Robert B Watkins, DDS

Dr. Robert Watkins and his staff are simply the best.
Every facet of his service was a Perfect 10.
In summary, he has full command of how to perform his craft. He replaced two of my teeth and the result was perfection. (This was no easy task either, it was a challenge!) I could not be happier.
His staff treats you like family.
They go far beyond what you would expect in terms of service. Patiently helping me and answering my questions. Once I had an emergency because I stupidly broke my dentures. I just happened to be driving by when it happened, so I went in, but they were not open. One of the assistants opened up for me anyway, took my impressions, ran it past the doctor when he arrived and I had replacements that day!
I have no personal relations with them, or a dog in the fight.
Quite simply; there are fabulous people out there who are at the top of their craft.
Dr. Robert Watkins Office from top to bottom is one of them.
Today I have a great smile for several reasons!

Dr. Watkins is a conscientious dentist who provides good care. However, I eventually left his practice because I needed a fair amount of dental care, and he no longer has a contract with my dental insurance, Delta Dental. I found a practice (Lavorini Dental in Oakland) that provides excellent care covered by Delta Dental. I’m really pleased I switched because I prefer Lavorini’s approach to dental treatment as well as their affordable fees. They’re fast and efficient, and Dr. Watkins works methodically and perhaps too slowly …

I am not pleased by the dental care I received from Dr. Watkins. Dr Watkins is a likeable enough gentleman, but the results of his work on my mouth left and continue to leave much to be desired… from a cosmetic and a functional perspective. My implant procedure was to take approximately 6 months according to our initial visit, and I was to receive front teeth implants that were entirely encased in a ceramic jacket so as to look like natural teeth on the outside and inside. Doctor Watkins, by his own admission, «skipped a step» in the process of my restorations, and the results were less than satisfactory to me.
To begin, the entire procedure took over a year to complete, requiring significant extra expense of time and money by me, and the results were far from what I was charged for and what we agreed to in our contract. I was left with a speech impediment as a result of the design of my bridge. In order to try to alleviate the speech deficiency, Dr. Watkins had the porcelain jacket removed from the inner surfaces of the bridge, thereby creating a cosmetically less desireable bridge for me. Dr. Watkins rejected my request for a partial refund of his fees due to the failure to deliver a bridge as desceribed in our contract. Dr Watkins also removed material from my original teeth causing sensitivity in the teeth where enamel was ground away. I was also directed to see a speech Dr. (at my cost) to see if the speech deficiency might be corrected. In her opinion, it could not.
When Dr. Watkins wanted to permanently cement the bridge, I suggested that due to all the difficulties we were encountering, a temporaray cement might be a prudent way to go at that point. Dr. Watkins’ response was that if he had difficulty in removing the bridge (which he said he frequently encountered difficulty), it would be MY responsibility. At this point, it seemed to me that Dr. Watkins had «checked out» with regard to my situatiuon.
In subsequent visits I was charged for services I neither requested nor agreed to, and after I made my concern known, the charges were removed… but they never should have been billed in the first place. It seemed to me that in a passive aggressive way, I was being shown I was no longer desired as a patient. Perhaps I am incorrect in this opinion, but these errors in billing occurred 3 times.
I found the staff at Dr. Watkins’ office to be likeable and professional, but Dr. Watkins’ work did not meet my reasonable expectations, and he was unwilling to acknowledge the additional expense and inconvenience I experienced by adjusting his fees.
One good thing did arise from my relationship with Dr. Watkins in that I was referred to a Dr. Saupe in Berkeley, for a second opinion regarding the problems with my bridge, and Dr. saupe displayed a genuine interest in my situation, and a passionate enthusiasm for his work that seemed to be lacking in Dr. Watkins’ approach. Once again my opinion, but that is how it seemed.
I would recommend Dr. Saupe to anyone needing a prosthodontist.
My teeth are still sensitive, the impediment is still noticeable, and I remain displeased and resigned to this expensive and unsatisfactory experience.

Very very bad service of client! I have come to Dr. Watkins because the recommendation of another doctor and I have had an 2 X-​rays that must be studied before my appointment. These X-​rays were mailed to this doctor in advance and in fact I brought them to the disks, it took time as secretary to download them, but later found out that Dr. Watkins was not familiar with them at all, because Secretary Silvia Mendoza does not show it to him. After examination, the doctor said he would call me today to make the date of next appointment but in THIS DAY OR the next 2 days nobody called me … But I received on the same day from Secretary Silvia Mendoza, the bill was $ 300 for the visit and the diagnostic of the cast! I tried reach by phone Dr. Watkins in next days to get an appointment and in third day I was reach the secretary and she said that she needed something to check with Dr. Watkins and promised to call back in a few minutes, but it probably means to her infinitely different than for all normal people … because the call never came! I am very limited in time because I had just come for a month and I have a broken tooth, and I needed a new crown and Dr. Watkins was informed about this situation by me, in general I lost about 2 weeks on a silly service, and till now I did not started to solve the problem at all. A very bad attitude to the customer! I think it is simply unacceptable such level of service… I have catered by Secretary Silvia Mendoza, who constantly forget what she had to do … but an agreement to the contrary with the appointment to call back I had was with the doctor, and he did not call me as the same day as well the next days!

Kind, sensitive, gentle, calm, intuitive and brilliant. Everything you want in a dentist. Also he has selected an excellent staff, Sonia front desk, Katrina assistant, and Mary the hygienist. Top notch equipment. And an added bonus some amazing original art. I got the referral from an excellent oral surgeon, Alex MacDonald, who was similarly skilled. I was very worried because of prior dental work that caused me to lose a tooth; and because of the complicated nature of the repairs involving my bite. Dr. Watkins was reassuring and thoughtful.

If Unilocal let me give more stars, I would.
After a random street assault in San Francisco, my teeth were in need of repair. Dr. Watkins was sympathetic and able to see me right away. Needless to say, the repairs were quick and my teeth are as good as new.

Dr. Watkins is an incredibly professional, knowledgeable and careful dentist and prosthetic specialist. I am only in my 40ies but came to Dr Watkins with multiple problems: in need of replacement of a bridge, need for implants, new crowns and repair of older fillings, coming apart. With so much work ahead of me, I was also hoping for an aesthetic improvement. Today, I could not be happier. I have a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile!
Dr Watkins is a problem solver and managed to find solutions for the complicated situation in my mouth! He is never hurried and took a lot of time to explain my options and always made sure none of my questions were left unanswered. And for his wonderful staff: They are very personable and supportive.
I am very grateful and could not have done it without this fantastic team and Dr. Watkins’ knowledge, intuition, talent and dedication. I highly recommend him and his office.

I just came from Dr. Watkins office for a filling visit. He did a great job. I had very little pain or discomfort. He seems to be a very knowledgeable and a caring dentist. I would highly recommend Dr. Watkins.

I first went to Dr. Watkins nearly 20 years ago when he was the associate for a brief while at my now retired dentist’s office. He left that practice to teach at the dental school in SF, and I stayed with the other associates and the dentist who bought the practice, who were nowhere near as good. Eventually I sought out Dr. Watkins as my sister had good results with him with a difficult cracked tooth. When I saw him, I said,” I know you are a prosthodontist, but I would really like keep my teeth.” He laughed and said he really enjoyed general dentistry. He has been my general dentist for years now, and is conservative, unhurried, considerate, and consummately careful and respectful. He is currently treating my mother for a long list of complicated issues that her (and my) previous dentist overlooked, and she reports receiving great care, as well as being very happy with his referrals to other dental specialists.
Mary, the hygienist, is also exceptional in her careful and thorough approach.