Ian L Hamel, DDS

Staff and Dentist were very friendly and helpful. I went in an emergency situation and he agreed to see me even when he was already in his car ready to go home. He had a gentle hand and kept me calm.
Thanks to a great local office here in Burbank!

After a HORRIBLE experience with a different dental office when I first moved to Burbank, I was desperate to find someone I could trust. I found that person in Dr. Hamel and his wonderful team! I’ve been seeing them for a few years now and everyone phone call and office visit is a delight. They are so easy to talk to about any issues and all are very knowledgeable in what they do. I have not had dental insurance for years and the rates are reasonable for those uninsured. He doesn’t try to upsell me on things and he doesn’t rush into «fixing» a potential problem. Instead we wait it out until the next appointment and see if the issue has changed at all. Other dentists would jump right into a filling, but he doesn’t waste my time or money. Plus, he’s one of the kindest people you’ll meet.

I wish I could rate the dentist himself separately from the rest of the staff. His poor work caused long term physical harm to my jaw and I do not plan to return here.
Super friendly reception ladies. They really do anything and everything they can to make your experience pleasant. They were able to give me quick and accurate info about what my insurance would cover, and I even got a grind guard for almost half the price everyone else in town is charging.
The hygienist, Martha, is awesome. Her cleaning was probably the most thorough I’ve had in years, and I feel confident in her recommendations on care products. She also goes the extra mile to make sure you’re comfortable. When I came in for a deep cleaning, she took time to warm up the numbing solution so that it wouldn’t hurt going in, and was really great about keeping my mind off all the needles and tools (which tend to make me feel woosey). I wish I could come here just to see her!
Dr. Hamel seemed ok through my first visit or two, but I noticed pretty quickly that the cosmetic work I’ve had done here (bonding) has not held up and has had flaws that needed adjustment. Everything I’ve had done here chips off in under a year, even though the application method is much bulkier (allegedly stronger) than my previous dentist. Sometimes I could feel lumps on the back of my teeth or scratches in the bonding material. When I would come back in and ask for those problems to be addressed, the Dr. would give me a bit of an attitude; implying that it was all in my head or that I was being picky. I would have to be very firm to get him to fix the issues. I have since had work done else where and the difference is like night and day!
On one visit I brought my night guard with me to be cleaned. When he brought it back, he had added new lumps of material to the bottom «so it would take longer for me to wear through». This was not something I asked for, but he indicated it was a routine thing to do and it seemed sound in theory. I used the guard for a week and found that when i awoke in the morning my jaw was very uncomfortable and the right side would pop in and out of joint. I went back to the office and told Dr. Hamel what was happening, and that it was never an issue before he added the lumps of material to the night guard. Essentially, he blew me off. It couldn’t possibly be the fault of the night guard, I’d get used to it, etc. I slept with this horrible thing in my mouth for another month before going in again. My jaw had gotten so out of whack that it no longer clicked back into place after one or two tries. Now it popped all day long and was causing me pain. Again, the Dr. tried to tell me it couldn’t possibly be because of the extra night guard bulk, even though that was the only factor that had changed in my routine prior to the pain. His attitude was very condescending and he treated the matter as though i were making it up. I asked him to buzz the extra material off the night guard to restore it to its original state and he objected, saying what he added made it «better». I had to be very firm to get him to do it, and even then he did a pretty half ass job. I ended up using a dremel tool to take the rest of the lumps off at home myself. In the end, I got a soft night guard at CVS which I actually like much better.
The aftermath of Dr. Hamel’s negligence and denial was 3 months of intense jaw pain, accompanied by swelling and an associated ear infection. According to my ENT, the misalignment the night guard created caused the ligaments and tendons on my right side to tighten and spasm. I could not open my mouth wide to eat a burger or even yawn comfortably. Some days there was pressure and pain under my teeth when I would chew food, due to inflammation. I have since been treated by the ENT Dr. and have relief for the first time in SO long! Just think, if Dr. Hamel had listened to my concerns the first time i came in and adjusted the night guard appropriately, I wouldn’t have had to spend my entire spring eating only soft foods and feeling like Two Face.
Summation: If you’re looking for a hygienist, Martha is the best! Maybe check with your insurance to see if you can get your serious dental work and cosmetics done elsewhere, because I did not find Dr. Hamel’s attitude or quality of work to be professional.

I hate dentists! Or should I say, I hate going to the dentist’s.
When my blinding toothache hit a couple weeks ago, I knocked it back with pain pills and let it subside. I crossed my fingers and hoped it wasn’t a sign of something else… but mental note: when you have a toothache, it means you need to go to the dentist.
The pain came back so I decided to bite the bullet (no pun intended… okay, pun intended) and steel myself for the bad news. Turned out it was only as serious as a broken filling. He did say I might need a root canal, but when he started digging around he said that cleaning it out and replacing the filling might work, at least enough to delay a root canal for a year or two.
I was surprised because in every other visit to a dentist, it was always a checkup, then come back next week, get part of the work done, come back next week again, and on and on. But Dr. Hamel took care of everything in that one visit — and it turned out he’s a HUGE fan of KFI too. Maybe that’s why he numbed me up but good.
Highly recommended.

This office is great, Dr. Ian Hamel is very friendly and his staff make you feel very comfortable. He’s very reasonable (I currently don’t have dental insurance) and neither he nor his staff ever once tried to upsell me on additional services. From someone who has been forced to frequent Castle Dental (the Jiffy Lube of dental offices) due to less than stellar insurance options, this office was a welcome change! I waited less than 5 minutes and I was never left in the chair alone for any longer than ten minutes, and only left that long for numbing solutions to kick in. I think I’ve found my new family dentist and will be sending all my friends and family his way!

I don’t know anyone who likes the dentist, most people say it is ok or are completely terrified. Unlike getting a haircut, which I love and some people are terrified of a communal fear of the dentist seems to be natural to the human race.
With that said, Dr Hamel is pretty great, tall guy, deep voice, friendly, firm hand shake. He is very thorough, quick and professional. He will tell you what is wrong, if anything, what you need, if anything and how to fix it, if it needs fixin’.
I have been to other dentists who want to do everything under the sun to make some money, Dr. Hamel does what is necessary and let’s you know why as well. As long as I live in Burbank or relatively close by I will continue going to Dr. Hamel. Thanks again Unilocal! another amazing recommendation!

Great dentist and great staff. Very helpful and kind.

Great staff and great dentist.

Sometimes you find a real gem that you can’t wait to share with your friends and family — Dr. Hamel and his staff are one of theses gems that I have shared many times.
I’m usually pretty hesitant to go to the dentist, but the feeling at this dentist office is so relaxed and easy going — a lost touch nowadays.
I’m not interested in gimmicks and tricks when dealing with my teeth — I’m more interested in skill and knowledge — something Dr. Hamel and has his team prove every time.
I recommend them very much.

What a fantastic find! Dr. Hamel is terrific!
Professional, kind, informative and very easy to like!
His staff is truly friendly and upbeat and I am so
pleased to be a patient.
If you have to go to a dentist, this is really the one to
go do. I had porcelain fillings and teeth cleaning and
was thoroughly impressed by Dr. Hamel’s work.
He took time to inform me and discuss treatment
with me and I never felt pushed or rushed.
I really appreciate his spending time with me.
And, he’s really well versed on a ton of current
topics both political and everyday stuff!
If you want to be treated like a good friend,
if you want to be treated with respect and kindness,
if you want terrific dental care, then Dr. Ian Hamel is
the right place to get it!
Dr. Hamel’s office is clean, comfortable and there’s
a ton of magazine’s in the lobby, BUT, I have always
gotten in to see the doctor so fast that I rarely get a
chance to enjoy his great selection of periodicals.
Dang! Makes you want to just go there to read,
like a news stand or library!
Most people stay with dentists and doctors they hate!
Their experience is always a nightmare. Believe me,
I’ve heard and experienced tons of horror stories!
There is absolutely nothing of issue with Dr. Hamel!
It is truly a pleasure visiting him. I really look forward
to it! Go figure. .. looking forward to going to the
dentist? You betcha!

My mom worked as Dr. Hamel’s assistant nearly my entire life, so this is where I’ve had my teeth cleaned forever. Lucky me I have good teeth and insurance, so I’ve never had to deal with the truly awful experience of a root canal (either having it or paying for it).
Barbara is my favorite hygenist. She is quick and thorough. I’m usually in and out of her chair within 20 minutes. And she’ll regale you with her stories about exotic travels. The last time I was there, she had just returned from the Amazon. That was a great story! And for the scaredy cat, it’s a good way to distract from the dental work!
I know most people are afraid of the dentist, but you shouldn’t be of this guy. Dr. Hamel is an imposing figure (way over 6 feet), but not intimidating.
Also, since my mom worked there, I know first hand how fastidiously clean and sterile the place is. My entire family are still his patients. I don’t know that I could ever go to another dentist!