I'd give their office 10 stars if I could. I preface this post by saying that this is my first root canal. I do not like needles and have a fear of getting dental work done on me. I was expecting pain during and after the procedure. Usually my jaw aches for days and my neck is sore from holding a position for an hour or so after fillings, so that was what I was expecting. BUT, none of the above happened. Ok, I was still apprehensive of needles, but that quickly changed when I didn't feel any pain during the injections. The exemplary experience started the moment I called and spoke to their kind and professional receptionists. Next came the local anesthetic injections (painless!!), the root canal procedure (again,painless), to Dr. Ho's postoperative call the next day (to check on how I was doing), I was simply blown away by how warm, knowledgable, and caring the entire team was. 24 hours after my procedure, besides a bit of expected soft tissue soreness, I'm feeling great. No sore jaw or neck!! Kinda blows my mind, that I'd had a root canal without pain, and recovering with minimal discomfort, without the need for ibuprofen. He's got awesome skills, that Dr. Ho. He took his time to explain the procedure and discussed my root anatomy while looking at my xray. He took his time to take an excellent history of duration of tooth pain by asking pertinent questions, and made sure I was comfy (bite block for jaw comfort, neck pillow for neck comfort) before he started. I was so relaxed during the procedure that I even noticed how polite he was to his assistant, always saying please and thank-you when he asks for various instruments. No pomp, no arrogance. My respect for him expanded exponentially thereafter. Being a good human being trumps being a great doctor, and it's not everyday that you get to meet someone who is both those things. read more

Super shady. Called the number and the person that answered was driving, and it was very noisy. I was quoted roughly $3500 for a root canal, that is not a thing. read more

If you want a skilled, competent, and capable dental surgeon, I would see Dr. Ho. I received a few second opinions before coming across his yelp reviews and decided to go with him. Thank goodness. He is exceptional at what he does - very quick and efficient and aims to preserve the tooth. Also, perhaps most importantly, I somehow had NO pain after either of my root canals. The anesthetic was delivered perfectly and wore off in a good amount of time. I feel fortunate that I did some research and found Dr. Ho! read more

1. Seven stars for best-in-class dental treatment. 2. Two stars for admin - no email on their site for inquiries, very limited payment options (just by mail, phone or in person), no cost break-down in their mail, etc. read more

Dr. Ho has integrity and demonstrates trustworthy character, which is not common in the dental industry. The staff in his office also cares.

I love this place and think it's great for children! My wife and I let our kids run around and everyone was so nice! Only problem, no one was wearing wigs, but hey at the end of the day, it's night.‍‍‍ read more

Loved my experience with Dr. Ho! I took my mom, who was very nervous about needing a root canal, to see Dr. Ho. The experience was great from beginning to end. Dulce, fit my mom in right away since my mom was having pain. Then when we arrived my mom said she felt safe after seeing all of the COVID precautions they had in place since she is 65 now. She also said she felt less nervous after seeing all the high tech equipment that Dr. Ho had in his office. She felt he was very up to date and provided her the latest advances in dental care. All of Dr. Ho's assistants were also so welcoming and comforting. They made my mom feel right at home. Dr. Ho was also very professional and explained things to my mom, showing her x-rays, every step of the way so she would understand the procedure. My mom said the whole process was painless and quick. Dr. Ho is very experienced and talented! read more

I've had 4 root canals by Dr. Ho over the years, including 2 this year (Ugh), and I would not go anywhere else. The professionalism and quality of care I've received from Dr. Ho and his staff is second to none. In every case Dr. Ho was able to save a cracked tooth and within a day after the surgery I was without any pain or discomfort. I have unusually deep roots, and they were not a problem in his extremely capable hands. The man is Rembrandt with a drill. read more

Dr. Ho slipped me in for a root canal the day before lock down as he was worried I might have problems during that time. He was efficient and effective. He called me after, and I called him when experiencing discomfort. He was reassuring and helpful and he told me to call anytime. This is a professional in every sense of the word. read more

I think Dr. Ho is the best in all ways. The entire staff is very good. The doctor is efficientand gentle, also very skilled. If you need a root canal, go to Dr. Ho. The experience was not frightening and I'm afraid of everything. read more

Dr. Ho and the entire staff were and are amazing! I had a horrible abscess in my upper jaw. It required two root canals and a big incision across my gum line to clean out the infection. As you can imagine it was quite an intensive procedure. Dr. Ho clearly explained all my options and I was presented with an estimate before they started. All in all it wasn't even half as painful as I expected it to be. Dr. Ho did a fantastic job with pain management! Everyone in the office was genuinely sincere and cared about my well-being. They all stayed late to get the procedure finished up. Aftercare was explained thoroughly to me and I was provided with everything I needed before I left. I had my recheck today and everything went smoothly. I cannot thank Dr. Ho and the staff enough! Thank you all for providing such thoughtful and amazing care! read more

I had two root canals done on molars within 8 months. Both were done by Dr. Ho. Having been through this twice, I can honestly say he is the BEST Endodontist ever!!! On both occasions there was literally almost no pain whatsoever. Even the healing afterwards was minimal to no pain!! During the procedure Dr. Ho and his assistant, Bianca, performed in unison. They would routinely ask how I was doing and if I needed any suction. The entire procedure was smooth as can be! His experience and expertise really shown!!! His entire front staff are friendly, warm and professional. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Dr. Ho for all your Endodontic needs!! Thank you Dr. Ho and staff. You all are truly an amazing team!!! read more

Racketeering? First I don't know anything about Dr. Ho's professional expertise -- he could be the Gandalf of Dentistry for all I know. What I *do* know is that there is something shady going on under his wing here. I needed an emergency root canal last week. I was referred to Dr. Ho by a dentist who works in the same office as my dentist Dr. Tennent --Dr. David Sestero. It was kind of strange from the get-go because Sestero, like a Stepford Wife, repeated to me (literally) four times that Dr. Ho & co. were doing me a big favor by seeing me. It was so strange that eventually I even asked, "Is there something I am not getting from the fact that you keep referring to this "favor" they are doing for me?" Wink wink nudge nudgishly! It was like the Godfather or something! But I was in pain so I said "fine". Sestero also said that I would have to pay up front. (fine, whatever). I had an appointment for 5:30 on Friday. At about 2:00, someone from Dr. Ho's office called me to go over "my responsibilities". She too informed me that they were doing me a big favor (three times) by seeing me. (Do people in pain really need to be made to feel like parasites? Or was that supposed to be my hint to bring a fruit basket and some wine and cheeses? Should I genuflect when these people walk into a room in deference to their saintly, God-like benevolence?) Then she said that she had checked my insurance and they were going to use all of it (1000 dollars UC Berkeley student dental insurance) but that in addition to this my co-pay would be 1,100. That's 2,100 dollars for a root canal! And that they don't take checks so it would be better if I brought cash or a debit card. So I decided to call Patricia Solitro who is the intermediary between the UCB's SHIP insurance and MetLife who would be paying for my treatment. She's really nice and I have met her before. I told her what had been happening and she said, "WHAT?! Are you kidding me!?" She said that even though they weren't on the student plan list they still were charging a fee way outside the norm and that it all sounded shady. So while she referred me to someone else on the plan (UC Dentistry who in turn referred me to Dr. Ali Allen Rezai who was great and didn't require me to get on all fours and lick his boots) she also called Dr. Ho's office to find out what was up. She got the same woman who had called me on the line and when she said she was from the insurance company and asked about the fee the woman put her on hold and when she came back she said, "Oh! we will have to cancel that appointment because Dr. Ho has suddenly been called away on a medical emergency! Too funny! Anyway, deal with these people at your own risk. P.S. I guess later the office woman called Patricia Solitro back and got snippy with her, saying, "Well, we do a lot of work on the Cal athletes" after which PS said to me, "Well they don't anymore!" read more

I never thought that I would write these words in a sentence: I had a great root canal today. Dr Ho and crew are amazing - professional to a fault, low key, and accommodating. Their offices are state of the art - digital instant x-rays, probes to see how deep the canals are, titanium whatsises to file out the dying tooth splooge. Plus his space is comfy, modern, soothing, all the bells and whistles... The cheesemonger is not often impressed with credentials, but this guy has the educational training - UCLA, Cal and Harvard for crissakes. Talk about an underachiever! Did I talk about his staff? Fun, friendly, efficient and professional. They fed my meter, laughed at my corny jokes and did everything to make me feel comfy. I'm going back for a check-in in a few months, and I'm actually looking forward to it. Cheesemonger sez: Shop at Dr Ho's Root Canal Store!! And to invoke the spirit of ol' skool rappers like Mos Def, Mele Mel and the Furious Five: "Eveybody say Ho!" HO!! PS, I don't know wtf is up with fellow yelper pea p. She never had a root canal from Ho and Co, and she gives him one star because her insurance wouldn't cover the entire amount?? Hell yeah, I'd make sure that a student with no job paid up front before I provided her with services... read more

Nice website. Nice office. Professional staff. Horrible experience! I had a painless bump on my gum from getting hit with an elbow, and Dr. Ho skillfully cut the small abcess, but then Dr. Ho talked me into getting a root canal, because it "may go bad" and I should use my insurance before it expires for the year (2011) Stupid me I had him drill the tooth which DID NOT HURT before the treatment, but ever since, I have not been able to eat a carrot or steak on the tooth! Two dentists told me that it seemed unnecessary. They made me pay almost $2000 even though I had insurance. Then they sent me a check for $18 (no joke). Then they sent me a bill for $50. I requested explanation, but instead they just sent it to collections. Therefore: 1. Tooth with no pain now has pain. 2. Paid ~$2000 at appointment. 3. Credit damaged for unexplained $50 bill. read more

I live in San Francisco, but could not find a endodontists that could see me for my emergency Root Canal that both was affordable and close by. I eventually yelped around the bay area and found reviews for Dr James Ho and Dr. Nealon in Berkeley. I called his office and told them this was urgent and they fitted me in right away. The office staff was super nice. My experience with Dr Neally was wonderful. He was very gentle and informative. It was the best dental experience I've had in a while. He went over all the options I had for a tooth that was throbbing with pain. Including a clean up of the root so the pain would be relieved. Just so I could look around for some dental insurance(which I do not have). I wanted it over with, so i gave him the go, and he finished the entire root canal in about an hour. The entire time him and his staff made sure I was comfortable letting me stretch whenever I needed. He also went step by step on what he was doing in my mouth. Over all, the experience was a class act. Even his business partner Dr.James Ho came over and introduced himself to me and chatted it up. Front Office- Very friendly, modern and clean waiting room. They even offered to put more money in the parking meter for me. Dr. Neally and Dr. Ho- wonderful and comforting Price- they gave me plenty of options-was not concerned about the money at all, just wanted to take care of me. CLASS ACT!!! Equipment-New and State of the art read more

I'm very happy with the service I got from Dr. Nealon He took my appointment the same day (it was emergency) He preform Re - treat for unsuccessful root canal. He is a professional. read more

I am extremely impressed with the friendliness of staff here and the thorough followup after a root canal. In late April, I faceplanted in a bike accident, which caused one of my front teeth to get pushed inward. After a few days of endless "Dear God, please let my tooth be OK" prayers, the classic symptoms of pulpitis appeared and I called up BCC. They were able to fit me in the following day, so I wasn't in pain for very long. Mind you, I called in the afternoon the previous day, so I was very impressed! Dr. Ho was very punctual (appointment started when it was supposed to), and it only lasted for an hour. It honestly felt like a dental cleaning, insofar as painlessness and efficiency went. I was very pleased. Afterward, I was given Ibuprofen for pain, but I didn't need it. Nothing hurt! I expected inasmuch for a root canal, though. What was really cool about ECC, compared to other places, was the fact that Dr. Ho didn't charge me for my followup! He was very sympathetic about my accident and the dental trauma. My followups were scheduled as follows: two weeks after procedure, one month after that, three months, and then six months. Yes...he wanted to see me six months after my root canal! Just to see how my teeth were doing! He's very caring, and it really shows in the way he runs his business. On top of that, everyone I talked to - front desk staff, assistants - were all very friendly. They remembered my name after my initial visit... that was amazing. Overall, I just felt as if I received excellent care. This place is great. Very smart doctor with a modern, caring practice. Great service. Highly recommended. read more

I literally just joined Yelp because I want to have a chance to share some of my experiences with Dr. Ho, in light of the overwhelmingly negative experience that the previous reviewer had. In the past two years, I have had three root canals in Dr. Ho's office. The condition of my teeth was due to my own negligence but I am happy to report that all is now well after having Dr. Ho perform these procedures. My first trip to his office was also an "emergency," where my regular dentist, Dr. Anita Purohit (whom I can recommend highly), found a bad situation during one of my visits and she arranged for me to go directly to Dr. Ho's office within the hour. I too was in great pain and felt thankful to be able to see him so quickly. I will admit that I was surprised that a talented and reputable doctor could be free at such short notice, but I have come to learn that most appointments are emergencies and this is normal for this type of surgery. As this was late in the afternoon, I know that Dr. Ho made a few phone calls and canceled some personal appointments so that he could finish working on me, which lasted until about 6:30 pm. When I arrived, I saw Dr. Ho immediately and was very impressed with his "chairside manner" and in the clear way that he explained procedures and what needed to be done and why. He seemed very concerned that I knew exactly what was going to happen. I also noticed diplomas on the wall from Cal, UCLA and Harvard. This is a highly qualified practitioner. Now about the money part, which is where, I think, the previous reviewer found most of her flaws in her experience with Dr. Ho. I was handed a clipboard that had an outline of how much this was going to cost, including an acknowledgement of how much my insurance would pay. If memory serves, the entire procedure was about $1000 - $1200 and my portion was about half that. (I cannot swear to these numbers) So yes, it felt kind of odd to have to have that conversation at that moment, but I understood what needed to happen and I trusted that I was in good hands. I certainly was not going to start calling around shopping for the doctor with the lowest fees. I cannot say that the procedure was a complete pleasure, that would be an exaggeration. It is a root canal after all. But it was as pleasant as it could possibly be. In fact by the next day, I was pretty much back to normal. I found Dr. Ho to be very skilled, extremely competent, and very personable. He used what seemed to be quite cutting edge instruments and was very concerned that his procedure was the best that it could be. He even called me later that night from his home to check on me. My other visits to Dr. Ho's office were all equally pleasurable. I cannot disagree with the other reviewer's bad experience as it relates to charges and payments. I wasn't there that day. My experience in this area was quite fair and straightforward. But the reason that I feel so strongly about recommending Dr. Ho is simply that he cares very much and made what could be an awful experience into one that was as painless as it could be. read more

Reading the negative review prompted me to provide our own experience with Dr. Ho. My husband got his root canal with Dr. Ho about six months ago. In our experience, Dr. Ho was completely professional and made unpleasant procedure bearable for my husband. By the time, my husband saw Dr. Ho, he was mad with pain. My husband has unreasonable fear of people working on his mouth. That's a whole another story but bottom line was he was mad with pain. He literally had to get a root canal that day because he had waited too long to go and see his general dentist -- hoping it would go away on its own. Dr. Ho's office fitted him in that day. Dr. Ho was able to manage my husband in his anxious & pained state. His office made sure that my husband would have a driver (me) to drive him back home as they gave him nitrious oxide to calm him down so they didn't want him to drive. We found him to be a consummate professional, excellent work on the root canal and we had no problems with his staff or billing. In fact, we have recommended him to all of our friends and family since this experience. Our general dentist was pretty impressed with Dr. Ho's follow up as he sent him an x-ray over w/ a detailed asssessment of the surgery -- I guess not all doctors do this level of follow up to the general dentist. Anyway, even though it's been a few months, I felt compelled to provide our own experience having gone through the surgery with Dr. Ho. We found him to be an excellent doctor for us. read more

I am not sure why my previous was removed but here it is again below: I have had three root canals with Dr Ho and am about to have two additional ones in a couple of weeks. Root canal surgery is no picnic for sure; however, Dr. Ho and his staff (two thumbs up for Alicia and Sandie)do an amazing job of making the entire experience as "non-eventful" as it can be. What do I mean by "non-eventful"? Exactly that...it's a non-event. There is no pain or discomfort during the procedure at all. None. This is no joke...the guy knows how and where to inject the novocaine and there is communication throughout the procedure to make sure that you are comfortable. I must say that Dr. Ho and the entire staff go to great lengths to make the experience pleasant! Who would dream such a thing while having a root canal. The unparalleled expertise, professionalism and follow-up care from calling me at home following the procedure just to see how I am feeling through the crown placement are first rate attributes of a clearly exceptional dentist and office team. Two of my three teeth Dr. Ho worked on were considered possibly unsaveable. Despite the odds, Dr. Ho went in (and I think even to his own surprise), saved both of them. I would not trust my mouth or the mouth of any of my family and friends to anyone else by Dr. Ho and his team. If you need a root canal, don't mess around...give Dr. Ho a call. He is seemingly tireless as I am seen whenever I am in trouble with a tooth without question...the staff always find a way to fit me in. Like Jeff D., I too have no idea what's up with the review written by Pea p except to say that if you were not treated there, you've got no business writing such a review. Your review reads as if you have issues other than endodontics. read more

My wife has a fear of going to the dentist but Dr. Ho did everything in his power to make it more comfortable for her. He even followed up by calling that evening from his cell phone to make sure she was alright. Above and beyond the call of duty. He takes pride in his work and it shows. read more

I think it's quite difficult to give a review for an endodontist as it's not someone you see very often and root canals are by their nature a painful thing. But I felt very comfortable and like I was in good hands with Dr Ho. Due to an accident I had to have two root canals at once on my front teeth, and Dr Ho got me into his office as quickly as possible, did great work, and I didn't even need to take any pain killers. He also followed up with me the next day, which I thought was very kind. The trauma to my front teeth from the accident is healing well, and he and my dentist paid extra attention to the surrounding gum health, and that is healing well. A very professional experience. read more

First off, I am TERRIFIED of going to the dentist. I don't mean just scared or nervous. I usually end up having anxiety attacks and crying and freaking out... while in the chair. I was referred to Dr. Ho by my dentist, Robin Whitley (also highly recommended!) for an urgent root canal. Dr. Ho's schedule was quite full but he managed to find an opening and I was in his office within an hour! Dr. Ho's calm demeanor, expertise, gentle care and flexibility was incredibly reassuring. He went out of his way to make sure I was comfortable. His assistants were also very caring and competent. I know it may seem hard to believe, but the only time I felt any discomfort was during the initial Novocaine shot. Even then, he had already numbed up the area and talked me through what was happening and why I was experiencing some discomfort. The guy knows his stuff because throughout the rest of the procedure I didn't have any pain. Their equipment and office was high-end and professional. They also really went the extra mile to help me relax. They changed the xm radio station to music that would be soothing for me, gave me blue tinted glasses as "color therapy", adjusting N20 levels to my comfort level throughout the procedure, and reassuring me from all the way from checking in for my appointment to paying the bill after. He even called me later that evening just to check in with me and see how I was doing. I'm also amazed that the day after an urgent root canal, I have zero pain or soreness. They provided me with Ibuprofen, but I haven't needed to take a single one. Like another yelper mentioned, my experience was as pleasant as a root canal can be! :) read more

Having to get a root canal sucks. Yes, they pull out a needle and shoot you up. Yes, the sound of the drill is scary and awful. Yes, your mouth is propped open for what seems like a very very long time. But really, Dr. Ho walked me through each move he made and made me feel really comfortable. I had the worse experience getting a crown a few months ago with another doctor and was expecting pain and suffering afterwards for weeks. But with my root canal, I felt no pain afterwards, no swelling... seriously NOTHING. I had not felt normal since before my awful crown experience. Thank you Dr. Ho and your staff for my root canal. I would recommend you to anyone! read more

Yes - hard to believe: An excellent root canal experience :) And now 3 weeks later with my new crown - having no discomfort at all. Very nice office, nice staff and Dr. Ho himself is very personable. Highly recommend. read more

It almost hurts me to write this review, but I loved this dentist. I had my root canal done years ago and had to look his contact details up since he was so good to me. When I had to have my root canal done I had complications and Dr. Ho was amazing. Little pain and it was much better than I ever expected. I felt horrible afterward (because of my complications) and he called me at home the next day to make sure I was ok. Great customer service, great job on my root canal. He was wonderful. read more

Dr. Ho is amazing! Very down to earth doctor, looking to truly help you and not just take your money. His office staff is great as well. Would highly recommend his practice to anyone in need! read more

First, I have a confession... I HATE dentists! Well, as people they are often nice, but I am very sensitive to tooth pain so visiting them is literally torture for me. Plus there are so many bad ones, the stories I could tell are amazing. Which brings me to why I traveled thousands of miles, from Hawaii to Berkeley, to have my teeth cared for by Dr. Ho... Instead of boring you with the details, I'll just say that the dentists in Hawaii need to go back to school or something, because they are clueless. I wasted a lot of money, time, and pain dealing with them. Luckily I found Dr. Ho... he is wonderful. He performed two root canals simultaneously, yet caused very little pain. This is rare for me, I usually feel a lot of pain no matter how much novacaine they pump into me. I'm not sure how he did it, but I am thankful. I found him to be patient and smart, and I liked the way he explained everything and answered all my questions before beginning. The people who worked there were all very nice too. It is completely worth the 5+ hours plane ride, because I know it will be done right the first time! read more

When you have to have a root canal done, you want: A compassionate dentist who communicates well Perfect anesthesia Rapid yet excellent work from a skilled, experienced practitioner Good follow-up after the work Excellent office staff A clean and pleasant office environment Dr. Ho provides all of the above. read more

I mean... if you have to get a root canal, how happy are you to begin with? I have to say, Dr. Ho and his office made it the least painful experience (both literally and figuratively) as possible. He even called me the second night to follow up. Happy as I could be with the whole experience. read more

I had to go back: one of my previous root canals got infected. It was pretty awful, extremely painful. Dr. Ho was worried because he wasn't sure the tooth could be saved! He is a brilliant microsurgeon, so I tried to have faith. I had 2 appointments, a month apart. First appointment was to clean out the infection (he explained all this and "yuck" is all I will say..) and put in medicine. Then he had to wait for the medicine to work and the infecrion to go down before he could finish. I was terrified to go in the first time: My previous root canals had been nightmarish. I did a lot of deep breathing during the first procedure and listened to my music with noise-cancelling earphones. In hindsight I have to say the worst part was the shots (i also am terrified of needles.) I kept expecting it to be uncontrollable, painful,terrible.. Nope! It was basically someone making noise in my head. Then I went for the second/final procedure which was a repeat of the first. Amazing. Doctor Ho is the best. If you must have a root canal, this is the person you want doing it. He was able to save my tooth! He is kind, quick, clearly explains what he will do and I trusted everything he did. It sounded awful to have to do this in 2 appointments, but it was absolutely worth it AND it saved my tooth! Be aware of parking issues in the neighborhood. There's always Alta Bates garage, but I usually go a little early and look for 2 hour parking nearby (each of my root canal appointments was a little over an hour). read more

AMAZING. I had a tooth break while eating chips and salsa on a Sunday afternoon. It was so awful! I frantically called dentists with good reviews that took my insurance and managed to get ahold of a one who referred me to Dr. Ho for an emergency root canal. I left a message with Dr. Ho's office on Sunday evening that I'd been referred to them for an emergency procedure, and they called me back at 8:10 a.m. Monday morning and said they'd squeeze me in that day during his lunch! I went, and it was amazing. I wish my regular dentist was like Dr. Ho! He was totally meticulous. He numbed me up quickly - with precision, and minimal discomfort. I didn't feel a thing! He checked in, made sure I was ok. He was also careful not to rip up my gums with the dental dam thing, and gave me a jaw rest so that I could relax my jaw (all things the general practice dentist failed to do on my previous root canal). I'd had a root canal before by a general practicioner, and it was an awful experience. Painful, older equipment, dingy office, not nearly as good attention to detail... And to top that off, the person handling the billing for it all was clueless as to how to deal with billing my insurance. Ugh! Let me tell you, the difference between these two experiences was like an afternoon at a luxury healing spa resort retreat with lush green plants, soothing colors, and flowers strategically placed to make you feel happy (Dr. Ho) compared to a 5 mile walk on a dusty rocky road in the blistering sun without water (my previous root canal with general practitioner dentist). Dr. Ho, was great. They did me a huge favor and squeezed me in last minute-style! The whole staff was nice, friendly, and extremely helpful. They worked out billing quickly, and were able to give me an range of estimated costs before they did the work. Gave me strong Ibuprofin to take home just in case I experienced any discomfort, and then Dr. Ho himself called me that evening to make sure I was ok! Sigh...I wish I could find a regular dentist like Dr. Ho. Anyway, I absolutely give Dr. Ho a five star review. It was truly a revolutionary root canal experience for me! read more

This was my first root canal, and I was pretty scared. Dr. Ho began with a talk about my teeth and dental care in general. He said several times that his patients didn't always appreciate the time that he took to educate them. I told him that I was very appreciative, and had learned several useful things. He then did the root canal with little pain, although he questioned my desire for gas strangely, asking whether I was afraid of the pain or whether I just didn't want to be present. At this point, I was trying to jolly him along, so I tried to stay aware during the procedure, making goofy, jokes as is my wont when nervous. Finally, the procedure was over and I was readjusting myself prior to getting up. Dr. Ho then said he wanted a word with me, and I was pretty sure he was going to tell me something horrible about my teeth. So, still reclined on the chair, with the hygienist right behind me, putting stuff away, Dr. Ho begins to tell me that he has a problem with my attitude(!) and feels that I am not appreciative of him and the time that he takes with his patients. I feel like I'm in the principal's office! I'm a grown woman. I was so shocked that I gave him everything that he wanted and got myself out of there. It was weeks before I got over this incident. If you want to placate a pompous, self-important little man, go to Dr. Ho. He's waiting for you to stroke his ego, because I won't be doing it again. read more

James Ho is a lone superstar Based at Endodontic Care Center, he will do a running commentary on request and will draw your specific roots to show a particular tricky procedure. I once had a dentist try to perform a root canal on me without proper anesthetic, never here, Dr. Ho uses several methods to test the effectiveness of the anesthesia, and keeps track of where the nerve was found between visits. There is never any rush, he always allocates time enough for me, and even on tricky curved roots I always seem to leave on time without feeling rushed. Dr. Ho uses the best instruments in the business, takes detailed color photos of his work and uses low radiation electronic x-ray without delay for developing film. My comfort level is not tied to friendliness of staff, but to competence. I have been to plenty of Dentists and Endodontic specialists who are nice, I only care about Competence. I can quickly detect the jovial but mediocre tooth doctor once I am in the chair, with Dr. Ho I know I am in the very best hands in all of the East Bay. I feel so safe in his hands that I am not afraid to close my eyes and let my guard down for the procedure. I never write Yelp reviews on a first visit having been burned before, Dr. James Ho delivers consistent high quality results, and now that he has fixed former bad root canal work and treated previously untreated teeth on me over more than 1 year I am now comfortable in recommending him as "The Best Endodontist" In East bay. read more

I never thought I'd review a root canal, nevertheless give it and the place where I got it done 5 stars, but Dr. Ho and his staff definitely deserve it. The first time I went to see Dr. Ho a week ago, he squeezed me in on very short notice because I was in crazy pain and my regular dentist wasn't available. Everyone at Dr. Ho's office is uber-professional, knowledgeable, nice and understanding. I felt taken care of every step of the way. The moment I walked in the door the ladies at the front desk greeted me cheerfully and wished me a great day as I left. Dr. Ho made me feel very comfortable as he walked me through the steps of the procedure. At the end he sat down with me and explained how everything went, and he even called later to check-up on me. I had the second part of that root canal this morning, and there was no swelling and I didn't feel any pain afterward. The office is beautiful, hi-tech and surprisingly soothing with the modern decor, nice color scheme and orchids. Even more soothing than the nice digs--multiple framed degrees from prestigious schools--UCLA, Berkeley and Harvard. In addition to being a smarty, Dr. Ho has awesome people skills. He was totally aware of my comfort during the entire procedure, made pleasant conversation--well, as pleasant as can be with half of my mouth numb and a paper bib around my neck--and he even asked someone to change the music in the room when my least favorite christmas song came on. I hope I don't need another root canal, but if I do, I will definitely go back to Dr. Ho. read more

Above the Rest! Unfortunately, I hve bad teeth and have had 8 root canals, and also multiple root canal redos. So when one bad root canal - even w/ a fix 3 years earlier did not work, to Dr. Ho I went. AND I am so very relieved and satisfied. He is thoughtful and in my opinion - the most knowledgeable endodontist I've met thus far. There is a level of skill and care here that sets him above the rest. He explains the implications, what he's doing, and everything is documented very well. Moreover, his team is very kind and welcoming - my Dad had a root canal as well and he went there as well and such above-and-beyond care for him (Dad is 81 and hard of hearing). A really special place! p.s. on a side note, he's very good at giving shots minimizing pain and very calm. the first time during the tooth procedure, i actually dozed off. (a first for me) read more

Can I get some more stars? Dr. Ho is amazing! I was in extreme pain when my dentist sent me to his office, but once he worked his magic all my pain went away. He is extremely meticulous, easy to talk to and is truly a master of his craft. I can second the comment from another yelper that there was very little pain before and after he did the work. I'm just ecstatic to have been referred to him. The cherry on top is that his entire staff is warm and professional....and the office décor gets two thumbs up. read more

I can't rave about Dr. Ho and his office enough. I've had two experiences with them. The first, was a referral for what my general dentist thought was a gum infection due to the need of a root canal in 2010. Thankfully, Dr. Ho took the time to rightfully rule out the tooth needing such an expensive procedure. He rightly aided me in considering inflammation the main source of the gum irritation (which in the end was correct after seeing a specialist in gums). Needless to say, he saved me alot of money and anxiety of needing my first root canal. My second experience came a couple of years later (this week). I started having alot of pain when chewing on my back left. I thought it was one tooth, he tested and discovered it was a completely different tooth (something my general didn't do). This time I did need my first root canal. As I write this review I'm impressed one day after the procedure. He made sure to give me enough medication to numb the tooth & root after I explained I generally need quite a bit for past fillings. I didn't feel any pain, even at the end of the procedure. My initial visit charge to rule in/out the root canal was included in the regular price of the root canal (aka no extra first visit charge). His front desk staff are friendly and organized. They got pre-authorization from my insurance company and provided a spot on break down of the costs to me. Dr. Ho was barely a few minutes late due to traffic and me being his first patient of the day. I wasn't too miffed as I barely noticed the time pass - his chair has views of busy Telegraph outside. Well, I was rewarded with a $10 gift card to a great local coffee shop a block down. Very classy indeed. He's clear, concise, and takes his time to explain your particular tooth's predicament. After the procedure he showed me images of the root which was calcified & fibrous - clearly proving why I was having problems with that tooth and it's root. At 8:30pm after my appointment he called and left a message to check on me providing his cell phone in case of problem. I can't recommend Dr. Ho enough. And I will return if I have problems in the future. read more

I have never before left a dental office wanting to write a review. Well I had such an amazing PAIN FREE experience from Dr. Ho that here I am. He was so passionate about his work and so concerned with my possible pain. He called later that evening to check up on me and was apologizing about the pain. I was giggling while listening to the message because I was not in any pain still. I was in to have a problem tooth looked at. while drilling drilling a tooth that has been a problem and finding pieces of tools left in my tooth by the previous dentist years ago. The whole office knows customer service. They are compassionate and caring. Real people. read more