Thomas C Adame, DDS

I went to Dr. Adame for something like 30 years! He’s just retired, which he really deserved, but I’m sad and will miss him.

Dr. Adame is a genius dentist, who I finally found five years ago after going to a couple of okay dentist around Berkeley. I have a lot of old big fillings from childhood and I’m a grinder so I got to the point where I have developed cracks and need crowns on my molars. He’s done two crowns on my lower back molars over the last three years and I went in for a crown prep today on an upper back molar. Even though my tooth sensitivity and other symptoms indicated there was a crack, he drilled out the old filling first to make sure there really was a crack and so the filling couldn’t just be replaced. His numbing skill is magical — I didn’t feel the needle, not even pressure but my tooth was fully numb quickly. I thought my jaw would be sore from just having to keep my mouth open so long but he paced it right so that my jaw didn’t get fatigued. He’s gentle, quick, super skilled and great about checking in to make sure I’m doing okay throughout. My other two crowns are well shaped, well seated and comfortable and I know this will be just as good. It’s such a relief to have that tooth fixed and such a comfort to know that any future work I need will be expertly performed by this great dentist. The rest of the practice is good, too. The reception and billing people are friendly and proficient. The hygienists are all really great and give tips on maintenance as well as providing excellent cleanings. I haven’t had the other dentists’ care but they have good reputations. All around a really great dental office but especially Dr. Adame. What a gem.

When I was growing up in NY I went to my dad’s cousin for dental work. He was one of the best in the business, very highly regarded by his peers. So when I moved to California in 1976 I was concerned about finding a dentist that would give the level and quality of service I had grown up with.
On a recommendation of a friend, I visited Dr. Adame. I found him to be kind, gentle, free with his advice and awfully understanding when I had emergencies and not a lot of payment options (and no insurance).
Service-​wise, he is every bit the equal of my relative. Dr. Adame immediately puts me at ease and he has never gone into a procedure without first determining that I am completely comfortable and as pain-​free as possible. His office staff and hygenists are likely attentive, friendly and professional.
Dr. Adame has been my primary dentist for over 34 years. I dread the day he retires!

I started going to Dr Adame about 6 years ago on the recommendation of a friend when I said I was looking for someone who was kind and careful. I had had a very bad experience with another dentist (in a different state) and wanted no chance of anything like that again. I have been very happy. His staff is attentive, the hygienists I have had are good, and Dr. Adame is, in my opinion, a fine person as well as an excellent dentist. I can’t remember the specifics, but we scheduled a procedure based on my description of pain, only to discover when he was ready to do it that it was most likely not needed yet. He explained it all to me and said we might have to schedule it again in the near future, but it seemed there was no need to do it now, even though the time had been allotted and I would never have known if he had just gone ahead, done it, and charged me. Instead, he gave me the information and the choice, I chose not to proceed, and I have not had any further trouble so far with that tooth! That was about 3 years ago. After my previous traumatizing experience with dentistry, he has been very sensitive to my feelings and has always explained things carefully and intelligibly, made sure I understood, and checked with me during any procedure about how I was doing. This kind of care, in my experience, is both rare and valuable! Since his office remodeling, they are fully up-​to-​date with digital X-​rays, and the office is very pleasant.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Adame for 10 years or so, and my husband has also been seeing him for the past few couple years. Very nice office and staff, and we always feel well taken care of. Dr. Adame is a very kind and gentle dentist, a sweet man. They are in a very convenient location, and parking is typically easy.

I’ve been going to Dr. Adame for 15 years. His office has great hygienists, no hard sells on products (no sells at all, that I’ve ever experienced), and Dr. Adame has a very low key and straightforward approach. They just remodeled their office, which now feels modern and open.

I went to Dr. Adame from 2000 to about 2007, so this review is a bit stale. Dr. Adame is a very nice and gentle dentist, and the dental hygienists are all very polite and careful. The office also has a nice vibe. Their prices are reasonable and they do not try to upsell you or push any kind of invasive procedures that have questionable merit. I switched away from this office because I wanted to go to a dentist that used digital xrays, to reduce radiation exposure, as well as environmental impact (xrays with photographs use a lot of nasty chemicals).
A few months ago, I returned to get a new mouth guard for sleeping at night (not grinding teeth). Dr. Adame’s office charged about $ 150 less than my current dentist. The mouth guard procedure went fine. The mouth guard works fine, but it is a little awkward fitting, and a bit too large, so its kind of a hassle to wear. During the fitting, Dr. Adame spent a long time trying to modify it, by filing down certain areas of the mouth guard, and this improved the fit somewhat.