The three stars are solely for Jenny, the dental hygienist. She made the experience great for the two years I was with Dr. Gruell. My qualm is with the dentist. I understand most of their job is up selling and pushing procedures, but this was relentless. He got me for a procedure that was not necessary, and I should have known. But a few hundred dollars later, there we were. I mostly blame myself for that. The red flag came when he told me I had four cavities that needed to be filled. I've never had a cavity in my life, so it seemed odd that several would just pop up. After going to another dentist and having x-rays taken, it became clear there were no cavities to fill. I get that it's a business, but I couldn't continue going to a dentist I didn't trust. Thumbs up for Jenny, thumbs down for the Dr. read more

I've been going to Dr Gruell for many years and I must say its just gets better with time. The staff is beyond wonderful...I don't really care for the dentist and Kimi is always there to hold my hand and to let me know that its going to be OK and I'm doing good. Jenny is so cool that I have adopted her as my Lil Sis.. And the new kid on block Shanai is very pleasant and knowledgeable . I want to Thank them all for going beyond there duties. And I really Luv them all. This Team of Dentistry will make your smile look like a million bucks, just give them a try... read more

A truly first-rate dentist. This man knows and loves the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth. Chronic fear of dentists runs in my family (my sister used to need to be sedated for routine filings), but Dr. Gruell will put absolutely anyone to ease. He's knowledgeable about all the high-end, trendy stuff (whitening, veneers, a perfect bite), but extremely practical about dealing with evil dental insurers. For example, he advised me which non-essential work could wait until next year, when my coverage kicks in again. Finding good doctors isn't easy, and I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Gruell to anyone looking for a dentist. read more

Jenny is awesome to work with. She explains what she's doing, tells you how you're progressing and is very deliberate and thorough. It's always a pleasure coming in to work with her. Five stars! read more

Jenny is 10/10 best dental hygienist I've had work on me. She knows her stuff, is gentle, super friendly and always leaves my teeth shining. Dr. Gruell is patient and thorough. Kimmy is a great partner for Dr. Gruell, makes the whole process easy. read more

He just kept trying to get me to have a lot of work that I thought was unnecessary. When he told me I needed a root canal, I got a second opinion and found that it was wholly unnecessary. I never went back. I have no trust in his assessments. read more

I was referred by a co-worker to see Dr. Gruell to address my primary concern, a root canal crown which was failing. The office staff was VERY professional and courteous! They treated me with respect and dignity. Dr. Gruell talked to me about my options and I made an informed decision! I have always been skeptical of dentists and auto mechanics! I was very pleased with the services of the staff and Dr. Gruell! The staff made me feel comfortable and welcomed! I'm so happy I have found a dentist and staff I can feel great about when dealing with my dental needs! You're all awesome! read more

I had a great experience for someone who never goes to the dentist. Jenny was very helpful explaining each steps of X-rays and the teeth cleaning process. She definitely helped with my dental anxiety. Jenny was fast and was very inviting . She was very concerned if I had any discomfort during the teeth cleaning to let her know . I am excited to come back . read more

Dr. Gruell kept me in the chair for a long time selling me on himself. He could easily see what needed to be done, but never asked me in what order I wanted the work done, just told me he had a treatment plan, but not what the plan was or how much the elements of the plan would cost. I asked several times. Very old school and paternalistic. He took some expensive xrays and I paid the full bill ($259). Then I decided not to come back, and made an appointment with someone else, and gave that office permission to ask for the xrays to be forwarded to them. Then I got another bill for $54.00, again, not specifying what this was for. I will pay it, because I suspect these people won't hesitate to turn it over to a collection agency to affect my credit rating. Dr Gruell should be selling snake oil! read more

Began treatment for some ages-old dental problems today; everyone was very nice and helped make me feel at ease.

I had a deep cleansing here with great results. The staff are very nice and true professionals. No doubt I'll make it my regular dentist office. Jenny was awesome. read more

Dr. Gruell is okay but his dental hygienist acts like she's straight out of high school with her gossiping chitchat and his office staff will let you wait until you are there for your appointment to let you know that there is a problem with your insurance, even though they have had your information for weeks. For these reasons, I do not recommend. read more

I had a good, pain-free experience. Dr. Gruell and Kimi are a good team-I felt nothing during my procedure and feel better today! Front office folk was nice too. Highly recommend them. read more

I was EXTREMELY suffering with pain from needing a root canal. My normal dentist had to send in and get approval before they could treat me. I waited days in agony, my aunt who is a patient here insisted that I come in for treatment. I got taken care of immediately, began treatment within 2 days. I've always thought that root canals we're extremely painful from past experiences so I was completely shocked when I had ZERO pain during and after procedure. I only wish my insurance was accepted, if all dentist we're this great people would bot FEAR going to the dentist. (PS never heard from my regular dentist in root canal approval, surely would have had major issues if had not gone here) read more

Dr Gruell is an amazing dentist. He is caring and has your health in mind. His office staff is very helpful and will do there best to accommodate your schedule. I love getting my teeth cleaned with Becky. Most people don't love going to the dentist but you can count on Dr Gruell to give you pain free dentistry. You will leave happy and with better teeth. I also used Dr Gruell for invisaline, I get compliments on my teeth every thanks to Dr Gruell's expertise. Dr Gruell can do most of the work that comes to him, he is more than a general dentist. read more

Dr. Gruell is the BEST dentist. We have been patients of his for over 23 years. His attention to detail, dental expertise, and knowledge are outstanding. Dr. Gruell cares about his patients as well as providing the BEST dental care. We love him as our dentist. read more

If you are scared of the dentist like I am (well, I used to be), then I highly suggest scheduling a visit with Dr. Gruell. I am mostly scared of needles, but Dr. Gruell has a technique for giving shots where you really don't feel them, like AT ALL. Becky is a great hygienist too. She is informative and fun to talk to, and I always look forward to my visits with her. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Gruell's forever. I can't imagine going to anyone else for my dental care. My hygienist Becky is awesome and she always gets my teeth sparkly clean. I would highly recommend Dr. Gruel to anyone who is looking for a dentist! read more

Who likes to visit the dentist? I certainly do not and Dr. Gruell and his staff manage to make my visits as pleasant as possible. My hygienist is amazing with floss and tools to get my teeth sparkly clean. She scolds me when she notices I need to floss more. The receptionist are always sweet. Appointments are easy to schedule. And Dr. Gruell is thorough in his work. Plus! They have a Keurig machine complete with healthy snacks! I've been with this practice for years and intend to stay. Great dental practice! read more

I am a very happy Dr. Gruell patient and have been for years. I first went to Dr. Gruell for a night guard and have remained a loyal patient because of the incredibly competent and personable staff. Becky is a phenomenal dental hygienist and she has many loyal fans. The entire team is warm and I look forward to my visits knowing that I'll get first rate care. The office has the latest technology, is helpful with billing and I'm always in and out quickly. I trust this team and am happy to have such great dental care providers!! read more

If you can accomodate your schedule to fit theirs, fine, and only before noon. Here's the reality - After years of being a patient and referring others, the end of the road came with scheduling. Some folks need afternoon appointments due to work. After having them call multiple times to move my husbands appointment to fill their cancellations, this got more than annoying. Dr. Gruell is a great dentist. Only three because the front line represents the business. If you can get past that, this is the dental office for you. read more

I have been afraid of the dentist due to a bad experience years ago. I found these folks and I am so glad. They are all patient with me. Kim the hygienist is the best. Dr Gruell knows what he is doing. He puts me at ease. He had my tooth extraction done and I thought he hadn't even started. Even the receptionist meets you by name and is friendly and helpful. read more

Best dental office and dentist in Alameda & anywhere! Everyone at this office is so inviting and friendly. You can tell they take pride in their work. I highly recommend this dentist to everyone! read more

I've been going to Dr. Gruell for just about 10 years now and absolutely love the office. Everyone here is incredibly friendly, especially the new receptionist, Shanade (not sure about the spelling). The dental hygienist I've been working with, Kim, always has a smile on her face and makes me feel so comfortable and welcomed into the office. I've had many procedures done by Dr. Gruell and they have all been pain free and simple, a far different experience than with previous dentists! read more

I would like to give Dr Gruell 5 stars because he's a good dentist, but I have some issues with a couple things. First, the office hours are limited, but great if you're retired or can accommodate his schedule. Second, the staff is friendly and very nice, but flaky. They get prescriptions wrong ( after telling me that are calling in one prescription, they end up calling in another) or don't call it in at all. They get things wrong in general. I don't expect perfection, but this is more the rule not the exception. I have tolerated this only because I like Dr Gruell. It's annoying at best, there's nothing more irritating than picking a prescription getting home, only to realize you were prescribed something you specifically told the staff you were allergic to. Not to mention the cost , time , etc. This has happened several times. To be fair this has been better since they replaced the front desk personnel, but even the Doc is always reprimanding Kim for one thing or another that she didn't do, etc. I could go on about other things I've noticed, but I think you get the gist. I just hope I can continue to ignore these stuff. Finding a good dentist that your insurance covers can also be a huge challenge. read more

I went to Dr Gruell for a crown and (later on) a filling for my upper front tooth. Dr Gruell gives painless injection (I did not feel anything). My crown fits well and looks great. The filling for my upper front tooth is so skillfully done that it looks like I have no filling at all. One more thing, did I mention that the hygienist there is very cute? Ask for the hygienist Kim. She is exceptional. D.K. read more

What a great dentist Dr Gruell is! He saved my front tooth when my (now former) dentist was not able to fix it without an implant or bridge. Dr Gruell was also, for me, the first dentist ever where I did not feel any pain at all (zero) - even from the needle - during my treatment. I have been to a number of different dentists over the years, but I have never found one so skilled, knowledgable, experienced and kind-mannered as Dr Gruell. I had a front tooth with very little root which sheared off at the gum line, and I went to a few different dentists for an opinion. Out of all of them, Dr Gruell was the one who I was confident had the expertise to fix it. He was able to do the entire complicated procedure including some (totally painless) surgery on my gum, build up the tooth, and fit a perfect crown. It has been beautiful and trouble-free ever since! Like a lot of people, I never really relished the thought of going to the dentist, mainly because I have had a lot of work done and always found the injections and work painful. Dr Gruell was the first dentist I have ever been to, who was able to give me a numbing injection without me even feeling the needle go in my gum. I honestly never thought that was possible, but I seriously did not know he had even given me the injection :) It was such a relief to find a dentist who could work on me without any pain - to me that's where the skill and expertise shows, as well as in the quality of the dental work itself. Dr Gruell has a special license for conscious oral sedation, which you can ask for if you feel you need it. Those are pills you can take before and during the procedure to make you very relaxed and comfortable. I did not ask for those but he also offers nitrous oxide which is a soft little mask which you wear during your procedure, again only if you want to, and it is really relaxing, great if you are really nervous, and it wears off immediately. I asked for it on the first visit but I didn't use it on any of my following visits because I just didn't experience any pain like I had with other dentists so was way less nervous going in. Dr Gruell's team are also wonderful - his Assistant Kimmie has such a pleasant nature and very comforting and efficient while he works. Becky the Hygienist is super nice too and deep cleaned my teeth gently and smoothly. I'm really happy I've found a dentist who is so skilled and nice. I highly recommend Dr Gruell and his team to take care of you and your teeth :) read more

Awesome dentist! I had to have a tooth extracted : ( I had put it off for far to long. When I tell you the staff here was amazing they were great at making me feel very comfortable from the moment I walked through the door. Dr. Gruell is the most gentle dentist I have come across so far. I totally recommend him to all of you who are in fear of going to the dentist. You will be happy at the end of your visit and will be encourage to have all your dental work done. That's a promise. read more

I found Dr Gruell after his great reviews on Yelp. And he did not disappoint. His front office staff, hygienists and assistants are the kindest people. They are very gentle and patient, going out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Best dentist I have ever been to! read more

I have been going to Dr Gruel for about 25 years now. I had a huge fear of going to dentists after horrible experiences as a child. Dr Gruel and his wonderful staff have made me no longer afraid. They get you in quickly in an emergency, and make sure that you are relaxed and pain free. My kids have never felt the fear of dentists that I had. Thanks, Dr Gruel and staff! read more

Little background story on myself, I chipped my upper right molar about a year ago and it's been chipping away as the months went on resulting in a agonizing pain I wish no one to go thru. I called 1 (800) DENTIST and they scheduled me with Dr. Phillip Gruell. I have been to a fair share of dentists thru out my life and DR. Gru is BY FAR the nicest, easy to talk to, super gentle and he has a GREAT sense of humor! Jenny and Kim were SUPER nice and super helpful with the process as I was nervous before I even walked in. I had to get the tooth pulled out and the process couldn't have gone any smoother. As I was sitting in the chair listening to the sounds of the sucker I didn't feel anything, I didn't feel pain. I felt pressure but that wasn't painful at all. It was fast and painless. Although my downside is i had my tooth pulled the day before thanksgiving but I'm still soooooooo thankful for Dr. Gru, Kim and Jenny for a thanksgiving I won't forget! Thanks everyone! Keep up the great work! 1 for 1! P.s And Doc, if you're reading this, you're still the best Dentist I've had so far! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! read more

Before becoming Dr. Gruell's patient, I hated going to the dentist! I was dentist-phobic, and I hid for years. My daughter and I have been his patients for eight years now, and he (and his great hygienist-Kim) have our teeth in great shape. We see Kim more often because his preventive dentistry plan keeps us on the ball, so we don't get cavities. Dr. Gruell did do some intricate surgery when I first arrived (because my teeth were in such bad shape), and he did a *fabulous* job! I feel that my daughter and I will have our teeth forever because of Dr. Gruell's and Kim's efforts. read more