Halden Yu, DDS

Dr. Yu is gentle, informative, and helpful in decision making, cleaning my teeth, and filling my cavities. I appreciate his advice and referrals even if they are not in my network.
His staff is generally responsive and helpful, but sometimes the customer service deviates from the norm especially with the fluoride foam, X-​rays that target the face, and lack of tender loving care (TLC). My only concern is that I prefer a one-​stop shop instead of being referred to endodontist and others, which require coordination of services.
I’ve never met a more financially responsible and responsive team. I can request records of my invoices to file flexible savings claims without having to nag for them because his records and billing team is superb. I hate it when other dentists bill me twice or overcharge me, but I never have to worry about that with Dr. Yu’s team. Thank goodness there is a dentist who I can trust in the area.

Dr. Yu is one of the best dental professionals I have ever met. He tells exactly what he think based on his professional judgments. He may be a perfectionist, but still recognize, understand, and accept his patients personal opinions. His staffs in the office are courteous and efficient. They told you exactly how much it cost per treatment to the penny, with or without insurance. Without insurance, they will give you a discount instead of overcharge you like some other dentists/​oral surgeons. I have had bad experiences with other dentists/​oral surgeons who would give you an estimate and then charged you much more than their estimate and sometimes they would send you a bill for extra $$ after the bill was paid in full. This will never happen to Dr. Yu’ patients. Any comments?
Howard, Ph.D.

Dr. Yu is the kindest Dentist and my daughters (5 & 6.5 yrs) had such a positive cleaning appointment today! Dr. Yu came out to talk to me about my daughters and their teeth and he was so professional and easy to talk to during our visit. I feel so lucky that we have Dr. Halden Yu as our Family Dentist and I highly recommend him!!!

This is the first review for a doctor I’ve ever written.
I was new to the area and after reading many positive Unilocal reviews, decided to go see Dr. Yu for a routine check-​up. The office was cozy and the staff were friendly — we made small chat as I finished paperwork and waited for Dr. Yu to finish seeing another patient, a small boy. Dr. Yu himself is soft spoken and gave me good information about what might be causing my gum recession. He was gentle with his hands and administered anesthesia without giving me any pain — something my last dentist wasn’t good at doing.
Where things went sour a little bit was when I asked Dr. Yu to fix a chip in one of my front teeth. I wasn’t sure what had caused the chip, but I hadn’t bothered fixing it because it had been painless and I hadn’t had dental insurance for a while. But instead of fixing the chip, Dr. Yu suggested that the chip was a result of my teeth being right on top of each other, and that filling in the chip wouldn’t do much since my teeth would just erode away the composite material. To my surprise, he suggested that I consider jaw surgery and wearing a dental mouth guard. I was a little taken aback because I’m not trying to break my jaw or pay hundreds of dollars for a dental mouth guard. I said no to the suggestion and Dr. Yu went on filling the one cavity I had, but the chip in my front teeth stayed.
Six months later, I went back for my check-​up with the idea that I had to get the chip in my tooth fixed — I just couldn’t avoid it anymore. Unfortunately, Dr. Yu’s response was the same, that I needed a jaw surgery. Again, I refused.
A short while later I relocated and saw a different dentist who voiced some of the same concerns about my teeth being right on top of each other, but then she went ahead and filled it in at my request. I wish I would’ve received the same treatment from Dr. Yu.

My toddler had her first dental exam with Dr. Yu over the weekend and I’ve never seen anyone so excited about going to the dentist! She was all smiles the entire time! Dr. Yu was quick but gentle and thorough, and very reassuring. I never even saw my daughter wince once. I have seen pediatric dentist offices that are obviously geared towards children, with lots of toys and movies/​DVDs to keep them preoccupied, but my daughter didn’t need any of that. Dr. Yu gave her a plastic hourglass sand timer to hold along with a Disney-​themed toothbrush, and that was all she needed to keep in her hands during the appointment. Fast forward a week later at home, and my daughter is excited to brush her teeth every time, and who knew that an itty bitty sand timer was all the encouragement she needed! Another wonderful experience at Dr. Yu’s office — thank you again! My daughter is already looking forward to her next visit!

Dr. Yu is a great dentist with a very agreeable personality. I have never had to wait more than five to ten minutes before my appointments, all of his assistants are extremely nice and Dr. Yu is really taking the time to listen to one’s concerns and explain everything in detail.

I’ve been going to Dr. Yu for a few years now and I refuse to go to any other dentist! :) His asistants are all very nice. I really like his assistant Pauline. She’s always very sweet and friendly. Dr. Yu is fantastic! He’s soft spoken but very informative, he’s on time and quick! He also remembers little things about me like my job and schooling.
I also love that they offer Saturday appointments. I actually enjoy going to his office. I’ve always had a great experience and I leave with nice, white and clean teeth. =D

Brought mom in for some much needed dental work — Dr. Yu was great. Good bedside manner, really took the time to explain the problem and treatment options. His recommendations seemed sound and he definitely did not try to push expensive procedures.
While doing his procedures, he clearly explained every step along the way and what sensations she should expect. According to mom, she didn’t even feel the injection of the local anesthetic.
I’ve come across a fair amount of health professionals and my opinion, Dr. Yu is what you want in any doctor/​dentist — patient, informative, and ultimately capable. Would definitely recommend.

This place is unbelievable. They make it seem so easy to run a good business that i can’t understand why all dentists can operate like this.
— the staff is incredibly nice. Impossible not to smile back.
— they are always on time and ready to begin the second you walk in the door.
— Dr. Yu is a damn good dentist! Very thorough which i love. He always asks about my 2 kids. Makes the experience painless and quick and my teeth always feel great after.
So glad i finally found a kick ass dentist!

I have been seeing Dr Yu for 3 years and had quite a few fillings/​crown work/​root canals done. I simply can not say enough great things about Dr Yu and his assistant.
1) Dr Yu does the cleaning for you himself! He is very careful and considerate. He even massages your jaw if he realizes your mouth must be very tired.
2) He clearly explains the cost to avoid surprise charges, and also helps you to come up with plans to minimize your copays.
3) You could communicate with the office by both email and phone, which makes communication so much easier.
4) His assistant Pauline is so sweet and friendly. She does such a great job with X-​ray. I have a relatively small mouth, and X-​rays with all other dentists/​endodontists I have been to always hurt my mouth, but not a problem for Pauline at all.
5) Too many other good things as well… I would see myself going to Dr Yu’s dental office for many years to come but unfortunately I am moving out of California soon.

Unfortunately I’ve never been blessed with good teeth and so I’ve had to seek out a lot of help from various dentists throughout the years. I’ve had to see many different dentists around the Bay Area but I’m glad to say I’ve finally found a dentist that I will be happy sticking with for the long haul. That dentist is Dr. Halden Yu.
Dr. Yu is without a doubt the best dentist I’ve ever had. He is obviously very experienced and it shows. I can see he has a great attention to detail and I get the impression that he may be a bit of a perfectionist, I like that. He also takes his time and is always very gentle. He explains what he is doing before he does it so I am never anxious about what is going to happen next.
His prices are among the most affordable I’ve come across. In the past I use to spend a lot of time shopping around for prices and second opinions but I don’t bother with that anymore. Dr. Yu’s prices have always been of the most affordable and his solutions have always been the most practical. He is one of the two dentists I’ve come across that I honestly trust (the other has retired). You can tell he is a man of good character and really cares of his patients. He actually remembers little things about you and it and it makes me smile.
His office is warm, calming, and his assistant Pauline is always very cheery with lots of good conversation. I never have any long waits. Best of all there is always plenty of free parking in the front. and his offices are right off the freeway.
I have recommended Dr. Yu’s office to all of my friends. That really tells you something as I’m not really the type to recommend anything.
Types of work I’ve had at this office so far: filings, root canals, gum work, bridge work, teeth cleanings and regular checkups.

I found Dr. Yu through a Google search for «dentist new patient special» and though I validated the choice by checking Unilocal before making the appointment, my expectations were quite modest given the referral source. The result, however, was a very pleasant surprise.
As others note, Dr. Yu is courteous, professional, and incredibly thorough. He gave unusual attention to jaw mobility & alignment, eg, as part of the routine check. Unrelated, he suggested a couple of smart questions for my next orthodontist and physician visits based on our discussion and the exam. The office is no-​frills, but clean and modern; I love the digital X-​rays for both comfort and lower radiation dose.
I booked my next appt for six months hence, and look forward to it!

Dr. Yu will put you at ease!
I visited Dr. Yu for the first time today. It’s was the most chill dentist visit I’ve had. I’m the type who goes to the dentist regularly so I’ve had many experiences to compare today with. I ditched my last dentist in SF after 1 visit because his entire office tried to sell services too much — everything seemed too fakey and I couldn’t trust him. Dr. Yu is the best dentist I’ve ever seen. I was impressed by him.
Dr. Yu is so different from my last dentist. He’s soft-​spoken and has the lightest hands (either that or he has the best cleaning equipment because it didn’t feel like my past clearnings). He doesn’t oversell you things and, if he thinks you need something done, he explains your options (including why the most expensive option might not be best). He kept summarizing what he was doing and how my teeth were — but not in an annoying way… you can tell he’s a smart guy and communicates very well. I felt comfortable asking him all of my questions. Such a nice guy!
I’m going back to get fitted for a nightguard… I would not get them from any other dentist! In fact, I’m not going to another dentist ever again!!!

Dr. Yu is the epitome of professionalism and his front staff are the epitome of efficiency. I have gotten the feeling that some dentists are just out for the money and have no pride in their work or effect on their patients at all, with shoddy clinics and care. Dr. Yu is of those class of professionals that would never stoop to that level. High quality care all the way. He takes the time to make sure you understand the procedures and makes sure all your questions are answered before going forth with any process. If I was still in this area, Dr. Yu would be my dentist for life. I trust him with my teeth, 100%.

Dr. Yu is a very gentle dentist. When he moved from San Francisco to Burlingame, my family and I followed him to his new office. My husband would not see any other dentist. He has sensitive teeth and only Dr. Yu can give him a cleaning that doesn’t make him bleed. And our 6 & 9 years old children feel very comfortable going to Dr. Yu’s office.
I recommended a few of my colleagues to see Dr. Yu for their dental works. Everyone came back with high remarks and very good reviews.
Dr. Yu is definitely someone we can trust and he will continue to be our family dentist for a long time.

I’m not a big fan of going to the dentist, and it had bee about 3 years since my last check-​up.
I first tried going to the on-​site dental service offered by my employer. They seemed a bit like used-​car salesmen and told me that I needed four root canals.
My wife’s friend then recommended Dr. Yu.
Both my wife and I have gone to Dr. Yu. He is extremely patient and respectful. He takes a lot of time to do a thorough analysis and to explain the situation and the available options. My wife and I both agree that he is the best dentist that we have ever gone to.
And, it turned out that I only needed one root-​canal. Thanks Dr. Yu!

Never in my life have I ever been excited about visiting the dentist, until now. Dr. Yu is AWESOME! After not been seen by a dentist in about 4 years, it was no surprise that I had one cavity. I was stressing about getting it filled because I had never had a cavity before. He made the entire process painless and quick. He has made me more aware of how well I should take care of my teeth without being judgmental. The staff is great. Their efficiency is un-​surpassed. Highly recommended!

A really great dentist is hard to find, but I found one in Dr. Yu and here’s why I keep going back to him…
* His office staff is really friendly
* His cleanings are always gentle, fast and thorough
* He genuinely cares about your overall well being, not just your teeth
* He’s easy to talk to and it’s never awkward
* He remembers stuff about you — like your last vacation or the new car you just bought
* He never tries to sell you any unnecessary dental work like teeth whitening or a mouth guard
* He doesn’t judge you if you’ve been slacking on the flossing, he just hands you a free tooth brush and floss

I highly recommend Dr. Yu. He takes care of my and my family’s dental problems. Aside from the usual cleanings and regular exams, we’ve had extractions and dental crowns replaced by him.
My work (health-​care related but non-​dental) has taken me all over the country so I’ve seen many different dentists.
Dr. Yu is unique in that he spend time explaining clearly what he plans to do and gives you options for your care where available. None of the dentists I have had before do this.
His office staff are polite and will work with you on scheduling and with payments for care. They also do a good job of working with dental insurance companies and explaining co-​pays, etc. That way, you aren’t surprised when you receive the bill — we’ve had several dental offices not handle this well in the past leading to sticker shock at the bill.
I believe he also an office aside from the one in Burlingame.

i just went to Dr. Yu for the first time and found him on
. i think he took over the clients of Dr. Young who has retired. his assistant was SUPER nice and Dr. Yu did the entire cleaning! also, they are very flexible on appointment times. even better, he explained EVERYTHING he was doing and why and inbetween sessions of having my jaw open for cleaning, he would massage my jaw!!! Also, he showed me my xrays and teeth photos and talked me through everything!!! He also did not pressure me into any of the recommendations he was making and was very realistic about whether or not we could just keep an eye on something.
Also loved that they sent me the paper work i needed to do via email.