything suspect and that my teeth looked fine on brief inspection so she didn't expect to find anything wrong). Ka-ching! $90 dollars and 30 seconds later the technician blew up the prints on the monitor. Yep. They're fine. And by the way, I don't care how you take x-rays, they're for the doctor to interpret, not so I can email them to my friends and family or post on my blog. The technician then proceed to use old fashioned picks and scrape my teeth, for the most part avoiding my gums and the sensitive area around two teeth I mentioned in particular - though I did have to squirm a bit to remind him to go easy. Next flossing. Brilliant, I do it myself every night. And then the old-fashioned buzzing brush. After all the teeth were clean, the technician (thankfully) asked if he could use cold water to wash out my mouth. I told him I preferred to have room temp, and he left to get a cup of tap water and then directed me out of my chair and over to the communal sink to wash out. Hello? Sink by the chair? Ever heard of that, or is it too "old fashioned"? Finally the Doc came over again. She confirmed that my x-rays were totally unnecessary--I mean, my teeth were fine--and proceeded to explain that old fashioned dentists only look for and treat cavities. "Cracks," she said, are equally dangerous and should be searched for and examined carefully, as they lead to the "death" of teeth. Ok. "In dental school," she continued, "they teach you to regard cracks as 'something to keep an eye on' but not to treat, so you just watch them, what? Kill your teeth!" Ok, she's explaining things, I'm on board, let's have a look then. Looks like there are some small cracks in a few teeth and one possibly larger one on a molar in back but it's hard to tell because our teeth naturally crease in that same location. Ok. What should we do? You guessed it, she said we're going to "keep an eye on it." I hope my tooth doesn't "die" in the meantime. Back at the front desk. Would I like a morning or afternoon slot for my return visit in 6 months? Thank you, I'll take the post card notification method, and I'll call you. As an added bonus, you get to fill out your own post card! - I supposed Avery labels are too old fashioned, and I guess I shouldn't be expecting a birthday card either? Ultimately, 3 stars because my teeth are clean and I'm only in a state of disillusionment, not agony. And of course, I scored a "free" goodie bag with scope, toothpaste, and a toothbrush (the technician did check to make sure I wasn't getting a pink one) . . . for only $270. Bottom line, if all you need is a routine cleaning, you can do just as well elsewhere, and for far less. read more

Helen Alderson has been my dentist for, 25-30 years! Why I originally chose her was I liked that she worked only 1/2 time so she could be with her children! But the main reason was she claimed she, "catered to cowards"! BINGO! She tells you everything she is going to do, etc but when I demanded I get nitrous oxide for her to clean my teeth and any other procedure that involves any kind of pain even remembers to tell her assistant I can't do it strong or I throw up! She remembers that for all of these years! I can't say enough about her! Her staff is always great too! I'll stop now but I could go on even more gushing! Thanks Helen & Staff! read more

Dr. Alderson and her staff are just great! She practices a conservative (don't overdo the dental work) approach which I really like. My husband complained that she was too far from his work place so we found him a new dentist. First thing that dentist did was recommend several root canals. He chose to do one. Painful for my husband, costly for us. And I guess he was super rough too. My husband decided Dr. Alderson was worth the trek from Walnut Creek into SF. And guess what, when we went back, those recommended root canals by the other dentist, Dr. Alderson didn't think were even necessary. I wonder if that first one even was necessary? Dr. Alderson is also very up-to-date on the relationship between dentistry and general health. That is difficult to find and I really appreciate it. Meter feeding, putting on movies for me to help pass the time during cleaning (and for my toddler to watch while he was waiting for me during an appointment), you can't get better service anywhere! read more

Imagine a dentist talking to you on a peer-to-peer level. Goodbye to overbearing, prison warden dentists. Helen is great and her family style office embraces you. It use to be I'd rather go to Jury Duty (shrug) now the teeth cleaning ain't so bad. Thanks. read more

Helen Alderson, DDS - All smiles. Thanks Helen. - Orthodontists Near Me - San Francisco, California

Last Friday I had a terrible day at work, one of the worst I've ever had. What made it even worse is my worrying all morning about my noon dental appointment with a BRAND NEW DENTIST. I was so freaking crazy that I almost cancelled at the very last minute, but I forced myself to go since I didn't think my day could get any worse than it already was. You know what? My day got exponentially better AFTER I saw Dr. Alderson. The folks in her practice are very nice and helpful, and the hygienist I met with was just great. Dr. Alderson is a lovely, down to earth woman, who explained her philosophy on dental work to me. I appreciated her low-key approach and high-tech equipment. Such a different experience than my former dentist, who shall be unnamed (but you can read my review). Helen and crew - I'll see you in six months! read more

We love Dr. Alderson. My wife and I see her. She's the only dentist I've ever had who explains everything as she goes along. I appreciate that and it also helps me know when the unpleasant aspects are nearly over. She gets extra points for having satellite radio for while I'm in the chair. And for having so many flavors of teeth cleaning stuff. Go with the peppermint. read more

A naturopath and a dentist!? I knew I had met my match. Dr. Helen Alderson gives more quality and holistic advice than any other dentist that I have ever seen. She has a truly holistic approach, answers my email questions directly and timely, and is open to repairing rather than just pulling teeth or throwing in root canals all over the place. My past dentist told me that diet has nothing to do with health of teeth and that I needed a deep cleaning (quoted $1,000!), and that getting a veneer was "no big deal". Dr. Alderson said the opposite. Simply put, I TRUST HER. I wish she took more insurance, but she does not. I pay out of pocket - $130 for cleanings, $100 for her examination (I ask for yearly instead of every visit), and another $100 per year for x-rays. That's $460/year. Alternatively paying insurance and my copays comes out to be nearly the same (provided nothing insane happens to my mouth). I'd rather pay out of pocket for her service though that go to another traditional dentist. Her knowledge is truly worth every penny. read more

Dr. Alderson has been my dentist for 6 years now. She's by far the best dentist I've ever had. You know how some people are Star Wars geeks, and some people are photography geeks, and some people are vinyl-from-the-60s geeks? Well, Dr. Alderson is a dental geek. She has all the latest equipment, and an enthusiasm for using technology to improve the quality of patient care. read more

I've had about a half dozen dentists over the years, and Dr. Alderson is the best. She does not recommend a filling, etc. unless it is absolutely necessary. She rightly points out that if you do drill and fill a cavity, it's basically compromising the integrity of that tooth for the rest of your life (you'll probably have to get it refilled periodically because fillings don't last forever). She's also very knowledgeable and happy to go into detail about your situation if you're interested. It's comforting to know that she's not looking for ways to make money off you. Now that's integrity. read more

Dr. Alderson is great. Very friendly. I don't have a fear of dentists (probably because I've been lucky enough to have never met the business end of a dentist's drill), but she and her staff are very sensitive to those who do. Not sure what makes a dentist "4 star" or "5 star," but I have no complaints whatsoever. read more

10/17/07 Update: Dr. Alderson is so cool. I went for my first cleaning with her and got to check out her latest and coolest gadgets. She has a new digital x-ray machine that gives instant results. She blew up my xray really big on screen, so that we could look at my troubled crowned tooth (see below previous review). She also used a laser pick to check for cavities. Lastly, she told me about a class she attended for latest dental care. Fascinating. You'll have to ask her about it. It's great that she keeps up with technology and education. She's a true 5 stars winner. ============================ Dr. Alderson will have my eternal grattitude. I haven't been able to chew properly for over a year after I got three new crowns (and if you read my reviews, you know how much I love to eat!). She was ever so meticulous and soothing (she has the most calming voice) as she looked over my crowns, my bite marks, my nightguard, etc. and adjusted everything for me. Thought my right side is still sore, I don't have the dull ache, I can chew properly, and eventually I know everything will heal and be a-okay. read more

Love Dr Alderson. I have been going to her for years, and returned after a bad experience at Pacific Dental Spa (don't go there!). I agree with everyone on her honest, pragmatic approach. She doesn't believe in doing work "just because it's time", but when it actually needs to be done (i.e. replacement of old silver fillings). She also is understanding about different issues with a person's general health, and how that may be impacting their teeth. I was on a medication that made my gums swollen, and she knew that it was from the medication, not because I don't take care of myself. She then pointed out, however, how it was that much more important for me to floss and brush before going to bed so as not to exacerbate the problem. You can bet that this intellectual (rather than fear-mongering) approach ensured that I would floss more regularly. In other words, go to Dr Alderson, she's great. read more

Amazing dentist and, woman; best combination of knowledge and personality to make you feel at ease while dealing with any dental issue. Cheers read more

When I was a kid, I had a terrible experience with a dentist. During the exam, I gagged a bit, and then after I started waving frantically, he didn't notice and kept on prodding me. So I responded by puking on the guy, something I am still very proud of. Ever since, I've hated going to the dentist. I put off going to the dentist for a while after I moved to San Francisco, not wanting to try to find one. Fortunately, I got a good tip from a co-worker and found Helen. She cares about her patients, and so do the rest of the staff. If every dentist or doctors office was run this way, our health care system would be much more pleasant to deal with. I'll definitely be going back. read more

There was a span in my young life when I didn't go to the dentist at all. Not young as in "get your shoes on now, mister" young, but young "I don't have enough cash for the dentist, but I sure have enough cash for drinks tonight, LET'S GO!" young. Then my senses caught up with me and told me to pick up the phone book and let me fingers do the walking. They led me to Dr. Alderson, and I made regular visits until I moved away from SF. Dr. Helen is way cool and not pushy in the sales realm. Now that I live in the bottom part of California, I have to find a new dentist. Dr. Helen, come to LA! There are lots of teeth here that need your help! read more

I LOVE Dr. Helen Alderson, AND I loathe going to the dentist. She specializes in "chickens," or those who have a dental phobia. Her staff is helpful and very gentle. I have never had a teeth cleaning as gentle and painless as when I went to Dr. Alderson's office. Another couple of bonuses: 1. Very high tech. Dr. Alderson's office will take digital x-rays of your teeth, if you are a new patient. The xrays are shown on a screen and explained to you. You get to see everything before your eyes. And, she spends the time to tell you what you need to focus on (teeth, gums, etc.). 2. You can watch a DVD or listen to music during your teeth cleaning! 3. You get a bag of goodies on your way out (free toothbrush, floss, toothpaste). AND, it's covered through Delta Dental! HIGHLY recommended! read more

I love Advanced Dentistry. This is my story. I love Helen. She is the only dentist I will go to from now on. I mean, my mother was a RDA when I was growing up, so she was pretty obsessed with our teeth. I moved up to SF a few years ago, and I kinda forgot to go to the dentist... for those few years. My mom urged me to go, but hey, I'm lazy. So she did some internet searching and found Helen. My mom even had to make the appointment for me. I'm a bit of a procrastinator.. I know this. So, I went there and fell in love with everyone! The office itself is amazing. I try and see what they have on the tv in the front, but I just love chatting with the girls there. They remember me even after only a few visits and ask me questions! Love them! I am not scared of the dentist at all, but thought it was pretty awesome that I could listen to XM radio instead of hearing the tools being used in my mouth. My moms office didn't have that! Sorry to diss you mom, but Helen gets my vote.. I even had a mini-dental emergency once due to an infection after jaw surgery I had in southern california a few years back, and I called them in a panic, and Helen wasn't there, but apparently a gum specialist was (I WAS IN LUCK!) and he saw me 30 minutes later and gave me a prescription of antibiotics until I could be seen by my surgeon. TMI? Oh well. And if that wasn't enough, he made calls to people at UCSF because he was so concerned about me. I can't think of a friendlier office. The girls in the front remember that story too. Love them. So, go to Advanced Dentistry. Get seen by Helen. They have root beer flavored fluoride! Yippie!!! :D read more

They lost my previous dentist's x-rays. Gave me extra, unnecessary x-rays (which my insurance declined to cover, so it cost me a lot of money as well as increasing cancer risk). After checkup or treatment you wait an extra 15 minutes for Helen to be available to talk down to you, after which you realize she's only covering her ass. And to cap it all, the dental hygienist had streaming cold and gave it to me. This place is far from professional. read more

She did a crown for me. The first crown did not fit. She spent about an hour trying to get it to fit, filing my tooth down further. Finally she took a new mold and got a new crown. (This represented several weeks of re-visits and wearing a temporary crown.) That one didn't fit either, felt really tight, but the procedure was completed. A few months later I began having problems with that tooth and was in a new city as a student. My new dentist observed that the crown was barely on and mentioned that they were surprised the dentist who did it didn't try to cover more of the tooth. The whole thing had to be replaced, at great expense to me, and it was just a few months after the original work. read more

Dr. Alderson is easily the best dentist I've ever been to. She's honest, candid about her work, she won't b.s. you or upsell you, she's laid back and isn't afraid to drop an eff-bomb while she's up in your grille. I'm not sure why that impresses me but it does. I think one of her specialties is working on people who are afraid of dentists and pain, and she seems like she'd be very good at it. I went in to her with such a rotten, demon-possesed tooth that I'd missed sleep for three nights, and she drilled into the roots, took out the nerves, and I never felt the slightest bit of pain. Not bad. read more

Why I chose Dr.alderson.... Firstly I have had some digestive problems over the past few years..upset stomach , bloating the usual ..it turned out I am gluten intolerant (celiac sprue). After doing hours of research , also I watched a documentary (the gerson miracle) and many others I began to realize that it's not just what We eat that keeps us alive and healthy it is also what We put in Our mouths that has a huge impact on Our bodies. To my amazement I found out that amalgam fillings are filled with 50% mercury . Yep , they didn't tell me that when I got a huge silver amalgam one in my mouth a few years ago , the second most toxic metal in the world in my mouth and probably in a lot of your mouths too! Anyway I found Dr alderson online through Dr. Tom mcguire's wellness list of mercury safe removal dentists, did the yelp check, Hey presto, There she was with all the good reviews to boot. She was very informative and huge advocate on why it is just ridiculous that dentist still use this mineral in our fillings, It was a huge relief for me too . So two visits later I have a new porcelain tooth, I feel so much better , she used all the special ventilators , oxygen, chlorella wash to trap whatever mercury did try to escape . Awesome . All the staff were friendly, upbeat and relaxing ,very important to me. Dr alderson was gentle , kind , talked to me as if was 7 years old :), You might find funny but We all know most of us turn into a child when a huge 6 inch needle and drill is waved in front of your face. So very comforting.. The whole experience was great and would recommend her to anyone. The message for me is to also educate everyone on what these amalgam fillings can do , It might not be the whole cause of my problems but I do know it definitely started a trigger to how my body changed and reacted to the work I had done. So one filling down , now I just have my crappy root canal that I got done in the univ. Of pacific to leave my precious mouth and I will be golden. Thx . A million Dr alderson and the staff. P.s I would keep on writing but I'm sure If you do your own research you will find the same answers.. read more

Bring your checkbook! $329.00 for death cleaning. As expensive as you're going to find. Ridiculous. read more

I absolutely adore Dr. Helen Alderson and the entire staff. I've been a regular patient for years because she understands my irrational dentist phobia and manages to put me at ease...well, as at ease as I can be at a dentist office. She is very gentle, caring and attentive. She even replies to emails if you need to get information straight to her outside of an appointment. read more

Dr. Alderson is only dentist I actually enjoyed going to see! She and her staff are top-notch and very friendly.

Still going to Dr. Alderson. A new office but the same warmth and care. With her help, I finally managed to get my root canal done. It would have never happened without her. I went from sweating and panicking before dental visits to looking forward to them. Now my kids go with me. We make the hour trek to SF just for her and her team. read more

I've been going to Helen for 10 years---she is fantastic! Very gentle, kind, and knowledgable. Her dental assistants Windy & Cynthia are wonderful. The front office was very helpful with some complicated billing with my inssurance plan. Great dental practice; i highly recommend without reservation read more

I was a long time patient of Helen. I then left for a little while after having some problems with the front desk staff. I was not happy with the new dentist, she sees so many patients that I was just lost in the shuffle. Facing some bigger complicated procedures ( I have horrendous teeth), I contacted Helen and begged to come back. I just couldn't trust anyone else. And guess what? New awesome front desk staff!!!! What a wonderful improvement. Bottom line, Helen is the *only* person I trust with my teeth. I love her so much I have given her a hug. Really how many people hug their dentists?? She makes the entire experience much less traumatic. I trust her implicitly. read more

Love Love Love Dr. Alderson and ALL of her peeps. Every single person there is great. Front desk is so friendly, helpful and nice. When I had to bring my kids they even flipped in what they wanted to watch and kept them happy. I do NOT like going to dentist but they are like having coffee with a friend. The best part is they are SO knowledgable and up to the date with the latest and greatest info and gadgets. She also really thinks out of the box and isn't afraid to talk about some alternative therapies or natural things that might help. I sincerely cannot say enough great things about her...oh and my KIDS (5 and 7) even love going! read more

Excellent practical dentist. Saw me the next day for a chipped tooth - while I was there she saw that I was more or less due for a cleaning and checkup so I was able to take care of two things with a single visit. read more

My experience as a patient of Dr. Alderson has been excellent. Her bedside manner is exemplary and her practice appears to be very well organized; I have never been left to wait in the reception area and I have always gone away feeling very satisfied with the service I received. read more

I've been going to Dr. Alderson for 6 years now. I've changed jobs and it's a longer trek to her office, it's still worth it. She and her staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and do not upsell you on things you don't need or want. They are also pet friendly too! I bring in my senior dog, the staff are more excited to see him than me.... read more

I hate dentists, but I love Helen. She deals with my phobias and puts me at ease. Dr. Alderson never suggests "extra" work, and a visit with her is kind of like hanging out with my big sister. The office is family friendly and equipped with all the bells and whistles. After years of avoiding dentists, I'm in her office twice a year no problem. read more

I've seen Dr. Helen for a loooong time and things have always improved. She goes to continuing education alot and learns the best way to treat people's teeth (not just what makes the most dough). I've always been confident in her skills and glad to see the same staff for the last 10+ years. she's so good with difficult people, I've sent a few people I know (though I've regretted a couple of referrals...Can you say "TWEAK!"... I hope that Wendy chick wasn't one of mine....how embarrassing, seems like a nut). I moved away for a while, but made the effort to swing by when I was in the area. I'm glad to be back in SF! Sometimes a little hard to get an appointment. She's so popular now, I wish I'd kept her all to myself! read more