Meet Dr. Jackson

Professional Overview

Dr. Eric Gregory Jackson is a comprehensive general dentist, nationally recognized leader in organized dentistry, and the owner of Jackson Family Dentistry in Downers Grove, Illinois. His professional career encompasses clinical excellence, advanced education, ethical leadership, organized dentistry governance, scholarly contribution, sports dentistry, Olympic service, and sustained community outreach. Throughout his career, Dr. Jackson has demonstrated a consistent commitment to elevating the standards of dental care, advancing the profession through leadership and service, and improving oral health outcomes for diverse patient populations.

Education and Academic Background

Dr. Jackson began his academic journey at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in History. His undergraduate education combined rigorous scientific coursework with a strong foundation in the humanities, fostering analytical reasoning, ethical perspective, and effective communication. He continued his education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Dentistry in December 2003 before earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry in May 2005. During his dental education, Dr. Jackson demonstrated early leadership, academic curiosity, and a growing interest in comprehensive care, organized dentistry, and professional service.

Licensure and Professional Credentials

Following graduation, Dr. Jackson completed all required examinations and became board-certified through the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS). Over the course of his career, he has held dental licenses in Illinois and more than twenty additional states, reflecting broad credentialing and regulatory compliance. He maintains an active Illinois General Dental License, Illinois Controlled Substance License, and Federal DEA registration, ensuring continued adherence to state and federal standards governing dental practice.

Private Practice and Clinical Philosophy

In 2009, Dr. Jackson became the owner of Jackson Family Dentistry, establishing a private practice dedicated to comprehensive care, prevention, patient education, and long-term oral health planning. Under his leadership, the practice has grown into a trusted dental home for families throughout the western suburbs of Chicago. His clinical scope includes general dentistry, restorative and esthetic dentistry, implant dentistry involving both surgical and restorative phases, pediatric dentistry, periodontal therapy, oral surgery, Invisalign orthodontics, dental laser applications, dental sleep medicine, and sports dentistry. His clinical philosophy emphasizes conservative treatment planning, evidence-based decision-making, clear communication, and individualized care tailored to each patient’s goals and needs.

Commitment to Continuing Education

A defining hallmark of Dr. Jackson’s career is his extraordinary commitment to lifelong learning. He has completed more than 1,400 hours of post-graduate continuing dental education across all major disciplines of dentistry, including restorative dentistry, implant dentistry, periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, occlusion, and practice management. This dedication reflects his belief that continuing education is an ethical responsibility essential to providing the highest standard of care. In recognition of this achievement, Dr. Jackson earned Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry in 2010 and subsequently achieved Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry (MAGD) in 2012, the Academy’s highest educational honor and one attained by fewer than one percent of dentists worldwide.

Professional Honors and Fellowships

Dr. Jackson’s professional excellence and service have been further recognized through election and nomination to multiple prestigious, invitation-only dental honor societies. In 2025, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists (FACD), recognizing outstanding leadership, integrity, and service to the profession and society. He was awarded Fellowship in the Pierre Fauchard Academy (FPFA) in 2021, Fellowship in the Academy for Sports Dentistry (FASD) in 2020, Fellowship in the International College of Dentists (FICD) in 2013, Fellowship in the Academy of Dentistry International (FADI) in 2011, and a combined Surgical and Restorative Fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (FICOI) in 2011, recognizing advanced competency in implant dentistry.

Leadership in Organized Dentistry

Dr. Jackson has demonstrated exceptional dedication to organized dentistry governance at the local, state, and national levels. He devoted approximately ten consecutive years of service on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Component of the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry, progressing through a complete leadership continuum that included service as Editor, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, President from 2015 to 2016, and Immediate Past President from 2016 to 2017. Throughout this extended tenure, he was actively involved in governance, strategic planning, financial oversight, continuing education programming, and leadership development, and was formally recognized for his tireless, capable, and unselfish service to the organization.

National Leadership in Sports Dentistry

At the national level, Dr. Jackson has been a recognized leader in sports dentistry. He served on the National Board of Directors of the Academy for Sports Dentistry from 2017 to 2020 before advancing through the organization’s executive leadership roles as President-Elect from 2020 to 2021, President from 2021 to 2022, and Immediate Past President from 2022 to 2023. His leadership focused on dental trauma prevention, athlete safety, mouthguard advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and education for healthcare professionals involved in sports medicine.

Olympic and Professional Athletics Service

Dr. Jackson also serves as a Volunteer Team Dentist for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, participating in the USOPC Volunteer Dental Program and serving as the Chicago-area representative. In this role, he provides dental care and professional support to athletes representing Team USA, contributing to preventive care, acute treatment, and long-term oral health strategies tailored to the unique functional and performance-related needs of elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

His involvement in professional athletics includes service as the first and only official team dentist for the Chicago Bandits, a professional women’s fastpitch softball organization, from 2013 until the league’s closure in 2021. During his tenure, the team captured league championships in 2015 and 2016. His responsibilities included injury prevention, trauma management, and comprehensive oral health support for professional athletes.

Scholarly Contributions and Publications

In addition to clinical practice and leadership, Dr. Jackson has made sustained contributions as a writer, editor, and educator. Since 2010, he has served as a manuscript editor for General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of General Dentistry. Since 2018, he has been a regular contributor to AGD Impact, including multiple feature and cover articles. His writing, commentary, and interviews have appeared in professional and public outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, CDS Review, Cornerstone, This Week at AGD, The Daily Grind, and national dental podcasts, and he has participated in public education initiatives addressing oral health awareness and misinformation.

Lecturing and Education

Dr. Jackson is an experienced lecturer who has delivered presentations at national, regional, academic, and community venues, including the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, the Northwestern Medicine Sports Medicine Conference, collegiate athletic training programs, dental hygiene programs, professional study clubs, and community organizations. His lecture topics include sports dentistry, dental trauma prevention, implant dentistry, leadership development, professional growth, and oral health education.

Community Outreach and Service

Community service has been a defining element of Dr. Jackson’s professional life for more than two decades. He has participated in numerous outreach and volunteer initiatives, including Veterans Free Dentistry Day, Illinois Mission of Mercy events, Chicago Dental Society Foundation Clinics, Head Start advisory service, Little YOUth Dental Health Day, school- and park-district oral health programs, and broader public oral health education initiatives. Through these efforts, he has provided care to underserved populations and supported increased access to oral healthcare.

Early Leadership and Professional Development

Dr. Jackson’s leadership trajectory began during his student years. As a member of Delta Sigma Delta International Dental Fraternity, he served as Social and Philanthropic Chair of the Rho Chapter from 2002 to 2004 and later as Chapter President from 2004 to 2005. He is also a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. These formative leadership experiences helped shape his lifelong commitment to service, mentorship, and professional engagement.

Recognition and Honors

Throughout his career, Dr. Jackson has been recognized for excellence in patient care, professionalism, and service. He has received multiple designations as a Chicago Magazine Top Dentist, a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite, and an Invisalign Silver Provider, among other honors. These recognitions reflect sustained excellence, community trust, and professional integrity.

Professional Legacy

Through comprehensive clinical practice, advanced education, national leadership, scholarly contribution, Olympic service, and long-standing community engagement, Dr. Eric Gregory Jackson exemplifies ethical, patient-centered, service-oriented dentistry. This biography represents the complete narrative expression of his professional curriculum vitae and serves as the definitive reference for all future biographical adaptations.