Harry Albers, DDS

Terrible customer service and retaliation from dentist and front office receptionist Stephanie. Unfortunately, Stephanie and I had a bad interaction regarding a missed appointment of my teenage daughter. The missed fee is now 95 instead of 50. I could have handled the interaction better I admit. Regardless, as a result, I was called that same day within an hour and informed by Stephanie that she talked to the dentist and I had to pay off my entire bill or they would take all my kids off the schedule. Stephanie made this call with what appeared to be joy in her voice and even after hearing that I had a payment plan made with another receptionist she did not waiver. She then talked over me when still talking, said goodbye and hung up on me. She then refused to pick up the phone when I called back; however, would text. She refused to give me a time or date I could make a complaint to the dentist until I told her to go ahead and take the kiddos off the schedule because we will be going somewhere else for our service, as by then I was concerned how my children may be treated. Another receptionist had put me on a payment plan due to falling on hard times, and I had made a payment recently. Although she said there were no notes, there were text messages to prove this. This was two days before Christmas. I paid the bill in full and will be taking 9 family members somewhere else. We are all human. I understand we all have bad days and my interaction could have been better. I apologized. Regardless, Stephanie’s behavior was spiteful and childish.

I started coming here based on a referral from my dentist when I moved to Santa Rosa couple of years ago. Doctor Albers has great bedside manners and is very knowledge, very happy with his service. However, due to recent changes at their front desk, they are rude, condescending and even confrontational when asking questions about dental coverage. Unlike the team before, they are not customer service friendly and sending customers to insurance companies directly. Go here if you want to be yelled at by the front desk staff. Sadly, I won't be returning, no service is good enough where they tell at you. After my last visit I received a letter from the office that after a careful review, Dr. Albers has decided to terminate our working relationship. This was not only a surprise, but a real wake up call, however the feeling is mutual. When I was waiting in the lobby, I overheard the front desk staff scolding the dental hygienist for not letting them know about another patient future treatment needs, the hygienist explained it was before they were busy. She was told to just tell them out out if the front desk staff was busy. It's almost like the front desk staff is not aware of patient privacy laws. I wouldn't want my treatment plan to be advertised to the whole office including to patients waiting in the lobby. The office manners has completely gone downhill with staff changes.

My first impression of Dr. Albers was that he had an unusual, mechanical bedside manner. He rarely explained treatment plans and became somewhat sharp when asked for explanations or "why." Despite a history of excellent oral health and regular checkups at my previous dentist, Dr. Albers’ team found issues requiring treatments at nearly every visit, contrasting sharply with prior dental care. I stayed because the original front office staff here were welcoming and patient-centered. Although unconventional, I often obtained clarification on my care from them, rather than Dr. Albers. They apologized when I raised concerns about his communication style, said I was not the first to voice concern, and said they had consistently suggested improvements to him. Their professionalism and kindness were the reasons I remained. Recently, the entire front office staff here have resigned. The new staff are rude, dismissive, argumentative, and lack follow-up. Their approach has completely changed the tone of this practice. For example, I was scheduled for a routine cleaning on a Monday afternoon but became ill over the weekend with COVID symptoms. I called to cancel first thing Monday morning. The staff said I should come in anyway because they wear PPE. I explained this would pose risk to other patients. They then threatened a $50 late-cancellation fee, despite the office being closed over the weekend leaving me unable to make a 48-hour notice. Dr. Albers later told me not to worry about the fee, but said I "could have still come in," which I found irresponsible for public health! Other issues included failure to provide follow-up on requested treatment estimate; staff admitted they had "forgotten" to call me. After a recent cleaning, I received an unexpected ~$23 bill billed as relating to "periodontal." I am not a periodontal patient. I emailed the office and got no response. After two more bills, now with finance fees, I reached out again. They claimed they never received my email and explained the charges were for items insurance does not pay, including "room cleaning" and "oral rinse" (mouth wash). I was told I would now be paying about $51 out of pocket per cleaning. I said patients should be informed of new billing practices. The staff said they had "done their best," by mentioning it "upon checkout." I requested the $23 charge be waived since I was unaware of the policy. She refused, saying the office had previously waived a broken-appointment fee, so they would not waive anything else. When I remarked that Dr. Albers likely wouldn’t want to lose a patient over $23, she said, "Actually, Dr. Albers said if you want to go elsewhere, that’s fine, because with your insurance he loses money treating you." When I asked to speak with Dr. Albers, she said, "he does not discuss financial matters with patients." I canceled all future appointments and stated I would pay the balance due minus the finance charges. A few days later, I received an unsigned, poorly formatted letter dated the same day, stating that "he" wished to end our professional relationship and would provide only emergency care for 30 days. Dr. Albers never contacted me personally; I strongly suspect the letter came from his staff. When I had asked to speak with a manager to resolve issues, I was told the practice has none—"Dr. Albers has staff for that purpose." This is highly concerning and unconventional for a practice of this size. It suggests there is no oversight or accountability. Given Dr. Albers’ age and reliance on staff, this raises questions about whether he is being accurately informed about office operations. From my experience, the new staff appear defensive and at times vindictive, and important information, including errors, may not be honestly conveyed. Staff appear free to take actions with patients, such as sending letters under Dr. Albers’ name without a signature. Based on the above, I urge you to seek care elsewhere.

I receive wonderful professional care and always feel welcome and heard during my cleanings. I’m one of the more sensitive teeth people and Dawa is always amazing checking to make sure I am comfortable during my cleanings and always a pleasure to work with.

Update11/10/25 : Requested my records. Retaliated by threatening to send me to collections!! I held off on writing this review, as I had planned to quietly find a new provider and move on. However, recent experiences and the office's unwillingness to show flexibility or understanding have prompted me to share my concerns. I began coming to this dental office three years ago during a dental emergency. At that time, I received excellent care from the front desk staff, Andrea and Renee. Their kindness and professionalism made a lasting impression. Unfortunately, since their departure, the quality of service at this office has significantly declined. On July 20, 2025, I contacted the office regarding a front veneer that had come off. I received a text early the next morning (7/21) offering a 2 PM appointment and asking about the condition of the veneer. I explained that it was broken and needed to be fully replaced—not repaired. When I arrived, I reiterated that the tooth had broken and I had temporarily glued it back in. The hygienist was dismissive and condescending, telling me nothing could be done unless it broke again—but said the dentist would take a look. When the dentist came in, he initially looked only at the front of the tooth and claimed it appeared intact. I had to point out that there was no backing on the tooth. Only then did he actually look in my mouth, agree it needed replacement, and inform me that there wasn’t enough time that day to do the work. I was frustrated, as I had already explained the situation before the appointment. Their response was that they "had to see it," which now seems like a way to justify billing insurance for an unnecessary visit. I was rescheduled for 7/23, when a temporary veneer was placed. I was assured it would last the couple of weeks until the permanent veneer was ready—especially important as I was having surgery the next day (7/24) and would be unavailable. Unfortunately, the temporary came off in less than 24 hours. I returned on 7/28 to have it redone, but that one only lasted 48 hours. At that point, I couldn’t keep going back every other day, so I made do until my next appointment on 8/11. At the 8/11 appointment, the permanent veneer was placed, and I also had a cleaning scheduled. During the cleaning, the hygienist noted several times that the veneer was too tight and floss wouldn’t glide properly. When the dentist came in for the exam, he reviewed my X-rays but didn’t even look in my mouth until the hygienist asked if he was planning to do so. At that point, he did a quick check and said another tooth was chipped and needed a filling. That appointment was scheduled for 8/20. Unfortunately, I had a medical setback from my surgery and had to cancel the 8/20 appointment. I called the night before and left a message explaining the situation. On the morning of 8/20, the office called to offer an earlier time, which I declined due to the same medical issue. I was told I would be charged a $50 missed appointment fee. While I understand this is part of the policy I signed years ago, I was hoping some compassion might be shown given that: • This was a medical emergency. • I notified the office. • I’ve been a long-standing patient. • I’ve spent over $1,000 out-of-pocket in just the past month (not including insurance contributions). When I asked if the fee could be waived under the circumstances, I was told no, because an invoice had already been issued and they had "attempted to settle" by offering a different time on the same day. As a patient of several years, I’m deeply disappointed in how much professionalism, customer service, and overall quality of care have deteriorated. What was once a compassionate and responsive office now feels cold, dismissive, and transactional.

Wow what a friendly office! I had major procedure done by Dr Reyes and his team today. They were incredibly knowledgeable, skilled and so important, gentle. Dr Reyes really listened to me which resulted in him discovering a concern and fixing it. I have been seeing Dr Albers for years. He does great work and ensures that the professionals in his office are the best!

Great service, wonderful staff. Very pleasant experience. Always walk out with my teeth feeling fresh. 10/10 would recommend if you're looking for a great dentist. Chelsea at the front desk was very nice and welcoming. It's good to know there are still businesses that provide above and beyond service to their clients and customers.