I'm updating my review to say that I still go to Dr. Smithers and he is still amazing. (Also, the company I work for offers more insurance options now, so visits are covered again ) read more

Hands down best dentist I've had the pleasure of having (true but sounds weird, right?). Dr. Smithers is extremely knowledgeable, professional but at the same time very personable and candid. He performs what I'd call patient-centered care, he will explain what he sees and what he recommends, he doesn't talk down or presume he knows what treatment is right for you without first talking it through. Also he understands sometimes less is more and doesn't push gimmicky or unnecessary treatments. Only thing he 'pushes' is the bar for level of service... higher that is. Throw in a sense of humor and great attitude, If you're looking for an exceptional dentist I recommend you give Dr. Smithers a call. read more

Everyone here from Linda at the front desk to Diane the Hygenist and of course Dr. Smithers are all so friendly and genuinely nice. Dr. Smithers is a great dentist and Diane has so many years of experience. She had noticed something about my gums and Dr. Smithers had made sure that it wasn't a problem. The office is clean and though the building is old (Berkeley style), but his instruments are definitely not old. I like seeing the dentist now! read more

Ok, lets ignore the fact that he has the same name as a classic Simpson character (which, is really just a plus). Dr. Smithers is by far the best dentist i have ever had! He is a kind and soft spoken man. And just like lovers, don't we all want our dentists to be kind and hold us? Well, ok, he wont exactly hold you (or he might, who knows), but he will chat you up about everything from school to jobs to politics. As a Dentist, he is excellent. He has been doing this for a while so has all the procedures down and will not hesitate to stop and explain what he's doing and why. It's true what the previous reviewer says when they say he is a popular dentist. He is quite booked and it is amazing that i became a patient in the first place. My story was that a retained baby tooth decided to fall out my freshman year at UCB and freaked me out (i didnt know it was a baby tooth). So i picked the closest dentist near my dorms off the UCB Health website and it was Dr. Smithers. They did tell me that he wasnt really accepting new patients at the time, but Dr. Smithers himself said he would check out my situation and the rest is dental history. Truly a great man and a great dentist! If you can get in the door, stay there! read more

Doctor Smithers has been my dentist for 8 years and is exceptional at what he does. He does extremely thorough cleanings, is very empathic and careful when doing the work, and not only takes the time, but seems to enjoy empowering customers by answering questions, sharing and listening as much as possible. The office is a beautiful, clean and relaxing atmosphere. He is the best dentist even if you have a fear of dentists!! read more

I look forward to my visits with Dr. Smithers. His office is sunny and comfortable, his receptionist, Linda, is wonderful, and he is one of the sweetest acquaintances I've ever had. I like how he prefers to do things well rather than quickly. I started going to Dr. Smithers when I married Husband H. and his health insurance, and before that I hadn't had good dental insurance for three years, so my teeth were a hot mess. I think I had 11 cavities or something, one of which needed a root canal. I had appointments with Dr. Smithers every week for about six months to fix all the badness, and I didn't mind going at all. He is really funny in a really wonderful, humble way. He has a bird feeder outside his window so you can watch birds while you're getting all your teeth drilled down to the studs! Husband H. and I both agree that the biggest part of his appeal is that he genuinely seems to care about his patients, and the second biggest is that he wears these amazing totally retro zip front dentist shirts. Good luck getting an appointment with him. I'm far from the only person who feels this way. He's extremely popular and has a very busy appointment book. It's worth the wait though! Dr. Smithers is probably the best dentist in the whole world, and he's right here in Berkeley, and he's mine. How lucky am I? Super lucky. read more

TL;DR. Dr. Smithers is a revelation for someone who hates dentists. I've had two incredibly painful experiences with dentists from my childhood. Painful enough that my trip to Dr. Smithers -- for a cleaning -- was my first trip to any dentist in seven or eight years. I figured it was time I should man up and get on-board with this whole being-a-functional-adult thing. They setup my appointment, two weeks out (approx) and were patient explaining the UC Ship (Cal-Berkeley Student insurance plan). When I showed up the hygienist was nice, made me feel incredibly comfortable and didn't lecture me about my avoidance. She found a few cavities -- gee, I wonder why -- and really made me feel better about coming in. When Smithers came in, he found another cavity on the X-rays. These were my first cavities ever. Smithers explained what my options were and didn't push me into anything. Emboldened by the comforting service, I arranged three future appointments to get the cavities filled. I've had two of the three appointments thus far. Smithers was awesome. We waited for the topical anesthetic to take before the stronger anesthetic was delivered. About ten minutes. No pain. None. Very attentive to my questions and concerns. Gave me a radio to listen to while he worked. This was very cool and kept my mind off the fact he was drilling holes into my teeth at the time. Also, midway through, I used my phone as a mirror to see what was going on. He was cool and started explaining what was going on using his tiny mirror to show me the hole he drilled. I was totally surprised by how this went and now I think I had absolutely terrible dentists in my previous life. The second appointment the initial anesthetic didn't take as well. Smithers noticed I was pulled back. He asked if I wanted to go forward or re-up. We tried going forward but after I moved again, we decided it would be better if I got another shot, which was totally painless. We had to wait another ten minutes for the 2nd anesthetic dose to take. I've got an appointment for a dude to drill holes in my mouth next week and I'm not nervous about it. read more

I've been going to Dr. Smithers since before he was even in his current digs. Years beyond counting. As other reviewers have said, he's relaxing, conversational in a low key way, a great dentist, and completely trustworthy. Years ago when I needed my wisdom teeth taken out he told me the roots were a bit curved and he recommended I go to a dental surgeon. That turned out to be a brilliant referral, and I was glad Dr. Smithers had made that recommendation. Apparently (from the other reviews) he's very busy. There's a good reason! A good dentist is someone you stick with. I have. read more

Not only is he the best dentist ever, he also has the nicest staff ever! Even though I hadn't seen him in over a year (since I'd been traveling), his receptionist immediately knew who I was when I called to make an appointment. And his regular hygienist, Diane, is simply amazing. Dr. Smithers has been my dentist here in Berkeley since 2003. A 'temporary' filling that he did back then to save me a lot of dough is still going strong. If you want to try and get in, now might be the time. One can always hope that his patients will graduate or retire... read more

There's no point in even raving about this awesome dentist....he's always BOOKED and there's a waiting list if you want to be a patient...he's that good. I go there once (or twice if I'm good) a year, and they always remember who I am and the things I've told them from the year before...insane! What I really like about him is that he's not trying to hit up my wallet. He's honest and tells me what I need and what I don't need in terms of dental care. Good enough for me. read more

LOVE DR. SMITHERS (and his last name). The building is so charming and not too techie. All the advanced equipment at other offices make me nervous. Diane is so sweet and gentle. She did a fabulous job cleaning my teeth and she's cool to talk to. Dr. Smithers is soft spoken, smart, truthful and so personable. I've definitely found my dentist! read more

Dr. Smithers has been my dentist for around 15 years. Actually, I found him through Consumer's Checkbook, which had given him one of the highest ratings. He is an excellent dentist. His rates are very reasonable. He will never talk you into an extra service that you do not need. I really appreciate this last point, because I need to control my budget, and yet I want the best care I can afford. That is why I chose Dr. Smithers over other dentists. read more

Dr. Smithers has been my dentist for at least a decade. I wouldn't think of switching. Yes, he's competent, yes he's relaxed, yes he's always on time, but what like best is that I completely trust him. I know that he'll never recommend a procedure so he can make money. I know he'll never do a procedure that would be better off done by a specialist. Good man. read more

Dr. Smithers and the dental hygenist I have had the past three visits are amazing! They are thorough, kind, excellent communicators, gentle, and non-judgmental. read more

I went to Dr Smithers after reading from YELP and I am glad that I did that. I moved from Berkeley to Fremont and I decided to keep continue with my Dentist. He is H4 i.e humble, humorous, helpful and honest. read more

I saw Dr. Smithers for eight years and had great experiences with his office (after many, many years of having bad experiences with other dentists). Dr. Smithers is very thorough and trustworthy. If only he had an office in Durham, then I would continue to see him every 6 months. Unlike previous dentists, I never felt like Dr. Smithers was trying to "up-sell" me. Read the two bullets if you would like two examples of his trustworthiness. * Before coming to Berkeley one of my teeth crumbled (I had a cavity below a filling). The local (Boston-area) dentist recommended a root canal immediately. I waited until I got back home to see my mother's dentist who said I could get by with a large filling. It was after this ordeal that I came to Berkeley and found Dr. Smithers, who confirmed my mom's dentist's recommendation of not doing a root canal until it was necessary. (I still have yet to get that root canal.) * After seeing Dr. Smithers for seven or so years, he told me that I grind my teeth at night. He recommended I get a nightguard (so I grind on that instead of my teeth). I had suggested getting fitted for one in his office but Dr. Smithers recommended I get a drugstore nightguard since they are much cheaper and nightguards aren't covered by my insurance. I had trouble sleeping in the drugstore nightguard (I think it kept my mouth too ajar), so I was fitted for one at Dr. Smithers office. It was much cheaper than I was expecting and he even tried out different materials to get a guard to my liking. Regarding his office: Diane, his hygienist, is very chatty. I found it sweet and endearing. If you are not happy with a talkative hygienist, Dr. Smithers also does cleanings one day a week (I think). Linda, the receptionist, is friendly and organized. Unless it wasn't already clear, I really like Dr. Smithers' office and would strongly recommend them. read more

I couldn't be happier. Dr Smithers and everyone in the office are caring, engaging, personable, abundantly professional, and sensible. This small office atmosphere is exactly what I was looking for following my previous dentist where I felt like a $. read more

Dr. Smithers took care of my parents who are now dead. He takes care of me, my son and my granddaughter. We can trust the information that he gives us and that means a lot to us. We don't have a lot of money to spend and every dollar we spend with Dr. Smithers is worth it! He's also a kind person and we enjoy seeing him read more

Friendly, patient guy. Excellent attention to detail. Convenient location near UC. I declare him an A+ dentist.

Dr. Smithers is the best. We've used him for over 15 years (I lose track...frightenly it could be much longer!) and recommend him to everyone we know. My husband is notorious for falling asleep in his chair as work is done. I don't go quite that far, but I wouldn't consider going to anyone else. He's helped us with both major and minor work on our teeth and as the previous reviewer noted he'll always help you find the most cost effective solution. He's someone who truly loves what he does. That's rare and wonderful to find! read more

Dr. Smithers is a superb dentist. His receptionist Linda is organized and very friendly. He doesn't recommend any extras, just what is necessary. read more

Dr. Smithers is amazinggggg. Now I know that it sounds weird to say that a dentist is amazing, but it's absolutely, positively true! I have never felt so cared for and comfortable at a dentists office before. I have a lot of funky mouth issues, and Dr. Smithers is by far the most generous doctor I have ever been to with his time and resources. If when you have to make your first appointment there is a wait, it is well, well worth it. I really can't say enough good things about him. Oh, and he really is never late, never acts stressed out, and his receptionist is always super friendly... it's great! read more

Dr. Smithers is wonderful. I broke of a big piece of my front tooth late on a Thursday night. His office voicemail said they were closed on Fridays, so I got an appointment with Dr. Curtis, who is right next door, the next morning. When I came in, Dr. Curtis said the Dr. Smithers happened to be in the office and would be happy to see me. In less than an hour he had my tooth looking good as new, on his day off. I get pretty anxious about dental work, but he kept me completely calm and cheerful the whole time. My regular cleanings/check-ups have been equally good experiences. Dr. Smithers is an extremely kind and gentle dentist; I would highly recommend him. read more