Receptionist is very friendly and welcomes you with a smile. They take good care of their patients.

After being a good patient for 25 years of time, Dr. Goldens new office had a nasty receptionist complain to him about how some of his patients who did not like to be treated poorly. So Look out. Should you have a small argument with the staff, you are out of luck, decades of time with him or not. Dr. Golden is not really a coward, just some of his office people are not great folks. James in Oakland read more

Thanks, Bob. I went to Dr. Golden to get a second opinion. He told me the truth. Imagine that, a doctor who tells the truth. He showed me exactly how deep my periodontal pockets were, and they were not the depths claimed by the disreputable dentist I had been to two weeks earlier. No bullshit, no marketing, not beholden to Big Pharma. He's a surfer, too, which pushes the review to six stars. [I'll have the review of the disreputable one up when I get a chance. But while you're waiting, DO NOT go to Mark Cage at Gentle Dental in Oakland (1624 Franklin #615), unless of course you like throwing away money.] read more

Dr. Golden ( known as "Bob" to many of his patients) is old school. My family and grandma's family has been going to this Oakland institution for years. This guy is the real deal. No fancy video monitors like other dentists. He doesn't need it He teaches every monday to future dentists at the university of the pacific dental school in SF. Bob loves kayaking, VW buses and a good deal. I can spend the whole afternoon talking to "Bob" . He has really good workmanship. Dr. Golden is like family! If I can recommend anyone or any place on yelp -- Dr. Golden is it! He gets my top recommendation. read more

Dr. Golden is an HONEST, friendly, knowledgeable dentist who really cares about the health of his patients. Several people had recommended him to me, and after seeing him for a little over a year now, I can totally understand why. He really knows what he's talking about and takes the time to explain everything to his patients. He even helps you understand how keeping your teeth healthy can keep the rest of you body healthy. And best of all, he doesn't try to upsell you on BS that you don't need. Before going to Dr. Golden, I went to another dentist that told me I needed about $2000 worth of work done on my teeth, which included a "deep cleaning" (which sounded horrible and would've brought me back to them 4 times that month). But when I went to Dr. Golden, he told me the truth. And the truth was I didn't need any of that crap! I also have to admit that going to the dentist is one of my biggest fears. I'm seriously terrified of dentists. But Dr. Golden is so chill, so calming that I forget that I'm afraid. He just chats with you and makes you feel like you're seeing an old friend, not a scary doctor who's putting sharp things in your mouth. His office is right by the BART and is really convenient for us SF folks. read more

So freaking glad I found Bob. I figured out that I had actually ridden with him on ALC training rides and ate his cookies years before, but that is beside the point. Well, maybe not. He has values, and is smart. He values honesty, and happiness, and living life. Spending a lot of money on having perfect white teeth doesn't make you happy. His answer - don't worry about normal staining. Having periodontal problems or needing gum surgery doesn't make you happy. His answer - preventative care. I think I'm a little happier because I saw Bob today. read more

Dr. Golden continues to provide thoughtful top notch care for our entire family. Our 9 and 7 years old kids have great relationship with Dr. G! He has always shared the practical choices for ensuring our kids teeth are healthy. If you are searching for either adult or child dental services...I highly recommend Dr. Golden!! read more

Dr. Golden has been my dentist since I was 5 or 6 years old (for more than 30 years!), when my family first moved to California. My teeth have been well taken care of and I have never had any major problems with my teeth since then. He genuinely cares about the health of myself and my family. He does not have fancy equipment, and he does not need it! He keeps it real and honestly I can say that I look forward to seeing him when I have an appointment because it is a great time, never an unpleasant experience. How many people do you know can say that about their dentist? Any of his dental students are lucky to have such a professional and knowledgeable teacher. I now have a family of my own and my daughter had her first appointment a couple of months ago with him. She felt at ease because he made her feel comfortable. He receives my highest recommendation! read more

I've been seeing Dr. Golden since I was in Kindergarten. Now I'm almost 30. He has always been funny, effective and gentle (though I have no one to compare him with). He never encourages you to do unnecessary things and in fact has discouraged me from ridiculous procedures such as deep cleaning. In sum, he's great! read more

It is hard to shop around for doctors, so I understand the importance of Yelp reviews. Like others have said, Dr. Golden is honest, doesn't try to sell you crap you don't really need, friendly, and knows what he is doing. I don't have many teeth problems or dentist phobias, so I am not the pickiest dentist reviewer, but Dr. Golden is a solid, good dentist. You can't go wrong with him. read more

Bob is old school and new techniques. He keeps on teaching at the dental school and is really effective, honest and personable. I've been seeing him since moving to Oakland in 2005. I've had a few procedures/crowns/fillings over those years. He does the cleanings himself and really gets to know your mouth. Spins a good yarn, too. Plus he is an A's fan, so of course he rocks. read more

Bob Golden is an amazing dentist. He is kind, honest, and relaxed. He does his own cleanings -- a dentist from the old school. He gives you the straight dope, but keeps judgement to a minimum. I haven't needed much dental work beyond regular cleanings and fixing a chipped tooth, but Dr. Golden took care of that perfectly. His assistant (whose name escapes me at this moment) is also very sweet and accommodating. read more

Dr. Robert C. Golden is not only a terrific, competent Dentist but a great and compassionate human being as well. He's old school, (which I appreciate), but has kept himself current by teaching at the UOP school of Dentistry in S.F. For a number of years. He'll go the extra mile for you which is something you don't see much of anymore. Thank goodness for professionals who still have people skills as well as job skills. read more

Dr. Golden is FANTASTIC. I saw him for a second opinion. He saw far fewer cavities in my mouth than the first dentist I'd gone to. I was told by my entodontist that all of the dentists in the area go to him, which is the highest compliment. I just moved all the way across the country, and I am going to try and make appointments with Dr. Golden when I travel to the Bay Area, as I trust him, and it's not easy to find someone this good. He's also funny and great to talk to. read more

Yelpers who are thinking about going to see Robert C Golden for dental work, think again! I went to Dr. Golden multiple times after my mom recommended him after I lost my childhood dentist.Big mistake. I went there for a simple cleaning the first time, total torture ( meaning done hard and rough) though my mouth did feel actually clean, it hurt really bad as well. Also Dr Golden criticized my normal cleaning habits while his teeth are stained and uncared for! He then magically found something wrong with my old dentist filling and redid it in another appointment. After that filling was refilled, it hurt like a %$#@&, never have i had that much pain from a filling re do .The topper to the whole thing was when my tooth was aching really badly and he said rudely " Natasha I can only do one tooth today, i don't have time for another growing pain in your tooth".I thought he was playing around but his facial expression was dead serious, his assistant Alyshia (I don't care how to spell her name) smirked and typed on her keyboard leaving me feeling uncomfortable. I showed him the tooth that hurt and he told me that he was going cancel capping the lower molar ( the one that hurt) so I could get a root canal. Stunned I said " you were going to cap this tooth?, what for?" he went on to explain how my dentist screwed up my tooth and blah blah blah. He also said he had planned three fillings that day on me as well,when really his Alyshia said it was for just one filling. Long story short he sent me to Endospecialist who caused me to get Sepsis due to bacteria being shoved into my blood stream and he completely ignored by pleas for help as well . His assistant/ receptionist is a rude, annoying loud mouth who WILL talk over you at every given chance .Oh and he does revenge fillings if you are late to an appointment BEWARE Hi Dr Golden, did you think I'd forget what was done to me ? read more

Dr. Golden is a very funny, and extremely professional and competent dentist. I appreciated that he didn't treat me as a cash cow and recommend 4 cleanings annually as my Foster City dentist did. So happy to be back in Oakland in retirement and having Dr. Golden take care of my teeth. SF Chronicle Consumer Checkbook article on best dentists in Oakland helped me to find him and I need two cleanings a year only. His kindness and generosity in having senior rates for those without dental insurance is amazing. read more

Dr. Golden is simply the best- old school but keeps up on his professional education and also teaches in San Francisco. I've been going to him ever since started at his office on Franklin Street. I now live in Santa Clara and drive up to see him for my regular check-ups and my husband became is a patient of his too. He treats you like he has known you a long time and will engage you in conversation while he is examining and cleaning your teeth. I answer back with grunts and "uh-huh" and "uh-unh". His stories are often comical, and you can tell this guy just loves what he does. He is simple, no frills and direct. When my daughter was born and started teething, he advised against using oral-gel because it burns the gums in order to numb the pain and suggested alternative remedies. My family will be seeing Dr. Golden until he retires. read more

Well, I went to Dr. Golden based on the Yelp reviews. The reviews don't do him justice -- the man is beyond amazing! I had not seen a dentist in almost 3 years because my last experience was so horrible. But I was just diagnosed with dry mouth and decided that I needed to get to a good dentist. My first appt -- as soon as I told him what I had, he knew what it was, gave mye special toothpaste and made me feel like it would be alright! I had one filling that had come out. he did the cleaning himself, is funny and you can tell, just has a great heart for people. yesterday was my appointment to have the filling redone. Absolutely painless and he refused to put in my mouth what most dentists do -- gave me a choice and I trusted his advice. He has a patient for life! read more

Dr. Golden saved my smile! I had a bike accident that left me with a chipped front tooth and an urgent need for a good dentist. Dr. Golden saw me immediately, put my mind at ease and fixed my chipped tooth to look exactly the same as it did before the accident. I have gone back to Dr. Golden for a regular checkup, too, and he was knowledgeable, kind and efficient. He did my teeth cleaning himself, which suggested to me that he's down to earth and into reducing overhead. The views from all his dentist chairs are phenomenal, which is reason enough to stick with this practice. read more

I needed an urgent temporary cap on my fresh root canal as an international trip came up. My endodontist referred me to Dr. Golden whom I had never seen before. Dr. Golden did not have a slot available, yet he decided to see me during the lunch time to put in a temporary crown so I could rest easy on my trip. I have returned from the trip and the temporary crown worked wonderfully. Thank you so much Dr. Golden, you are not only awesome but also very accommodating! read more

i started going to Dr Golden consistently after returning to the bay area a few years ago on the recommendation of my father. i am now sure that i will be going here as long as i live in the bay area. the man inspires incredible confidence in his abilities as a dentist - underscored by the fact that he teaches future dentists as well. he is warm and friendly, has genuine interest in you (even beyond your teeth/gums), yet also somehow runs a very efficient shop. i used to hate going to the dentist, and now i don't mind (and he's gotten me to floss, finally). read more