Re: Can anyone recommend a dentist
We have been very happy with Dr. Denise Bass Allen's practice. She and her her partner are calm, always attentive, give excellent care, and she is just a great person. The office is efficient but friendly, multicultural and helpful. Our teenage son has had teeth extracted recently, and they were very careful to anesthetize him for a long time: the extractions were fast and painless. They definitely take Delta. Avi R

I want to highly recommend a wonderful pediatric dentist here in Oakland, CA! Her name is Dr. Denise Bass Allen D.D.S. and her phone number is # (510) 763-2022. She is really good and helped my 2 yr. old daughter out with a broken tooth this last week. We will be seeing her for many years to come if we have anything to say about it. She was great as was her staff!!! Melinda

There are no recent recommendations for these two dentists, but both have older, fairly postive recs. Anything recent? Bass- allen is on Broadway near the Paramount, and parking is not great. Mendoza-Sobel was suggested by my dentist, and the neighborhood has easier parking. How did you like the offices and the staff? How did your young kids react? My 2-yr old actually enjoys brushing and flossing(!) but doesn't usually want strangers being too invasive. She'd probably like it if the office was pleasant and the people are pleasant. We don't have dental insurance, so Mendoza-Sobel is more expensive, but more convenient. This will be our first visit. Thanks! Janet

Well, to me, the best is still Denise Bass Allen on Broadway. 510-763-2022. Tunisha

Re: Dentists Favorable to Breastfeeding
This may sound like an advice reply, but my son has stains on his teeth too. He got them from iron drops (prescribed for anemia when he was 12 mo.) Some kids' teeth stain more easily. In January I took him to Dr. Denise Bass-Allen in Oakland when he was 28 months old -- we were still nursing. I got a bit of a lecture, but was NOT told I HAD to wean by any means. I really liked Dr. Denise and she had a good manner with my active toddler. Sharon

Re: African-American Family Dentist
Denise Bass Allen. She was terrific with our kids and is located on Broadway near the Paramount Theater. We have since moved to North Berkeley or we would still be going there. Judith

Re: dentist in Alameda
Dr. Denise Bass Allen is very close to Alameda, in downtown Oakland near Broadway & 20th. She's very calm and cheerful with all the kids, and very communicative with parents. When she has to do an extraction, she or her equally-good associate Dr. Chen spend a looong time getting the kids numb and comfortable: taking the teeth out is very quick. The office is helpful and efficient, they answer the phone or return messages promptly, billing is easy to understand, they take Delta. We had a bad experience with our son and adult dentists, so much prefer pediatric specialists, especially Dr. Denise. Avi

My daughter's dentist, Dr. Denise Bass Allen of Oakland, is terrific, as are her hygienists and office staff. My daughter was three at the time of her first visit and very nervous, but Dr. Allen let me sit in the chair with my daughter on my lap, which she found comforting. By the next visit, six months later, I don't think my daughter even knew I was there! The office is bright and open (with a gorgeous aquarium). Dr. Allen's office is in downtown Oakland, very close to the Paramount Theatre (and BART); phone: 763-2022

Denise Bass Allen is great. Very receptive to parents entering the examination room. My son had a tooth extraction that went very well and Dr. Allen also referred my son to an oral surgeon that did very good work. Very patient and talks the child through whatever she is doing. My kids look forward to receiving the pre-packaged toys at the end of every visit. My older son had seen a pediatric dentist in El Cerrito before going to Dr. Allen. Dr. Allen is definitely a better match for my son. Good luck!

Dr. Denise and her staff are very patient with the kids. My daughter is four and just had her second cleaning. Before they do anything, they introduce all of the instruments they will use and show what they plan to do on my daughter's fingers. Unfortunately even with all of this prep, my daughter remembers her first visit vividly when her gums hurt from the cleaning, and therefore was not very cooperative. Throughout the cleaning, Dr. Denise keeps explaining and reassuring my daughter that she's doing a great job and that it'll be over soon. Now we just have to work on a better job of daily brushing and flossing so that maybe the next visit won't be as traumatic because her teeth will be in better condition.

Denise Bass Allen and her staff at 2100 Broadway are great with kids. And they have lots of stuff to keep them occupied. My only complaint is that they charged more for an exam and cleaning than allowed by their contract with Delta Dental. Delta advised that they agreed to only charge what was allowable by the contract, but they didn't reverse the extra charges and asked me to pay them on our next visit which I did. I have recently written them asking that they reimburse me, and hopefully it was an oversight on their part and I won't have any problems.

Date: 8 Jan 1998
From: Mirium

We go to Denise Bass-Allen, a very energetic African- American
woman dentist in downtown Oakland. She was good with my son, the office was
busy but not chaotic, and the care seemed good. She has some very cool
looking Dental Hygenists. My son threw up on her and she seemed to take it
with equanamity. The office seemed very well run... No problems with
billing any insurance. I also liked the role model.

I talked with our ped. about it afterward, and he said that she was a great
dentist but they don't usually recommend her since people tend not to want
to go in down town Oakland. I think she may also take Denti-Cal patients
which is really unusual.
                           
--------------

Date: 14 Jan 1998
From: Dianne

I second the recommendation of Dr. Denise Bass-Allen. We never have any
problem in going to her office- it is near the "up" end of downtown Oakland,
 not far from the Oakland YMCA and "Pill Hill."

One of my daughters is blind and Dr. Bass-Allen scrupulously describes for
her everything she is going to do and lets her feel the instruments before
she does any procedure. This allays any fears my daughter has.  The great
thing is that her staff also does the same. My other sighted daughter also
likes Dr. Bass-Allen and her staff. They are very nurturing. They let you
stay with the kids if you want (lately we have found that it's not
necessary).If you can believe it, both of my kids like going to the dentist
 and do not dread it.

Another wonderful thing is the atmosphere. It is very class, culturally,
 and racially diverse. There are usually in the waiting room at various
times African-Americans, whites, Asians, mixed-race, and other racial and
cultural groups. The families range from professional (lots of attorneys and
doctors kids go there) to (I believe) MediCal clients.

Dr. Bass-Allen's mother runs the business side, knows us well, and makes us
feel like family. We never have any billing problems.