If you are really, but really desperate and have no other dentist to go, yes, choose Helen Thai's dental office (make sure you have insurance!!!). The office is very poorly managed, phone never answered because the receptionist is talking with her Mom in Portuguese all day long (on her phone, but she does not have time for anything else). They aim to do extra procedures, so they can bill more, and the bills are always higher than the estimates. There will always be a "good" reason for that (they are actually very good finding reasons and they won't admit any wrongdoing even when caught). I've seen the assistant to the dentist taking the gloves off and put them on again (same ones), which doesn't seem sanitary at all. They sent patients home in pain and did not care, which kind of sums up everything about this office with sub-mediocre quality of work, care and personnel. Stay away!!! read more

Just got some fillings done here, by her assistant and not herself. I was a bit chagrined when I saw Dr. Thai leave and the assistant switch over to her vacant seat and tell me that she would be doing the fillings. I'm experiencing tooth pain in my newly filled teeth when chewing and I have a strong suspicion that the fillings were improperly "polished" as I was even informed of the assistant's uncertainty as to whether the one filling was too high as she said and could interfere with my bite. I have no idea why she wasn't capable of getting it right the first time. Also, the procedure for 3 fillings was awfully long and painful regarding the fact that they did not assist me with keeping my jaw open until about 2/3 through (when Dr. Thai asked if i was hurting). I left the office basically unable to open my mouth very wide. My previous dentist of multiple years was thorough in his commitment to performing each part of the restorative procedure; he always did the actual filling himself. Minus the one time when he didn't numb me sufficiently, at least his finished work wasn't shoddy. The cherry on top is that I was given an estimate after my initial cleaning that was much lower than the actual price I ended up paying. Don't know how the receptionist got that wrong. Not sure I want to return to Dr. Thai's office. read more

Dr.Thai is great! the feel of the office is fun and the staff is really good at keeping me calm because we all know that it is horrible to be at a dental office. Kelly the Hygienist is very gentle and shows good techniques on how to floss, in the past I've had hygienists that made me feel horrible for not flossing instead of encouraging me. Dr.Thai did a few fillings on me and I barely felt the needle during numbing. I would recommend this office to all my friends. read more

I would never want to go anywhere else for my teeth. They have helped me extensively and been so compassionate through several root canals and fillings. I strongly recommend them for any students in the Berkeley area like me or anyone else. read more

Like most people, I hate going to the dentist. I have avoided it for years, but finally went and got a fairly substantial amount of work done over the last few months, including several fillings and a root canal. Dr. Thai and her staff are excellent in every regard. They were always friendly, punctual, and efficient. Her assistance and front desk staff are wonderful also. read more

My entire family has been going to Dr. Thai for five years now. The staff is friendly and helpful. Dr. Thai has taken great care of our teeth. read more

I just had a root canal filling re done by Dr Thai and her team. I was so scared about this procedure that I put it off for over a year! Dr Thai was very kind and professional and sympathetic about my fears. She did such a great job and I feel extremely relieved and grateful to her and her team that it is now over. She did a great job. She is also friendly, approachable and has a great sense of humor. read more

I have been going here for several years and I am now in the process of finding a new dentist.It has taken me a while to realize how unhappy I am with the service even though Helen Thai and staff are really likable people and the office is very clean. Their estimates of how much my insurance will cover is almost always too high thus I have often committed to dental work that later caused me alot of financial hardship.. This usually leaves me scraping to cover unexpected bills. Once this cost me and extra $950.00. Although they were sympathetic, they said that there was nothing they could do and suggested I work it out with my insurance company. I would expect a dentist office to have some knowledge of insurance companies and if it is only an estimate and it might be $950.000 off the mark I want this made really, really clear from the beginning. In fact I just received another bill saying that I owe them $350 more than the beginning estimate. I am so disappointed. My gut feeling is that these folks are milking me for my insurance and suggesting work that isnt needed. When I went there the first time Angela Bayat looked at my teeth and said aside from 1 root canal, a deep cleaning and 2 small cavities filled my teeth seemed very healthy. For some reason now that it is under new management they seem to find some new problem (including another crown/root canal) every time I go in for a check up. I have asked them why these things went mentioned before they often say that because of its location in the mouth or the nature of the X -ray they didnt notice it before. I dont know if I believe that. I also got a root canal done by them. It didnt work and became infected. It had to be redone entirely only two months after the first attempt by a specialist so I had to pay for it twice. They said sometimes the root canals just dont work out and need to be done over reassuring me that this is normal and happens from time to time. I have never heard of this being normal and I wish they had told me before I paid for the first one that it might not work beacuse I may have had it extracted instead. I felt like after paying for it once I almost had to have it redone or I would have literally spent thousands of dollars and hours in the dentist chair with nothing to show for it. When they were doing my crown an assistant dropped it on the floor too! I dont remember her name and havnt seen her there since. Hopefully she no longer works there. It is really hard to write such a negative review but people put so much trust in doctors and often just take their word for it. I feel I might have saved alot of money going somewhere else especially with having the root canal done right the first time. Overall I think they could provide better service if they were to strive for better communication and clarity especially with the final costs and success rates of the procedures. Also alot of nasty 1 star reviews ended up on Angela Bayat's reviews so check that out because alot of them should actually be posted here and even mention the current owners as the source of their extreme disappointment. It seems there are ALOT of people who have had experiences similar to mine. That is why I am warning other people here. read more

I will be a lifetime patient of Dr. Helen Thai. My teeth have always been bad. Pretty on the outside and just terrible, as far as I was concerned inside. Since childhood I always had a fear of dental work, just because of what it intel's and for me it always seemed to be the most, you understand. There was previously another dentist in the office where Dr. Thai is now, can't remember her name if that's tells you much. However, the location is great so I stayed with the new dentist plus she took my coverage. From the very first visit with Dr. Thai, I was sold. The office smelled of fresh flowers upon entrance, not the yucky dental office smell of something burning. The front office staff were extremely kind and seem to have some idea of who I was, which is such a plus. The patient and doctor areas are clean, and there's a view of San Francisco when having treatments. I started with the basics; x-rays, cleanings a couple of filings. I needed more serious work done. Dr. Thai's gentle but very professional manner coaches me through injections still and never do they hurt or bother me afterward. I told you I was sold. It's been just about a decade. My whole family are patients. Husband, three children and now my Mom. We just love Dr. Thai and the outstanding work she provides. The entire staff is wonderful. read more

I am so thankful and grateful for Dr. Thai and her office. This past Saturday I chipped my molar. I tried to get into my dentist on Monday who had no time to see me and could not guarantee to even get me in this week nor could the office make a referral for emergency care. After my old dentist's front desk person seemed annoyed with me, I decided to try to find another dentist. Dr. Thai works upstairs from my dentist. Her front desk person immediately got me in for the next day. Dr. Thai took care of me as if I had been a long-time patient of hers. She is gentle, knowledgeable, and personable. She took her time and answered all of my questions. Her dental technicians knew exactly what they were doing and her whole team worked well together. I highly recommend Dr. Thai because if a dental emergency happens, you want to be able to get in to see your dentist! Both my husband and I are switching to her practice. read more