John L Burch, DDS

Went in for a cleaning/​xrays/​exam. Positive experience. He was very knowledgable, kind and funny. He had a lot great stories. Made me feel very relaxed. Debra was great too.

I only have gotten a cleaning/​exam/​xrays, but I had a really great experience. He told interesting stories while he worked on me and the personalized advice he gave me afterwards was helpful.

Dr. Burch is an absolute master and expert of his craft. He is the dentist of all dentists and gives his patients complete attention while addressing every concern. He is patient, kind, and extremely knowledgable. His office visits are pleasant, relaxing, and extremely beneficial. The best part is that he works with his patients to develop a treatment plan based on the patients needs, wants, while giving his recommendation for the best possible outcome. He is kind, considerate, and does not recommend unnecessary treatment. I am so glad that I found him!
The entire staff is lovely and top-​notch! I love the personal attention received. I am recommending Dr Burch to all of my friends and family.

I am a scaredy cat when it comes to dental work, even for something as simple as a dental cleaning.
I had a hard time, finding a dentist, I would feel comfortable with, and one who would not mock my fears. I am so glad I found Dr. Burch. He is very gentle, and addresses my fears, making me feel totally comfortable, before any treatment.
He definitely knows what he is doing, and does it great.

I’ve been going to Dr. Burch for a few years now, and is by far my favorite of the several dentists I’ve tried in the bay area.
His office isn’t all gleaming with the latest gizmos, or bustling with a dozen assistants– in-​fact he only sees one patient at a time, so it’s usually just him, one assistant, and a receptionist. But he is skillful, confident, professional, and has never tried to push unwanted products or services onto me.
I just had to have my first root canal (due to a failed ceramic filling that a different dentist insisted on upgrading from my old-​but-​functional childhood fillings). I was reasonably nervous, but he calmly and carefully explained each of the stages, what the effects would be, and assured me that pain-​wise, it would be no worse than a haircut. And he was right. Everything went perfectly, with a minimum of discomfort and inconvenience, and exactly as predicted.
Two other dentist offices in the bay area thought it would be clever to force me to watch videos advertising their optional cosmetic services while I was basically a captive audience. Unbelievable! Dr. Burch is clearly sees his patients as patients, rather than a sacks of money for maximum extraction.

I have had many negative dental experiences over the past 20+ years, mostly stemming from an extreme gag reflex. Dr. Burch is the first dentist to actually work with me on this. The first time I saw him was after a tooth broke on a Sunday. I emailed several local offices about my emergency and he responded personally within about 20 minutes that he would see me first thing Monday morning. I have now been his patient for 2.5 years. Last week he gave me the first complete dental exam of my adult life that didn’t require medication to relax me. I can’t recommend him enough!

I too am puzzled by the negative review. I was referred to Dr. Burch after getting tired of going to L.A. to see my prior dentist. Dr. Burch seemed decent, knowledgeable, and professional. I had two problem teeth — a cavity and a lost filling (composite). John explained all the options, their pluses and minues — and maybe because of the above review, made it clear that he was fine with doing the repair whatever way I chose. I ended up crowning the second tooth, and he did a much better job than the crown I’d received years ago (which now doesn’t go below the gum line). I don’t enjoy dental procedures, so it was especially nice that John was chatty all the way through, explaining what he was doing, why he was doing it — and included some dental school stories. That took my mind off the procedure and gave me more confidence in his abilities. I can recommend him without hesitation.

I’m really surprised at the bad review, I’ve been going to Dr. Burch for 2 years now and I’ve had nothing but great experiences with him. He’s always been very nice and has done great work. His front office staff has been really friendly and accommodating too and I have recommended him to my friends and family.

I went in a few years ago because I had a toothache and according to Dr. Burch, I had three cavities. I got two of the «cavities» filled. After a week, I tried to gently chew some sugar free gum, and the fillings basically flaked and broke off into the gum! Not only that, my toothache pain increased since I received the fillings. I called the office for several weeks to address these issues, but all they recommended was to take Advil. I know there is some sensitivity after a filling, but this was not normal sensitivity. I felt worse after the filling than I did before I went in.
Also, the customer service I received from the office was horrible. When presented with the option of getting an amalgam filling or composite, the doctor actually said composite fillings were for vain people. When I chose composite, he treated me like I was making the wrong choice. He can have his own opinions, but he should not insult his patients or force decisions upon them. It’s my choice whether or not I choose composite or amalgam for my fillings!
After this horrible experience, I went to another dentist and apparently I only had ONE cavity. I now have one unnecessary hole in my tooth because of Dr. Burch. My new dentist had to redo the two fillings I received and he did it for half the price that Dr. Burch charged. My teeth actually felt better after the fillings were replaced.
If you like shoddy work, horrible customer service, and being ripped off, then by all means, go here. Of course, this was 3 – 4 years ago, maybe things have improved since then, but would you really risk it?

I’m never going back here. I moved to California from out of state and needed a new dentist. Dr. Burch was recommended by a few coworkers so I made an appointment for a cleaning. He tried to sell me on a $ 700 whitening treatment and made insulting comments like, «let’s get your teeth whitened and make you beautiful.» Geeze. He did do a good job with trimming the edges of my teeth for a more even look and luckily I was able to get that done for $ 25 a tooth ($ 100). I passed on the whitening treatment because it was so expensive. I don’t like dentists who try and rack up charges, so I’m on the hunt for someone else.

I am 50 years old this year, and been to quite a few dentists in my day, and I am quite satisfied with Dr. Burch.
He has perfected his craft and the bridgework is superb. He’s done root canals for me as well, each time pain free.
He always takes the time to explain what is going on, and where options are available, he shares and explains in detail the logic behind the decisions, and why they make sense.
The staff is cheerfull, and the place is immaculate clean.
Absolutely no complaints here.

Here’s the run down on Dr. Burch: he’s an old school pro with the experience and pedigree (Stanford & USC) necessary to justify his somewhat higher than avgerage prices. When it comes to expertise in doing new fillings and restorations, nobody does it better. I suspect this has a lot to do with his experience, and also with his office’s policy of only handling one patient at a time. You may have to wait a little longer for an appointment, but you get the Dr.‘s full attention when you’re there, so its well worth it.
I say old school, because Dr. Burch prefers amalgams over composite fillings (at least on molars, where nobody’s going to see them unless you yawn). He’s able to polish the fillings in such a way that they almost match your natural teeth, which is pretty impressive. I’ve had him replace 4 of the composite fillings that my previous dentist put in less than 3 years ago, which were already failing miserably. My new fillings should last me about 30 years, so you do the math!
In response to what the other reviewer said about her root canal experience, my wife had a similar case, and was referred down the hall to the same endodontist. FYI, it’s a pretty a common practice to refer someone to a specialist for a root canal, so I don’t see how you can fault him for that! Also, I’m pretty sure the computer systems have been updated, and they have digital X-​rays now, so it don’t think that technology should be an issue.
I’ve seen a lot of dentists in my day, and Dr Burch does the best work, hands down. Also, he’ll explain the procedure as he goes, which is actually really comforting, since it shows that he really knows his stuff! A+

Dr. Burch is a great dentist who has always taken great care of me. He is very knowledgeable and detail oriented with his work. John and his staff are friendly and professional. His office is very clean and comfortable. I always feel relaxed when I’m there at his office because I know I’m in great hands. I had some cosmetic work done and am so happy with my smile I can’t help but show it all the time.

I went here because I knew I needed a root canal, and his impressive web site suggests that he does just about everything. I had my previous dentist in Seattle email him my digital xrays, which his receptionist said they could read. When I got there, they told me they were having trouble with their email and couldn’t get the xrays — and when I saw their computer monitors, I realized they were using Windows 95 (yes, in June, 2006)! Turns out he didn’t do root canals, or at least wouldn’t do mine, so he sent me down the hall to Dr. Shih, who did the most painful dentristry I’ve ever had the misfortune to experience. So Burch actually did no work on my teeth.
He didn’t charge me anything, so I guess that’s good for 2 stars. But I’d never go back there.