Craig Y Bloom, DMD

I don’ t know where to start really. Honestly. I have (had) a fear of doctors in general and dentists in particular before my visit to this facility which I approached with a great deal of trepidation and genuine fear. In fact, I made preparations in case complications developed, which my phobia had convinced me were inevitable. I needed to have a wisdom tooth extracted as a result of an infection around the tooth and after four decades of all manner of dentists spanning a dozen countries, I can honestly say I have found the holy grail of dentists!!! The staff were extremely courteous, emphatic, helpful and found time to fit me into a busy schedule even though I did not have an appointment when they saw the pain I was in.
Dr, Bloom is the David Blaine of dentists!!! I am not one to suffer fools gladly nor heap praises solely in appreciation of pain alleviated; this man is truly a genius! He walks you through every single step of every procedure and makes you feel this is a walk in the park… and delivers on that promise. His surgical assistants (shout out to Mike!) are by extension, extremely professional and concerned, informative and really caring. Dr. Bloom treats each and every patient as if they are members of his immediate family and his touch is so gentle that you begin to wonder when the actual procedure will start before you realize it is already over. In fact it was so pain-​free I went directly to a class without any discomfort whatsoever. It was amazing! They were even solicitous about mispronouncing my name… ayoe…I had to rub my eyes several times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming about the perfect dentist… lol!
Amidst the aura of soothing music, the office supplies you not only with brochures, booklets and other informative material to help with post-​surgical steps but an assortment of apparatus, gauzes, creams, ice packs and everything that you might need afterwards. The doctor walked me through my medical dental history, pointing out insights and advice about the oral care about my remaining teeth which would serve me better in the future. For once in my life I forgot I had a dentist phobia and actually enjoyed a visit to the dentist! I never thought I’d see the day when I could have a wisdom tooth removed and not be discomfited in the least by the experience.
The manner in which I was treated made me yearn to engage the good doctor in further conversation– politics, religions, ethics, travel and so on; this is the extent to which he made such an impact and good impression on me. When I told him I’d found my ideal dentists’ office, he humbly and simply replied that the desire of every good dentist was to make sure their patients did not have make repeat visits a habit… truly an icon. Afterwards, Mike, the doctors assistant gave me a call to check up on me and find out how I was doing and if there were any side effects or if I had any questions about the aftermath of the surgery. These guys take professionalism to new heights! If you have ever had doubts or concerns about a visit to the dentist, I can categorically assure you that this is one dentist that has the magic touch. Thank you, Berkeley-​Orinda Oral Surgery… thank you, Dr. Craig Yale Bloom!!!

Let me just tell you how long I put off getting my impacted wisdom teeth out. Too long!!! I heard a horrible story from a friends and family that frightened me so bad I couldn’t even think about getting them out. But I started having horrible head aches and it began to seriously affect my life. What I realized is that they didn’t have a great oral surgeon. Dr. Berger was the best. I was crying my eyes out literally, glad my appointment was at 7 am so no one else saw :). I’ve never been put to sleep or gone through surgery, not to mention I had a lot of turmoil going on in my life which made me an emotional wreck. He completely put me at ease and let my boyfriend come in to hold my hand/​rub my feet. The procedure took 20 minutes for THREE impacted teeth and he didn’t have to break any of them. I would do it a hundred times over! Some advice: DO NOT take vicodin. You can’t really eat and i took a third of a pill and was throwing up non stop after surgery probably from lack of food in me. For the rest of the time I took Advil which worked perfectly. Also I drank pineapple juice non-​stop three days before surgery and had NO swelling. I was prepared to look like a chipmunk but had nothing what so ever. It’s from the active ingredient Bromane in pineapple that reduces swelling. Stick with that and you are good to go! Don’t put it off like me.

Wow, this guy has the most soothing voice ever. This is clearly a valuable asset if your job is to basically yank teeth out of people’s mouths. («Oh no, my teefs!!!»)
He took out all four of my wisdom teeth at once. The consultation went smoothly. He was very clear, so I knew exactly what I had to do before/​after my procedure. He was also really funny and his staff are really personable, so I had a great time and didn’t feel nervous at all during the consultation or on the day of my procedure.
One tip for students or other car-​less people: you NEED to get someone to drive you home. They won’t let you go home unless you have a ride; walking home isn’t enough. I thought it’d be OK if my boyfriend was my walking escort, but when Dr. Bloom’s assistant found out that was how I intended to get home, she made me stay and hail a taxi. I thought that was pretty nice of them, because looking back, I was really in no fit state to walk home. I was basically stumbling around like a drunkard, and I could hardly close my mouth so I had some embarrassing bloody drool incidents in the cab. Super hot, I know.

A week ago, I had to go in for a consultation appointment with Dr. Bloom. Although I had gotten two wisdom teeth removed before and thus knew the whole procedure, I appreciated that he took the time to sit down with me to answer any questions and give me a choice of anesthetic.
Today, Dr. Bloom pulled out my last two wisdom teeth. He finished the whole procedure (including anesthesia) in 20 minutes flat. He explained what he was doing at every step, and his manner was kind and patient. His assistant Mike was really nice, too.
The front desk staff are polite and efficient, and they have freebies for their patients (sunblock and chapstick at the moment). I highly recommend Dr. Bloom and this office.
(To those who don’t have dental insurance, you should definitely call ahead and get a quote. I think it was about $ 200 per tooth and $ 80 for the consultation.)

oral surgeon is perfectly competent, but the office doesn’t seem state-​of-​the-​art (old, unappealing building), and I couldn’t get the office to call me back, after 3 messages, regarding making my kid an appt. We ended up at Alex McDonald, DDS, Phd (they return their calls), and he was fantastic, state-​of-​the-​art facility and meds (oral Versed for my worried kid), and he was brilliant and attentive.

i was impressed. they were efficient, well mannered, explained things well and did things well
gave me my warnings, gave me sedation and an hour later, dazed and confused i rolled out of the office and into bed.

Dr. Berger and his surgical tech Sharon are the bomb squad. I’ve always thought dentists are evil, money-​grubbing folks. I still think they are, but if they can make me laugh, I’m willing to forgive that.
When the front receptionist told me to sign the release form, I almost bailed. I insisted that if I sign the release, I agree to taking responsibility for this list of all the things that could possibly go wrong. She wasn’t very comforting. «This is just required… If your tooth gets infected, we’ll take care of that.»
Infected? I don’t even have insurance lady. I don’t have money to take care of an infection!
I called my friend for support, «When I got mine pulled, they had to get on top of me and yank my wisdom teeth out! But don’t worry honey, that won’t happen to you.»
You know you’re with professionals when they sit you down and there’s a boom box on the counter playing elevator music.
Sharon the surgical tech is a beautiful, blond-​haired, smiling kind of person. She told me that taking out third molars or wisdom teeth are her favorite procedure. Oh goody! Her favorite! Dr. Berger is a funny guy. And it wasn’t just the laughing gas either. He should have been a comedian in another lifetime.
Takes about 10 minutes for the laughing gas to settle in.
Another few minutes for Dr. Berger to talk you up and stick you with the needle. (Don’t worry, by the time you feel the poke, it’s over.)
And a couple minutes to take your wisdom teeth out. I only had two!
WARNING! It’s very common for people to get nauseated on VICODIN. I was throwing up the whole night! And I dropped $ 20 for pills I couldn’t use.
I had a big breakfast and didn’t eat much after that. Oh man, that was the worst! EAT SOMETHING after your numbness wears off. Or just opt to take a whole bunch of Ibuprophen instead.

Dr. Bloom is the best! A perfect balance of skill and heart.
He just tugged three of my wisdom teeth. Everyone warned me of the worst pain ever for days on end. But I was off all pain meds 18 hours after the surgery, and had hardly any swelling He’s got the magic hands! And best of all, he is a total mensch — open-​hearted, warm, and sincerely engaged. A rare gift. And his staff rock. Helpful, supportive and able to cut through the insurance tangle with utter grace. My only regret is that I did not get my teeth pulled a year ago, instead of fretting all this time. The reality is so much less painful than the worry. So go for it. You’re in the best hands with Dr. Bloom.

There are not many things that frighten me.
Spiders? Nope. I actually find them fascinating. Rodents? Nope.. they’re cute. Snakes? Nope.. .like ‘em. Not much phases me.. .excepts dentists. I am scared to death of them.
I had to get a molar extracted — a molar that had already been worked on three times and the root canal had failed. Infection, pain, discomfort, swelling, etc. Fun times. My dentist referred me to Dr. Berger’s office. The referral sat in my wallet for months. I just ice packed my face and prayed for the best. Until my doctor told me I was putting my general health at risk by not handling that tooth. If there is anything I hate more than dentists, it’s hospitals.. .so I made the appointment. Drs Berger, Bloom and Krey are very popular.. .so much so that my appointment was two months out. Two months to contemplate pain, misery and fear. I pretty much tortured myself for two months.
The day of the appointment came and my mommy took me. I needed my mommy because you can’t drive after the appointment. I was told by my dentist that I would be sedated. Have I mentioned that I also have a fear of anesthesia of any sort and that I fear I won’t wake up or that I will feel everything and not be able to say anything? Maybe I am not as She-​Ra as I thought.. .
You go to this decrepit office on Dana Street in the heart of Berkeley. Since I was with my mommy we took the elevator (mommy don’t play stairs) and it was good since the terror of the broke down elevator alleviated the fear of the dentist enough that I forgot about my noodle knees. Quite frankly, the office building is a dump. I pictured shorted out fluorescent fixtures and rusty pliers. I was terrified. That is, until you open the door the the office. What they save on rent, they spend on the interior of their offices and state of the art equipment. Phew. I felt better immediately. The office staff is friendly and efficient.
They called me in to take an x-​ray and they have the kind where you stand up and it goes around your head. Cool. For a minute I forgot about my churning stomach and tripped on the cool machine. I went back to the waiting room and that’s when my melt down started. Sweating, teary eyed, nauseated, and plain miserable. I held my mommy’s hand. They called me in. My legs were numb.
Dr. Berger was my dentist. He could see clearly that I was distressed. He kept telling me how everything was «no problem» «easy» «no big deal». We discussed sedation and he said I didn’t need it. That he would «gas me up» well. Now, I am scared of sedation but I am also more scared of dental pain. But he said yet again «no problem.» At one point in his life, he was a line cook so we talked food for a good long while and it calmed me down quite a bit.
So yeah. Um, I love nitrous oxide. I mean really, really love it. Dr. Berger hooked up so much nitrous that I didn’t even feel the needles he used and he used three. I actually had a moment of clarity where I knew I was the highest I had ever been in my life. I knew he was doing evil things to my mouth but I didn’t care. Then he somehow started talking about Julia Child and Super Rico — a well known taqueria in Santa Barbara.. . it was like he instinctively knew how to take me to my happy place. I don’t know exactly how long it took but suddenly they were done. I didn’t feel a thing. NOT ONE THING!
As Dr. Berger said, «no big deal.»
Oh, and while my brain was still addled by nitrous oxide and novacaine, I high fived Dr. Berger and actually called him a pimp.
Eventually, I have to get an implant. Wherein they drill a hole in your jaw bone and screw a piece of metal INTO YOUR BONE. I don’t imagine a picnic but I am less afraid to know that it is in the capable hands of Dr. Berger.
Because, you know, Dr. Berger is a P.I.M.P.

The man knows how to extract wisdom teeth.
Admittedly, mine were a pretty easy case, but he did it wonderfully. Independently, he was described as ‘the stud of all studs’ by another dentist (specifically in reference to his prowess with novocaine). What’s not to love?

I agree with everything this other guy said about Dr. Krey and the staff at Bloom, Berger and Krey. This place has everything you would want to find at Doctor’s office… the staff is super nice, everyone explains things clearly, and they all make sure you’re comfortable.
I had all four of my wisdom teeth pulled YESTERDAY and I feel GREAT! It was very sweet when Dr. Krey himself called me in the afternoon after my surgery to follow up. I am pleased to be going down in history as one of those people who instead of having a horrific experience, had an almost pleasant one.
Thanks Dr. Krey and staff!

After years of putting it off, I finally succumbed to the reality that my wisdom teeth had to go. I was 24, for cryin’ out loud!
Not sure where to turn, I went on some friends’ recommendations and made an appointment with Dr. Bloom. And let me tell ya, the experience was so painless and easy it was practically a joy.
If you must get oral surgery, you’d be crazy not to go to Dr. Bloom. He and his staff treat patients with so much kindness and prepare them for the procedures so well that they’d put even shakiest nerves at ease.
The actual surgery took only about 30 min. — I had three teeth taken out, the fourth one having been removed a few years back — with no swelling afterward and only mild soreness. I suppose this was partly due to the position of my teeth, but I firmly believe that only a skilled surgeon could have set me up for such an uneventful recovery.
Thanks, Doc!

Well, it’s day two of getting the wisdom teeth out, and so far so good.
First, the consultation a few weeks back was just great. I felt like I was talking to a therapist– no, he wasn’t asking squeamish questions about my relationship w/​my mother, but just explained the procedures, my options, and listened to any questions. He was amazingly calm, present, and unharried– adjectives I never use to describe my regular doc.
It was more about getting me comfortable about the procedure than anything else. When you think about it, this is a big part of what any surgeon needs to do, esp. if there’s a chance you’ll be awake for it.
Which is the option I did not choose– this is about getting all my wisdom teeth pulled– do I really need to remember all the details? No thanks. I just showed up, I had a small shot in my arm, feeling relaxed, and I wake up all groggy under a blanket in a quiet alcove, a little sore and numb. They supplied me with ice packs, extra gauze, a little FAQ (and my teeth). Absolutely needed my friend to get me, supply me with yogurt and fruit for a coupla batches of smoothies, and all is good.
Later that evening he gave me a call for any follow up questions.
And my hats off, again, to the developers/​makers of ibuprofen!
Let’s face it– we hope we have a good system in place that makes sure that any doc you see is competent and can get the job done. Dr Krey and his collegaues take it a step further with great bedside manner.
The only thing is that I was pretty groggy, and don’t remember all the people there who were so kind… I kinda wish I knew better, at least to be able to recognize them if I see them again during my follow up, you know?