Donald DeBerry, DDS (Berkeley dentist)
March 13th 2007
That title is for Google; I’m leveraging my rank just a bit so people looking for information about this dentist can find an honest account.
I just got back from a dentist in Berkeley with whom I made an appointment after searching with my insurance provider’s site. He was the first on the list, and close, so I figured, how could one go wrong with all the regulations and inspections and everything they control in this modern dental world?
Well, you could at least Google the dentist. I didn’t, so I had no idea what to expect from the office I was approaching on Parker street, but I got an idea once I came to the address. It was a house. A two story house, with a messy porch and a little plaque on the wall with the dentist’s name on it.
Oh-kaaay… well, I could at least give it a chance. Maybe it’s white and sparkly on the inside, like a Twinkie. It wasn’t, as you might have guessed; instead it looked like a house with a dentist’s chair in the kitchen. There was a very elderly woman in the “waiting room” who was talking with Dr. DeBerry. She had brought him pasta sauce, and they were talking about how the dentist played Trumpet and she played French Horn and they met in a band. “I play Clarinet” I said, nervously looking around at what was not, in my opinion, a dentist’s office. The dentist himself was also very old, I would say in his seventies. He wore thick glasses and a loosely buttoned shirt and seemed shy, speaking softly and in fragments.
I have to be honest, Dr. DeBerry seemed like a very nice man and an extremely gentle, kind, caring, personable dentist, but I was simply not comfortable with the environment of his office. It didn’t seem clean or healthy, and the equipment looked disorganized and generally sort of old. You could tell that the dentist was a little vision-impaired and not quite as quick as he used to be. For an elderly person, he seems like a very good choice, but for someone like me, who expects certain things from a dentist’s office (and with good reason) it was just unacceptable. I apologized, feigned an anxiety attack (didn’t have to try too hard) and kindly requested to leave, apologizing again. He seemed to know exactly why, said “I understand.” I still felt bad, but I know it’s my choice and my right, so not terribly so. I hope he gets customers that are comfortable with him, and it did seem he had them.
After I got back, I found this article (entitled Dental Damnation—a good synopsis), which I should have read beforehand. Oops.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with a different dentist, Dr. Kobayashi, who had a nice, professional receptionist and lots of good reviews online. Wish me luck!
WOW! I really hope I have retired by the time I am that old and blind. Glad you found great care!
Well, we’ll see how the new one is tomorrow, I just talked to the receptionist on the phone.. I’m sure it’ll be fine though.
Yeah, I’m not sure why this guy’s still working, I’d stop by then if only for my customers’ sakes!
I saw Dr. Kobayashi today, and it was pretty much amazing. The office was clean, nice looking, and the dentist was even better than my old one! I was very impressed and happy. And my teeth are in good shape! Woohoo!
Just got back from the eye doctor as well! My eyes are pretty much perfect, only an extremely slight nearsightedness that’s not worth correcting.
It was very cool too, I went to the Berkeley school of optometry, and the doctor was basically teaching his student using me. It was very interesting!
i want to take exception to the above review. My wife and I happen to have been Dr. DeBerry’s patients for about 2 years while I was attending Cal for grad school. I must say he’s been most careful, painstakingly careful and attentive, to our needs. This was about 2 or 3 years ago. Of all dentists I had the fortune and misfortune to be serviced by (in Germany, US and Russia), he’s taken the most time to take care of our teeth.
Thanks, Mike, that’s very good to know. I tried to be as honest as possible about my own expectations in the hopes it would help others, and I appreciate your review as well.
I really love Dr. de Berry’s office. It’s cozy. It’s certainly not like most dentist’s office’s I’ve been to, but I like that. And I agree with Mike, the cleaning he gives is the best I’ve had, and he takes the time to answer questions.
I agree if you’re looking for a gleaming office, Dr. De Berry’s isn’t the place to go, but if you don’t care, or like a homey atmosphere, it’s great.
I have been a patient of DeBerry for about 9 years.
He has taken very good care of me. Sure, he operates out of his home, so what? Who says dentists must live in rich mansions and work in medical offices? His place is very clean, and he’s been very careful with my teeth and his dental tools look quite sterile.
He takes his time and does a good job, and answers questions. It’s amazing that, as hard as it is to find such a bedside manner, people are so quick to judge this man just because his personal politics
and unorthodox manner turn them off. Personally, that has never affected the dental care he has given me.
He is a professional, but he’s also his own man. Leave him alone with all your gossip! It’s Berkeley, for crying out loud. If someone cannot be different here, then where?