Jeff Eaton, DDS

My husband and I started going to Dr. Eaton in January and we’re both pleased with his service. He’s a seasoned dentist and dental teacher with an upbeat personality and an attentive, friendly staff (Christine and Lynn). What I like most about going to Dr. Eaton is that he takes the time to educate me on what he’s doing, using technology so that I’ll have visuals. I don’t feel rushed, in the dark, or pressured when I’m there (things I’ve felt with other dentists). His practice is a keeper.

This is a long overdue review — I’ve had Jeff as a dentist for close to 10 years.
During this time, I’ve probably had every dental procedure you could possibly get — so I think I am definitely qualified to give Jeff and his team a 5 star review.
From the humdrum:
— old fillings replaced
— new fillings
— typical preventative care
To the more advanced:
— root canals
— crowns
— extractions
— implants
One of the convenient things about Jeff is that he is more than just your «typical» dentist and can do the more advanced procedures without having to send you some place else to have it done. What you get with Jeff and team is experience.
What I also like about Jeff is that he is attentive to the patient. I have a very low pain threshold when it comes to having things jammed into my mouth and while having a root canal is not my idea of fun — Jeff is able to do it relatively pain free.
I don’t get some of the lower ratings for lack of attentiveness — I had to reach out to Jeff over the weekend for a dental emergency once and received an immediate response.
I think the best thing that I like about Jeff’s office is that you get treated like a person and not just as a number or a dollar sign. They take the time to both get to know you and understand how they can best treat you. He’s got a nice office, if you’re a music fan you’re in luck — lot’s of memorabilia of Jeff in his «playing» days (ask him about the playing with Santana story).
Finally, Jeff and team have always worked with me on setting up a financial plan for paying for the (many) procedures I’ve had.
Do yourself a favor and make an appointment.

Dr. Eaton has been my dentist for many years — and he is the most caring, kind, wise (and wise-​cracking I might add) dentist I have ever seen. He teaches at UCSF so he stays up on the latest and greatest technology advances in dentistry, and has been able to handle MY mouth — which is a total collection of anomalies and corner cases for the practice to bite their teeth into (oh yeah, let the dental puns begin).
In all seriousness — I would probably either have dentures or look like a cavewoman right now if not for Dr. Eaton. He has worked very hard on my teeth — he follows up afterwards to make sure everything is healing well, and he just knows what to do when others don’t. Unfortunately, he has had to correct many mistakes other dentists before him made on my mouth. Fortunately, I DID find him before i looked like the toothless cavewoman I was heading towards becoming.
I recommend Dr. Eaton VERY highly!!!

I’m getting great results with my Invisalign. Knowledgable friendly staff… I actually enjoy coming here. Thanks Dr. Jeff!

Dr. Eaton is great. Besides being one of the most honest dentist which you have met in the business, his office is just chill. The XM Radio station is tuned to «Soultown»; a station with a great mix of soul, Motown and funk. This is the dentist who doesn’t upsell you, doesn’t charge high prices and then offer some petty discount if you pay cash. I’ve gone in to had my teeth whitened here in addition to other services and it was ¼ of what some other dentist quoted me. Eaton is cracking jokes throughout the time you’re in and the biggest complaint I have is that I want to keep laughing which can be tough.
Now, be warned; if you have a major stick up your behind, this might not be the place for your needs. Yes, I’ve seen Eaton’s dog once or twice… it’s man’s best friend and NEVER have I seen it in any of the dental areas. I’ve only seen the dog in the front room or coming from his private office in the back where he puts it during some of the day. Furthermore, if you don’t appreciate motherhood or family being important, also be warned. One time I even saw his grandchild in their eating a candy… OMG. Sounds to me like some people need to relax, I like the fact that his kids stop by with the grandkids and he is relaxed enough to give the kid a candy in a dentist office… sounds like some of the other reviewers on here would be in the running with the Grinch for smallest hearts in the world.
I might knock off a star for the fact that they don’t have high tech equipment or a computer scheduling system, but who needs that stuff… that’s how they keep the costs at a fraction of other dental offices I’ve seen in the past. I don’t know which reviewer was talking about a big TV, but that isn’t even this office…
In terms of things coming up, I have been able to personally reach Eaton at late hours on his cell phone one time I cracked a temporary crown and got in the next morning to get it taken care of. This dentist is GREAT and I hope to keep seeing him for years.

The first dentist I saw after moving to the Bay Area tried to upsell me on a bunch of procedures I was pretty sure I didn’t need, so I decided to look for another. Dr. Eaton seemed to have decent reviews and accepted my insurance, so I made the change and scheduled a checkup/​cleaning.
When I showed up for my first appointment, the receptionist, Lynn, told me that they could not see me because my insurance had not sent them a roster with my name on it. I know that my insurance (Aetna DMO) is pretty terrible, so I accepted their explanation that they had to put this policy in place to guard against treating someone and having Aetna reject the claim. Lynn said she did not have my phone number so she couldn’t call me, but she definitely had my email address and didn’t email me. It was a 9am appointment, which meant I had to take time off of work. But still, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt if it meant I was finding a good dentist. That was my first impression.
My second impression came when I arrived for my rescheduled appointment a month later, and the office didn’t have running water! Again, not something they could control, but not exactly the second impression I was hoping for. Even so, Dr. Eaton saw me anyway, the hygienist polished my teeth, and I was done. No attempts to upsell. Great. Four stars for being an honest dentist.
If it ended there I’d be happy, but I asked about getting a nightguard for teeth grinding. I was told that Lynn would find out how much Aetna would cover and call me with the information. I waited a week with no contact. I called and left a message. I waited another two weeks. I called again and left a message with the hygienist. I waited another two weeks. I called again, wanting to talk to Lynn, but no one answered the phone. I called repeatedly over the next few days, but no one ever picked up. I finally left a voicemail asking Dr. Eaton directly to call me back. No reply. It’s been almost two months, three messages, countless un-​answered calls, and I am ready to give up. This is no way to run a business, and definitely no way to treat patients. Negative 5 stars.
My search for a dentist continues.
Also: as another reviewer mentioned, during my first visit, there was a dog that was allowed to walk around the office. I am not sure if that’s a health code issue or not, but I won’t be going back. I recommend not bothering with Dr. Eaton, as he can’t seem to be bothered with his patients.

Great dentist and wonderful caring staff. He is truly a dentist that cares about his patients. I never had an appointment issue.

Dr. Eaton is an excellent dentist my two daughters both 15 and 17 years old and I love him, the 2 hour drive from Sacramento is well worth it. Dr. Eaton is very efficient prior to seeing him other dentists would drag out procedures with multiple appointments over time making any sort of problem feel like a job. We have had an overall great experience here and the girls are loving their smiles and ready to have a great cheer season at Lincoln High. Thanks Dr Eaton keep up the great work!

Doctor is fine when he shows up. However, after visiting this doctor for a few years, i’m fed up. I always take the first appt in the morning and he has been late every time. After waiting 20 minutes this morning i finally got up and left and won’t be back. Can’t stand doctors that think there time is more valuable than the patient’s.

Before seeing Dr. Eaton, I was getting really disappointed because I went to 3 other dentists in the Bay Area and they all tried to up-​sell their services. Finally, I found a dentist that is very honest and did not try to oversell! His name is Jeff Eaton and I’ve been going now for at least 2 ½ years. He is as good as they come, very personable and really meets my needs of getting a good cleaning once or twice a year. His staff is also wonderful and very friendly. Thanks to everyone there for making my experience a great one!

I have been a patient for several years. I find the atmosphere relaxing — there is always jazz playing. I like the digital x-​rays that are fast and they’ll show you exactly what’s going on– on the big TV screens. have had anything from cleanings, root canal and crowns. They were great when it was necessary to re-​do a crown that wasn’t quite right.

They charged my insurance company for work they didn’t even perform. And Dr. Eaton completely ruined my smile with ugly bridge work. Some things you can never get back. I truly regret going here.

I had the misfortune of knocking out my front tooth in an accident– I panicked– «how can I possible go to work tomorrow morning like this?”– Dr. Eaton was available (middle of the night) by phone, he was kind, reassuring, and promised he’d be able to put a temporary crown in first thing in the morning. Because I’d suffered a concussion as well, I was a bit disoriented the next morning. Dr. Eaton actually called me when I didn’t show up on time– helping me with driving directions, etc.
Dr. Eaton had been recommended by a good friend. I had never seen his office before. Cool office! The office manager Janice greeted me and helped me fill out all the requisite paperwork quickly. She was kind, comforting, and reassuring. (I was afraid to open my mouth because it was a horrifying sight). Dr. Eaton then greeted me, and took me right into one of his treatment rooms. His assistant, Christine, was extremely professional, competent, and efficient as she took digital images (no radiation any more from x-​rays!) to assess the extent of the damage. Within no time Dr. Eaton was personally hand crafting a temporary crown for me. He and Christine worked so well together– he didn’t even need to speak before she had already done what was needed. He took time to make it perfect. I felt so grateful and relieved! Then, he personally took me downstairs to meet the technician who would be making the permanent crown. It was challenging to match the color perfectly, and he also took a great deal time with me to get a perfect match. I went back upstairs with Dr. Eaton, got my purse, and thankfully went off to work.
One thing I left out– which is actually quite important. Dr. Eaton has a fabulous sense of humor. His banter kept me entertained and in good spirits throughout the ordeal. Oh, and one other thing. I don’t know how he does this, but this is the first time I’ve received shots of novacaine (or whatever he used) in my mouth without pain. He seemed to make every effort to ensure my comfort, even if it took him more time to do so. He has a busy practice, so while I was getting numb, he was bouncing back and forth to his other patients– always cheerful. He didn’t appear at all stressed that he had fit me in at the last moment– that in itself impressed me.
I don’t have my permanent crown yet, but certainly up to this point I couldn’t be more pleased with my experience there.

Dr. Eaton is an awesome dentist!!!
I do not know how anyone has had a bad experience.
Go see him he is very thorough and saved me thousands on what another dentist screwed up.
Thank Dr. Eaton!!!

Any dentist who has Bubba Hotep as their dummy patient is great in my book. Then add to that the fact that this is the ONLY dentist that I haven’t been TERRIFIED to see, I would almost say I looked forward to my return visit kinda (it is the dentists office after all). The staff are great and I highly recommend them!

I started with Dr. Eaton about a year ago, I find him to be very pleasant and kind. He did a wonderful job on my lower teeth. Dr. Eaton is very much up on the latest in Dentistry, and I’m very happy with his work and the people in his office are extremely nice and helpful. You will be in very good hands if you choose to see Dr. Eaton…
Joni

I enjoyed my visit here as much as one could visit a dental visit. They are VERY friendly and very FAST. Everyone was upbeat and made it pretty entertaining. I would definitely recommend this dental team to others.

I had a terrible experience with this clinic. I thought the people were nice, but the service was awful. A few examples:
1) I had multiple appointment cancellations
2) In one case, I showed up for a filling appointment. They told me they had to cancel it (why didn’t they call me? I lost time from work driving here). We rescheduled for the next week. I showed up the next week, missing work again, and found out Dr Eaton had forgotten about my appt, and wasn’t there. Sigh. So we rescheduled for the week after. Once again, I took time off work to drive there. When I got there, the receptionist didn’t know where he was. She called him, and he said he was about 1 hour from arriving to the office, and asked if I’d wait. No way!
3) I was charged $$$ for services that were never done. I had to dispute these for months.
4) Dr Eaton did a chip filling for me, and I asked how long it would last. «Oh for years and years!» Guess what. When I got home that night, I felt something sharp in my mouth. It had already fallen out after 4 hours.
Again, the people there were nice. As for service quality, there are enough good dentists in the Bay Area to choose from. I won’t be returning here, sorry.

Jeffery Eaton is an OK dentist but everything else about this place is unacceptable
First off, the offices look like a homeless shelter. Ratty old couches, old paint on the walls, mismatched office furniture that looks like it was dug out from the garbage and the receptionist lets her dogs run all over the place.
Second, it takes a month or more to be scheduled for a simple teeth cleaning I wonder how long it would take if it were an emergency.
Third, they frequently cancel appointments without confirming the cancellation which is a real pain in the tookis.
Fourth, the staff are condescending and arrogant.
Fifth, the front desk lady is a total airhead, I think she has been hitting the laughing gas one to many times.
try em out at your own peril but you have been warned
⁰¹⁄₂₀₁₀ – Guess I need to update this because this dentist is trying to flag this review as incorrect… It was correct for June of 2008. It is a factual opinion of my experiences with this dentist and his office in June of 2008 and the preceding months.

Dr. Eaton is a good dentist… however, his services are OVERPRICED! His office quoted me $ 1200 for some dental work which I am now getting done for $ 760 at a different San Mateo dentist. I really don’t care too much about having a huge TV in my dentist’s office, especially if I end up paying for that! His staff seemed ok, even though it took the front desk lady a whole day to get back to me (she had promised to call back in an hour!)
So unless you care about a fancy TV… don’t come here. He charges too much for dental work!