With the SHIP medical insurance provided by the university, you have access to all the medical facilities inside the Tang Center. This includes GPs, specialists, the pharmacy, and the optometrist (though the school of optometry).
The SHIP insurance also provides basic dental care (up to $1000 a year in coverage), cleanings every six months and most dental needs, including fillings, X-rays, wisdom teeth removal, etc. This service is provided outside the Tang Center, and the dental care website should link to a list of dentists that are covered by the insurance. To help you find a good dentist, here are the names of some dentists that have been tried and liked. (If you add a dentist here, please use the appropriate smiley face to indicate your level of satisfaction.)
Dentists
Dr. Bryan Haynes
1249 Powell St, Emeryville
Recommended by Jason Wright
Dr. Ernie Lavorini
363 15th St., Oakland (close to 12th St BART)
510-444-4334
Recommended by Linda Strubbe
Dr. Holly Wieber (in-network)
Yelp reviews
3017 Telegraph Ave. at Ashby, Berkeley
510-549-2814
Very frank and forthcoming.
Recommended by Katie Peek, so-far-so-good by Peter Williams
Dr. Amy K. Lee (in-network)
1653 Solano Ave., Berkeley
510-524-3984
Recommended by Jeff Silverman, Katey Alatalo, Chat Hull, and Hannah Klion
Hannah: I'm reasonably happy with them. If nothing else, they're reasonably convenient by bus, and have never tried to push any procedures/whatever on me in the 3.5 years I've been going there.
Note: it appears that while Amy Lee is out of network, she is NOT charging out-of-network fees to her Berkeley patients, lest she lose half her clientele! In other words, you can keep going to Amy Lee.
Note the second: it appears that now Amy Lee has decided not to waive the out-of-network fees. There was no official announcement that I know of, but I got a bill for a routine cleaning, and after calling the office, was told they were not waiving the fee any more. (4/11/13)
Note the third: As far as I know, she and the other dentists at the practice are now (as of 2019) all in network. If they aren't, they've never mentioned it or charged me out of network fees.
Dr. Dawn Dukes (out of network**)
6431 Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito (at El Cerrito Plaza)
510-558-9262
Recommended by Kristen Shapiro
Oral Surgeons
Dr. Craig Bloom
2522 Dana St, Berkeley (walking distance from campus)
510-848-1055
Recommended by Kristen Shapiro