Timothy P. Mathis DDS

Dr. Timothy Mathis is an incredible dentist! I am lucky enough to have been going to him since I was 12 years old and I am now in my thirties! I have a very sensitive set of teeth because I had a bad fall when I was 10 years old. He has kept my teeth in tip top shape for over 20 years! He is a talented trained dentist who graduated from UCLA and I wouldn’t trust anybody else in this town to touch my teeth!
Unfortunately insurance issues are very frustrating now days… And you have to realize no matter how great of insurance you have doesn’t mean that dental work (minus teeth cleanings) will be free… And I feel it is unfair for him to have received some poor reviews due to people’s insurance issues? It is always the insurance holder’s responsibility to check with there insurance and ask all the questions before assuming they will be covered at 100%!!! I don’t know any insurance that covers at 100% unless you’ve been in a situation with a school such as UCSB (maybe) where you see them pay out 100%… I only know that from family friends who have worked there. So all in all I just want to say that Dr. Mathis is an expert at what he does and is very passionate about what he does!!! I will always continue to go to his wonderful office!

All healthcare in SB is tough. It’s hard to find a good doctor for anything. When I relocated to SB, I asked a coworker for a rec on a dentist. She gave me Dr. Mathis’ name and explained he was OK and took our insurance.
I’m OCD when it comes to my teeth. I go every 6 months. I floss daily and floride rince at night. My first appointment was what you would expect. Xrays and the hygienist did all the work. Dr. Mathis swooped in at the end, checked for tongue cancer and told me my teeth weren’t perfect and with the slight shift, I might want to consider cosmetic improvements. I assume that’s some money maker and I was surprised. None of my other dentists did that. Great teeth, not a cavity in my mouth. Keep up the good work.
Five cleanings later, I leave town and request my X-​rays. New dentist finds a cavity and discovers it was on the old X-​ray. Dr. Mathis never did a thing about it. This cavity is so close to the nerve that it’s almost root canal material. That’s the kind of shoddy work Dr. Mathis does. As my new dentist said, «would you watch cancer knowing it was only going to get worse or would you treat it when it was detected.»
This is what you are in for if you go to this guy. Maybe like everyone else in Santa Barbara, real work conflicts with surf and yoga schedules. Find a better dentist if you can and avoid this guy.

I wouldn’t even add a star if I had the option… I told my boyfriend that I really think he should get his teeth cleaned since I knew he had really great dental insurance. He went in and they asked him to come in twice to split the cleanings. He asked about the cost and they informed him upfront that it would cost a certain amount extra (about $ 200), which he paid. This was communicated as a co-​insurance. They explained this is all the extra costs that would be incurred. His insurance does cover 2 cleanings per year which was his and my initial intension. A few weeks later they sent him a $ 500 bill, in addition to a $ 200 «coinsurance» he paid when he went in. They pretty much intentionally did a procedure that his insurance did not cover.
It looks like someone else has posted a similar review. Such a scam! I would not go here unless you have DEEP pockets.

I saw the above post and couldn’t believe it. Dr. Mathis is an awesome dentist, I’m someone who has had terrible experiences in the past, and was so afraid to even go to the dentist. A friend referred dr Mathis to me, and I thank her everyday for it. His staff made me feel comfortable and now I’m happy to just be confident to smile again. If your in the Santabarbara or goleta area I would definitely recommend him,

He is a TERRIBLE dentist! He deliberately misled me into undergoing a procedure my insurance didn’t cover, and I have top of the line insurance. Although he did a great job on my teeth, I do not trust Dr. Mathis at all and will not return to his office.