5 stars and they continue to surprise me. Based on my visit on July 17, 2025, I want to add to my 5 star 2022 review, and to all the other positive things people have written here. The actions of everyone involved with that visit exceeded the already high opinion and expectations I've had for this practice. (Probably TMI, but I was returning after a 15-month gap, though the assumption at my last visit was that I'd have more dental work done and another cleaning before the end of 2004. I'd phoned earlier this week and Karissa was able to work some skilled scheduling magic to get me seen much sooner than I'd expected.) Dr. Lim was, as always, pleasant and skilled in his exam, and then excellent at clearly explaining the changes since he'd last seen me and what our options were for proceeding. Then he clearly and transparently answered my questions about the pros and cons of each option, and we agreed on a plan for the future dental work. Then, my teeth were cleaned by dental hygienist Kat (or Cat, shame on. me for not having clarified the spelling of her name, especially since this was the second time she'd worked on my teeth). For 20 years or more, until her retirement, Leslie had been the hygienist at this office who did my cleanings. She was excellent, and I figured she'd be a "hard act to follow," so it was a very pleasant surprise when Kat did my cleaning in 2024 and I realized that her skill level at both dental hygiene and patient interaction is everything one could possibly wish for, which was again the case on July 17. Also, the "desk staff" are always pleasant and helpful, including, of course, Mindy, who answered the phone when I called the next day to get the correct spelling of Karissa's name while neglecting to get the correct spelling of Cat's, and to explain that I was going to ignore the request to do a Google review but would add to my previous Yelp review. As I now have. read more

I'm not impressed. Every time I'm here I feel their goal is to upsell. Forest of course is the deep cleaning. Then, I told my friend how they fashioned a video to take my teeth from all crooked to perfect with Invisalign (after been told by a dept head at a prestigious dental university this wouldn't work for me); she said that this practice told her whole family they need Invisalign! These are young people with gorgeous teeth. One visit after a cleaning they added a fluoride treatment without asking me. Then they charged me $75 for it, at least double what any other practice was charging at the time. I can't wait to try a new dentist that feels like their priority is medical rather than commercial. read more

I attempted to become a patient here 4 years ago. After an initial intake appointment with the dentist, they refused to give me an appointment for a cleaning, even months out. They just said I would be on the waitlist. I was on the waitlist forever and never received a single call for an opening. Of course, I eventually found another dentist. Now 4 YEARS later I get a bill for that initial intake appointment. I've had dental insurance this whole time, and it doesn't seem they bothered to bill my insurance for my initial visit that didn't even include a cleaning. What nonsense it this? I've called to have it clear up and was just bounced around to various people, with no resolution. Next month, I got another bill in the mail again. My address is wrong and they haven't even fixed that. This is the most unprofessional dentist I've ever experienced. Don't waste your time. read more

The amazing care I have received during what has been the worst dental events of my life has been truly wonderful. I don't know how I would have survived it all without these incredibly compassionate people and excellent dentists/dental pros. Can't recommend more highly - and I was raised by dentists!! read more

Once Again The Lim-Sio-Team saved my 84 year old tooth. And with their special brand of "Comforting". This has been going on for years... Love Bill read more

Since I wrote my original review, my husband and I are no longer new to Berkeley, we transitioned smoothly into having dental coverage, and we've remained very happy patients of North Berkeley Dental Arts! I've referred so many friends and co-workers here over the years because I appear to be the only one who thinks their dentist is great. They have never been anything less than wonderfully friendly and professional and they've continued to give honest advice about procedures and been mindful of costs when my husband and I have had to stick to a budget. I've never felt pressured into treatments and both the hygienists and Doctor Lim have always clearly explained options and procedures, and they check in regularly to make sure I'm comfortable when in the chair. Love them! read more

I have been going here for 5+ years. Dr. Philip Vassilopoulos "Dr. V" and Monica are the most incredible humans and Dr. V is the best doctor I have ever seen across all professions. Monica and Dr. V care. They care a lot. This was my second gum graft (each side of my mouth). Dr. V took a wait and see approach and only recommended the graft after watching the progression over time. The procedure itself was as flawless. I'm a patient that gets frightened easily, Dr. V and Monica patiently explained every step and checked in with me to make sure I was doing well. Dr. V even called me post surgery to check in. Also, I moved to sf, yet I still cross the bridge to see Dr. V as he is the absolute best. read more

As always Good & pleasant service. Still very good. Staff & office people are nice. Very pleasant. read more

My husband, kids, & I have been going here for years. There are younger dentists running the practice now, but they've maintained the warm & comfortable atmosphere, the great staff, and the high quality of dental services. My husband has a history of dental anxiety & avoidance, but he gets all his regular cleanings here & feels the staff are very gentle with him. I've been to dental practices that aggressively pushed expensive & unnecessary services on patients to increase their profit, and I really appreciate that this practice does NOT. They focus on good home care, regular preventative services, & cautious intervention. They've also given us solid referrals to specialists like orthodontists. We have Delta Dental coverage & never had any billing issues. Highly recommend! read more

Another regular visit and cleaning with Cat! She's so sweet, calm and makes it an almost pleasurable experience. Highly recommend this dental office! read more

I am retired and worried about the cost of things. Still I was treated well and decently. The doctor was very thorough. I didn't even get to do a whole lot of whining. read more

Been going to Dr. Lim for a few years now. Have also had consults and treatment with Dr. Sio. Both are very pleasant and professional. They have up to date equipment and are well informed about the current practices in dentistry. Their COVID protocols are excellent. If you are scared of going to the dentist and are avoiding it, don't. The dentists are suited up for a trip to Mars. I get the two confused, which is a little embarassing, but all I see are their eyes behind glasses, LOL. The receptionists have masks and there are tasteful plexiglas panels up for mutual protection. They do a brief temperature check before you go in. Some folks might think it's arbitrary, but play along. Everyone's doing it. There are fans blowing air out of every single window in the place, too. Bring your coat this winter. It's going to be chilly - but safe! Street parking purportedly for 90 minutes on Ventura and other side streets. Never been ticketed and I do have a bad habit of doing some celebratory shopping along Solano after undergoing excavations there. I don't have dental insurance and put it all on my credit card. I saw some commentary whingeing about their dental insurance and all I can say is lucky you for having it. No fair dinging them because you didn't do your homework. read more

Insane pricing. I needed a crown re-cemented. There is no pain, no damage to tooth (crown came off and I literally popped it back on, no cement or anything, and it's stayed on by itself for over a week). I called this place and they quoted me $300 to re-cement it! That is in addition to the $120 exam fee. I called another dentist and they quoted $198 to re-cement, which is also expensive, but substantially less than this place. I guess they're hoping cash paying patients will cover their Delta Dental losses. Meanwhile other dentists offer a cash discount. Ridiculous. read more

I am really sad I can not write a good review of north berkeley dental arts. First of all I will say this review is only so high because the doctors are excellent. I haven't been the best dental patient (I hate going to the dentist) but they have been extremely patient with me and they have never tried to get me to do any unnecessary procedures. I really trust their diagnoses and in all the years I've seen them they've never claimed I have a cavity over small shadows on my Xray like I've experienced in the past. They are friendly and caring and I would definitely recommend them. If it wasn't for insurance I wouldn't be leaving as a client. If you validate your insurance covers them and you are on top of checking with your insurance (not North Berkeley Dental Arts) when any plan changes occur, you will have no issues going here, and again, I'd recommend them. But I am leaving this review because of the front staff and how my insurance change was handled as a long term client. I am ridiculously upset right now. I'll back up a bit and say my experience with the front office has always been fairly neutral. They are usually very busy, on the phone or on the computer when I interact with them and our interactions have been short. Also in general I don't love calling, but if you go here I'd highly recommend that you do. I tried emailing several times over the span of several months to get billing info and book an appointment and never got a response. This was after I'd already been going here for years. While I did call, when I didn't get a response the first time I didn't try any further, so that was on me, but I'd expect them to after months get back to me at least once over email. Now I was more than fine with letting this go, after all, like I said the dentists are great here and they do answer the phone most of the time. I really should have called but I avoided it and it was ultimately my fault that I was super late for a needed appointment, which the dentist was very gracious about. What brought me close to the edge was my last visit early this year. I go into the office and the end of my dental work I speak with the front desk. She tells me I owe them around 500 dollars for my previous visits and that I need to pay. I am baffled by this, because normally pay a small copay or nothing for preventative care. Moreover when I had asked them at the start of my plan year about checking my insurance because a lot had changed with my plans and I wasn't sure about dental, they tried to dismiss it. I insisted they check they said oh yep you have guardian you still have coverage with us! So when I heard that for one Xray and dental cleaning I owed over 500 dollars I was really shocked. Not only this but these were all done half a year ago! I told the front desk, that it would have been nice to know sooner and that I had asked about my insurance before. She replied, well we haven't seen you since then! Excuse me? How is that reasonable at all, I don't have any voicemails or letters as would be expected. It's possible I missed these communications, but from the way she replied it seemed like she knew there had been no follow up. She did apologize which I appreciated but unfortunately it doesn't solve anything. Even worse was when I asked to pay in installments she actually said, well, this is really overdue. Of course it was overdue, I was never told about it. Today I finally accessed my insurance online, which I'm kicking myself for not doing earlier. I can see all the submitted claim dates and payment dates and my insurance was regularly replying to their claims within 7 days. So what she said about me not having come in since I owed them money is categorically false. I had gone in 6/30, my insurance paid 7/7 and I went back in on 7/26. At that time I would have already owed over a couple hundred dollars. If I had been properly billed at that time I would have rethought going back for another cleaning within the plan year since clearly they are no longer in network. To be honest, I don't even think they were trying to be deceptive, I think they just aren't great at managing the office and they don't truly care about making sure everything is correct with insurance. Sort of like 'hear no see no evil' and turning a bit of a blind eye because it benefits them. I think it was a combination of that and me being unlucky. Maybe other patients have had completely different experiences around billing and insurance and I somehow fell through the cracks, but this was my experience. I've learned a valuable lesson through this, which is do not trust medical offices to give you correct information about your insurance. Always check with your insurance, they can reliably tell you what and who is covered. read more

Friendly, supremely competent and efficient staff. Feel taken care of completely and involved in any treatments that are recommended. Been a satisfied client for 35 years!! read more

My husband and I have been patients for many years. The dentists are caring, professional and experts at their craft. When we have had a dental emergency, the staff is always able to fit us in. Also, the Oral Surgeons they refer are excellent. Covid precautions always taken and enforced. read more

Amazing hygienists and dentists, friendly, caring and thorough. I love going to North Berkeley Dental Arts. Best dentists I've ever had!!

New patient as of Dec 2021. It's very clean inside with social distancing setup in the waiting room. Air purifiers were present in the waiting room (although I barely waited a few minutes) and in the treatment room, including one that had a large flexible tube that was able to be pulled close to my face. The office staff were very quick, efficient and courteous. Dr. Lin examined me and was thorough, kind, and very professional. I was referred here by a close friend who has been a patient for a long time and after one visit I concur with her as to the quality of care. I highly recommend NBDA so far. read more

I have been having all my dental work here for over forty years! everyone is highly skilled and friendly. Dr. Sio set up the plan for teeth straightening to correct my bite; I'm happy with the results. I've had root canals, crowns, numerous fillings and the building of a "partial" to replace a tooth; all these have been good experiences. My new hygienist, Quyen, is terrific. No pain! Tseeing has assisted on a lot of the work and always cleans up my overnight retainers beautifully. And Mindy at the front desk always greets me warmly! So that's why I've kept going back all these years! read more

I love this office. Everyone is friendly, helpful and efficient. Thanks for the great care! read more

I have been a patient for several years and just had my first pandemic cleaning. I felt safe and comfortable and Mary is the most gentle, effective hygienist I've ever had. This is a highly professional practice. read more

Everyone at North Berkeley Dental Arts has been wonderful in my many years of visits. I recommend them to all friends.

The dentist tried to get me to take homeopathy. I disagreed and we got into an argument. I ended up leaving and canceling all future appointments. They nonetheless billed me for the visit. In my opinion, homeopathy is not dentistry. They should have warned me before hand that they do homeopathy, in which case I would have taken my business elsewhere. read more

I've always had great care before COVID and still receiving great care during COVID. I'm a working physician and appreciate their efforts. They are taking all necessary precautions during this pandemic and still giving great care. Wonderful staff. read more

Our family has been receiving dental care at this office for many years now and they give excellent care here. Mindy in the front office is very warm, welcoming and extremely professional. We feel like family there. Thank you North Berkeley Dental Arts for your excellent care! read more

What makes a visit to a dentist eventful? The answer is simple when you go to the North Berkeley Dental Arts office. Such a comfortable feeling when you have people in your mouth that care... LOL Dr Sio, is really a top notch dentist who not only is good as a dentist but reassuring and very cool. Its good to know every step and what to expect when having work done. I have been a client of this office for about a year and in all honesty its the best of all that I've experienced! In fact I like this place so much that I've recommended everyone who I know to at least give it a try. I broke a tooth and they saw me immediately. I had an emergency once and they were willing to wait until I arrived well after closing hours! Cant say anything but praise and super kudos!!! Love this place. read more

I must have PMS or something went I went to see these guys. I don't like this place at all. Yes they are friendly, in that talk too much kind of ways. I missed my appointment with my regular dentist and she was booked six months out, now that is a sign of a good dentist. Based on the good reviews I call NBDA up and they were about to fit me in right away. All I need was a cleaning, but noooo, they can't do it unless the doctor do an exam first. Okay, I thought, it will be pay by the insurance, no skin off my back. I showed up for my dental appoitment. Fill out all the forms. The first thing the assistant want is to do an X-ray. I said, no I will wait until I decide to go with you guysbefore I do the X-ray. She looked at my insurance and said your insurance will pay for it anyway. I said I will wait. She looks pretty un-happy about it. Then the doctor came in, Hi I am so and so, blad blad blad. By the way, you need an X-ray, otherwise I can't make any definitive diagnosis (there is more to this later). I said I prefer to wait until I settle on a new doctor. No problem, but you can have it done here and take it with you to the new doctor later. By this time I was thinking wtf with this x-ray thing. He finished his examination and said it looks like # so and so teeth may need filling, but I can't be sure unless we have a X-ray done. I am really not like this guy now. Then I go to another room for cleaning. The lady talked all the way through. Blad blad blad. She was not that good anyway. Finally all done. I left and thinking I will get the bill and never have to talk to these guys again. Two hours later, i got a phone call from the receptionist. Hi how are you, how's the visit, by the way do you know your insurance pay for this and that, X-ray included. I thank her and try to hang up. She got all huffy and said she was doing me a favor to let me know what my insurance will pay for. WT double F !!!! A week later, I got a "proposal" from NBDA. Two fillings and you guessed it, X-ray!!! Now, if as the doctor said earlier that he can't make a definitive diagnosis unless we do X-ray, then how come he is proposing dental work. If on the other hand, the doctor is sure enough to propose dental work, then the X-ray would be un-necessary. This whole thing is just not sitting right with me. read more

I've always been afraid to go to the dentist. The sound of the drill just makes me cringe and want to run and hide. Ever since I have been seeing Dr's Lim and Sio I'm no longer running the other way. Last January I had to get my wisdom teeth removed and was afraid that it was going to be painful. I've heard of the horror stories from friends. But Dr. Lim was very patient knowing that I was a bit scared. He told me step by step what he was going to do and made sure I was super comfortable before he started the procedure. I came out unscathed! I didn't even have any swelling!! I've also been seen by Dr. Sio to get a crown and root canal. He explained the different options, pros and cons of everything so that I was well informed. He was very gentle, knowledgeable and friendly. He's also great at administering the Novocaine so that you don't feel the needle going in! Lastly, the staff there is superb! The front desk staff are always friendly in person and over the phone. They always greet you with warm smiles. I've see both Tom and Jack (the hygienists) and they both did an excellent job at getting my teeth sparkling clean! If you want knowledgeable, caring, and attentive dentists, this is the dental office for you! read more

Mindy at the front desk always greets me by name and with a smile any time I walk in. A real person always answers the phone and is helpful and cheerful. Yvonne, who does my cleanings, is gentle, thorough, and super nice. Dr Sio, who is my primary dentist, is fabulous. The entire practice is based on the idea of prevention and education. The first time I went in, they evaluated the levels of bacteria in my mouth and how wet/dry my mouth is just to see how likely I was to get decay. He explained to me about where the bacteria that cause decay come from and gave me tips on how to make sure my future children (we're planning a family) develop less decay-causing bacteria. He saw one spot that looked like it might have some decay, but since sometimes decay just goes away and it wasn't a major problem, he said just to wait on it and if it gets worse, we'd take care of it at my next check-up in 6 months. This is a dental practice that actually cares about its patients from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave. They are helping my husband prioritize his dental work to make maximum use of our insurance and keep our costs down. They file all the paperwork for us even though they are not actually part of any insurance network. Their prices are very reasonable (cheaper than most places I checked for some of my husband's more intensive dental work). If you could give a special yelp award for the best of the best dentists, I would give it to them. read more

I've been seeing Dr. Lim for several years now and he has changed everything I thought a dentist would be. He has always taken time to explain the procedures and options, making sure I was always comfortable and pain free. I've had implants, crowns and one partial done and the color and appearance of the teeth is even and natural. The assistants are really present and attentive. Front desk staff cannot provide better customer service. I would give them 6 stars if I could. Thank you so much! read more

North Berkeley Dental Arts is such a friendly, helpful, and professional office! Dr. Lim is a great doctor. He's very sensitive to his patients' needs, explains everything thoroughly, and he doesn't hurt you at all when he sticks you with the novicane! What more can you ask for? read more

The staff at North Berkeley Dental Arts made me feel welcome, at ease and comfortable. My dental hygienist conducted a thorough check and cleaning of my teeth and lead me through the process with great attention to detail, frequently checking in to see how i was doing. Dr. Lim came in after the cleaning to look for any changes since my last visit 6 months ago. He wanted to know if I had experienced any dental problems since the last check up and pointed out some areas where there was some gum recession and tooth repositioning. He suggested a path that could be taken to deal with the changes that have taken place over the years. He did so without pushing or insistence, encouraging me to think about it. I appreciated his observations and suggestions. I should add that I have received my dental care here for 33 years and have always found the dentists, their assistants, the hygienists and the office staff all first rate... friendly, competent, patient-focused and always professional. read more

Welcoming and professional! I looked forward to my visits at North Berkeley Dental Arts, starting with the friendly staff from the moment I walk in. Dr. Sio took time to get to know me and I didn't feel rushed. Very down to earth person. I also enjoyed my time with dental hygienist, Jack. The office is quite unique looking because it is in a house. Too bad I moved to the peninsula and had to switch dentists. read more

I have been going to North Berkeley Dental Arts for about six years. Some of my experiences have been fine; however, both my daughter and son-in-law have had less than satisfactory experiences. Today I had my teeth cleaned and I froze. Safety does come first, hence the HEPA filters, open windows, fans and so on. But really, the practice needs to alert patients ahead of their appointments that the rooms are very very cold. The obvious time to do that is during the confirmation call. I was told nothing in my two calls. The visit was very uncomfortable, and It took me a few hours at home to warm up. Too, the dentist who was supposed to look at my teeth was involved with another patient; the previous cleaning he had not been in the office. I am beginning to have serious doubts about this practice. read more

Ive been coming here for 6 years, but today I was blown away with the quality of care provided to me by Dr. Kim. I had an extraction and he was so quick and gentle, I felt NO pain. The office staff is so friendly and sweet, and Dr. Kim and his assistant were so fantastic. They had me smiling right after the procedure. I definitely recommend. read more

I've been going to see Dr. Sio for over a year now and I am truly impressed. I chose to go see Dr. Sio based on reviews from other Yelpers. I was a little wary because I haven't had the best experiences with dentists in the past. From the first moment I walked into the office, all my worries flew out of the door. I was greeted by friendly, warm faces. Within the first 10 minutes of talking with Dr. Sio, I knew I was in the right place. He is genuinely a nice man and takes the time to get to know you personally. There are many things that I live about Dr, Sio, but the one thing that stands out to me is that when I came in for my cleaning (6 months later) he greeted me by name. Whether he really did remember my name or he looked at the appointment book prior to me coming in, it was nice that he knew who I was. If you are in the market for a new dentist, I highly recommend North Berkeley Dental Arts. You won't be disappointed. read more

Excellent care. Also very much appreciate all of the flexibility in making appointments during COVID and all of the safety measures installed. read more

My daughter Dhakar who is now 5 years old and has been going to North Berkeley Dental Arts from last year... this place is so welcoming feels like they are your own family... Doctor Vince is so caring and generous all the time . My daughter loves talking to him and asking question when checking her teeth. My best friend Tsering works there with few other friend of her and we are all very happy to see them when visiting. Here is the picture of my daughter rocking at the dental chair. Thank you North Berkeley Dental Art dentist and Assistants.... you all are just great team.... read more

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Truly scientific dentistry by a dedicated crew. Everything is clearly explained.

I went to this place for several years and was happy but in the last 5-6 years its really gone downhill in my opinion. The last straw was when they put a filling in that fell out twice in a row and then charged me to fix it. When I finally went to another dentist he told me I'm a grinder and thats why my fillings kept cracking. I got a mouth guard and problem solved. Seems like any decent dentist would mention this right away rather than let you keep cracking fillings so they can keep charging to fix them. Also, they have very high prices compared to where I go now. Not a fan. read more