Alan Shelhamer, DDS

4 years after his initial work done (which spanned over the course of about 18 months), we have found ourselves back at Dr Shelhamer’s for a new issue.
My husband has a very difficult work schedule, which makes it nearly impossible to schedule appointments. I was getting very nervous about the infection in his mouth, and Dr. S. was able to squeeze him in last minute for consultation and surgery back to back! I left a frantic message on their voicemail after hours on a Thursday night, and his front office called me first thing Friday to tell me to come in Monday at 8:15 and not to worry about anything else, they had it handled.
And that they did.
Dr. S. spent as much time as we needed answering questions (which was about 30 minutes). He has a wonderful way of breaking things down in layman’s terms so you understand why he is recommending what he is. My husband has been mangled by dentists in the past, and he trusts Dr. S. wholeheartedly. His anxiety is far worse than the procedure itself, Dr. S. is like a ninja in the operating room. He is quick, precise and has the beside manner of a saint.
He always calls in the evening to check in. Dental work is always expensive, and Dr. S. isn’t a «discount dentist». But, you get every penny you spend back in confidence, professionalism and solid work. It actually makes you feel good to drop a couple grand on your teeth.

From the first call until the final appt. we felt like family!!!
We received his name through a friend referral and was not disappointed. Nancy in the office made sure we knew about appt times, paperwork, and MOST important that we could call with any question! We have the first appt to meet the doctor and he spoke very plainly to my 13 yr old who was having the surgery to make sure he was comfortable. My son was so calmed by this, that he was more than ready for surgery. The day of we arrived and my son was taken back and 45 mins later he was ready to go. No problems, the doctor even called that night to make sure all was well and he even spent a little time to answer some questions we had. My son has had no complications and we are very pleased with all involved! Thank you Dr. Shelhamer and staff for everything

The woman who answered the phone (Linda, I think) was so sweet and kind when I called. I was a nervous wreck when I called– worried about my sons jaw. Dr Shelhamer answered all of our questions and made my son feel safe and confident about his jaw injury. Visiting the practice made us all feel informed. Everyone was helpful and kind and I’m so glad we ended up in their very capable hands.

I had a wisdom tooth extracted by Dr. Shelhamer in June 2015. This old wisdom tooth came in when I was a teenager. My dentist said it was starting to decay and it was time to get pulled.
I chose Dr. Shelhamer based on Unilocal reviews. From the first consultation to the follow up visit, I was treated with care by Dr. Shelhamer and his wonderful staff. The consultation was extremely informative and I went home with a package of important and necessary information as well as needed prescriptions for after the surgery. I chose intravenous sedation and never felt a thing nor do I remember much about the recovery other than my husband driving me home. Dr. Shelhamer did a fabulous job and I never needed the pain medication.
I never felt rushed in his office during the three visits. He and his staff take time to explain everything very thoroughly.

Some people hate spiders and snakes, others are afraid of heights. And then there’s me. My biggest fear is waking up one morning with no teeth! Therefore I have been avoiding the dentist until I decided to start working on my perfect smile.
I was referred to Dr. Alan Shelhamer by Dr. Hulse at Hulse orthodontics.
I went for the initial visit where they made me feel completely comfortable and safe to be there. I appreciated that they kept asking me what did I want and what special request did I have and is there anything else they can do for me. It gave me that feeling of «they actually care and don’t just want my money.» They also gave me the prescriptions for the pain killers and antibiotics so I can already have them waiting for me at home after the surgery.
I went in yesterday morning to have 7 teeth extracted. My driver and I arrived 10 min early before they opened the office and they had no problem bringing us in early. Dr. Shelaer did a great job at making me feel comfortable as well as my friend.
The nurses that assisted in the survey were also great, there was «D» and a woman with short curly hair and one other. They all chatted with me and made me feel at home until I was sedated that I didn’t even notice them insert the IV into my arm. The operation was about 45 minutes and after they made my driver watch an after care video while they monitored me.
Previous to this experience I had one wisdom tooth pulled on emergency and had a HORRIBLE experience which resulted in me waking up from the sedation freaking out and taking off my cloth. ANYWAY, it was such a pleasant and smooth experience that I DEFINITELY recommend this Dr. To anyone out there looking to get oral surgery.
Oh! And random but I like this sweet screensaver on the television in the waiting room of a standstill scenery of clear blue waters and white sandy beaches with palm trees and sunshine!

I had my left side 2 wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. I went in nervous and the heart rate machine proved it as the nurses calmed me down. Everything went smooth and I have yet to feel any pain. Dr Shelhamer numbed me long enough throughout the day and they advise you to take pain meds before it wears out. I did just that. I highly recommend this office. The entire staff is friendly and helpful with any questions. Thank you to all of them.

Dr. Shelhamer and his crew are the best. I had 3 impacted wisdom teeth extracted yesterday and I had very pleasant experience. I have a phobia with dentists and will avoid them like a plague, but they made me feel relaxed and assured me that everything is going to be ok. I was so nervous when I first got in the clinic but the way Dr. Shelhamer conduct the extraction process from beginning to end is very impressive. Dr. Shelhamer and each of his crew involved in the extraction talked to me individually before the surgery, explained the details of the process and what to expect after. This is the best place to get a dental surgery. The customer service is topnotch. He even called me few hours after the surgery to make sure I’m ok! I highly recommend Dr. Shelhamer to anybody looking for a dental surgeon. He’s the BEST!

I thought long and hard about leaving this review but feel I should let people know about this man. My husband went in for routine wisdom teeth removal. They weren’t bothering him other than our usual dentist recommended the procedure to prevent future issues. Dr shelhamer performed the surgery and my husband was left with severe nerve damage and has no feeling in his lower lip. It’s been 2 years and we tried acupuncture and various other things. Dr shelhamer did nothing to offer support or compensation in terms of paying for laser therapy. While there are always risks, this is more a comment re the way it was handled. My suggestion would be to avoid this guy if you can. Reviews are good if nothing goes wrong but ask about his policy if things do happen. Terrible! Choose somewhere else.

I visited Dr. Shelhamer’s office for a consult and experienced the most outstanding customer service I’ve EVER had! (If I could underline and highlight that, I would!) And when I say «EVER», yes, that means ever in my life with ANY kind of business or industry. Each staff member including Dr. Shelhamer is professional, courteous, knowledgeable, approachable and very friendly. They have truly raised the bar of my customer service expectations and mindset. HIGHLY recommended!

I was referred to Dr. Shelhamer by my son’s dentist after he developed swelling and tremendous pain in his jaw. Dr. Shelhamer and his staff are very professional and made my 9 year old son feel very comfortable and eased his and my worrry about the problem.
We followed everything Dr. Shelhamer suggested and within 24 hours my son was pain free and most of the swelling was gone. Dr. Shelhamer not only gave me his personal cell phone number in case we had any concerns or questions, but also went out of his way in his personal time to call my wife and explain everything to her that he explained to us during the visit. AMAZING! You and your staff are simply top notch Dr. Shelhamer, we cannot thank you enough!

After a bmx bike accident sent my son to the emergency room, I made an appointment with Dr. Shelhamer to follow up on my son’s fractured cheekbone. Dr. Shelhamer was extremely knowledgeable and took the time to explain everything to us. During the consultation, he thoroughly examined my son and even took an additional xray at no extra charge. He and his staff were friendly and compassionate and Dr. Shelhamer’s experience with facial trauma left me feeling confident that my son was well taken care of.

We were referred to Dr. Shelhamer by my son’s orthodontist when he was experiencing minor discomfort during routine appointment. We have had nothing but great things to say about our orthodontist and the same holds true for Dr.Shelhamer.
It was very easy to schedule our appointment and fill out all the required paperwork and our insurance coverage was all done prior to arrival. The staff was both professsional, courteous, and thorough. There was a problem receiving our paperwork via their website which they quickly resolved while my son was being xrayed.
Dr. Shelhamer fully explained why all four wisdom teeth needed to be removed and how the procedure would be done. We left with complete pre– and post-​instructions, an accurate and thorough estimate of our cost and insurance payout as well as a scrip for prescriptions to fill prior to surgery.
On the day of surgery, the procedure was re-​explained and everything went smoothly. We watched a video answering all questions about post-​op care before leaving. My son’s recovery went extremely well. He experienced expected bleeding, minimal pain and swelling, and readily progressed to drinking and eating within the week. I’m sure having post-​op instructions clearly explained as well as written up and having everything we needed ahead of time contributed to that.
Dr. Shelhamer followed up with a phone call the next day, along with expectations for the next few days, when and how to contact him if needed. At his follow-​up appointment all was well. We highly recommend Dr. Shelhamer if you require wisdom teeth surgery.

The whole office staff is top notch. Very professional. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Dr. Shelhamer explains everything he does and why he does it. You feel like you are in good hands.

I am 44 years old and have avoided needing my wisdom teeth removed until now. I developed an abscess and was referred to Dr. Shelhammer by my regular dentist. What a fantastic recommendation that turned out to be! Dr. Shelhammer clearly explained my situation and from the x-​ray it was pretty obvious I would need 2 wisdom teeth removed from my left side. However, he did confirm that the 2 wisdom teeth on my right side had come in well and did not need to be removed. If my teeth are fine, I’d prefer to keep them (which is why I had kept all my wisdom teeth up until this point), and Dr. Shelhammer wasn’t going to pull any teeth which didn’t need extracting.
The day of the surgery arrived and Dr. Shelhammer and his staff were very good a making me feel relaxed and ready for the procedure. I was sedated and then next thing I knew I was waking up in the office and ready to be driven home. He said everything went well and I left to recover at home, which I expected to be a miserable experience, as I’ve heard all the horror stories, the pain, the dreaded «dry socket», eating applesauce for a week, etc.
This was the amazing part: I was pain-​free within 36 hours and never really in much pain to begin with! I only had to take a few painkillers and I was up and eating real food, albeit soft foods at first and then by day 3 I was eating normal meals and then chewing steak by day 5. Wow, the quick recovery, very little pain and no other issues is a testament to how skilled of a surgeon Dr. Shelhammer is.
I would recommend Dr. Shelhammer to anyone who may need wisdom teeth removed or other types of dental surgery. The time he took with me, the excellent work he performed, and the «easy» recovery period had me saying getting one’s wisdom teeth is no big deal when you are in the hands of someone who is as good at what they do as Dr. Shelhammer is. THANK YOU!

What a great experience!
My 16 year old daughter had to have her 4 wisdom teeth removed. This was the first time she would ever experience general anesthesia and surgery. Doctor spent time explaining EVERY detail with the patience of a saint.
The entire experience was completely amazing. For the front office who made our appointments (and rescheduled at last minute) to the caring assistants who helped during surgery… THANK YOU!
The facility is lovely, very professional but comfortable. Insurance billing was simple and painless.
I highly recommend this doctor and team to anyone who must have any type of oral surgery.

I needed my wisdom teeth extracted and Dr. Shelhamer was 1 of 3 oral surgeons recommended to me by my Dentist office. I had knowledge of 1 doctor but I felt his office was not conveniently located for me. I read Dr. Shelhamer’s impressive Bio on this sight & went to his office for a consultation. The office was immaculate inside. Not sure how long he has been here but everything seemed to be brand new. The staff was very friendly and also seemed to have impressive backgrounds and futures ahead of them. After meeting with Dr. Shelhamer I felt like this was a perfect fit for me. I don’t think that you could ever meet a more genuine person.
I had a crack in 1 of my wisdom teeth. My dental hygienist told me that I might as well get all 4 wisdom teeth out because I really didn’t need them & they were hard to clean way back there. Dr. Shelhamer convinced me that I should only take out what was necessary. YaY! I had only 2 removed.
I was given intravenous sedation w/​local anesthesia. I slept through the whole procedure & woke up immediately afterwards with no side effects whatsoever.
I just went for my week check up & have to say I am doing great & would highly recommend Dr. Shelhamer.

I was referred to Dr. Alan Shelhamer, by a dental clinic on Camp Pendleton, for the extraction of three wisdom teeth. I haven’t always had good experiences with military medicine because of the rushed nature of the services; needless to say, I was ecstatic that I was able to get a referral to Dr. Shelhamer.
Upon arriving at his office, My wife and I were greeted by a friendly and knowledgable staff that genuinely wanted to help us and make us both comfortable. They went over all the details of my wisdom teeth extraction procedure and covered the aftercare as well.
I had a same day referral with Dr. Shelhamer, and he was able to get me in to his office for a consultation and perform the extraction all today. He didn’t make me feel rushed, and calmed any angst I had by assuring me I would feel no pain during the procedure. He was not deceiving me; I can barely tell my teeth were extracted.
I can’t say enough about how well-​versed, professional, friendly, and comforting the staff is. This has been the best dental experience I have had to date and will be returning for any future work I may need. I highly recommend Dr. Shelhamer.
Thanks, Dr. Shelhamer, I appreciate your attentiveness to my teeth. The follow-​up phone call from you made me feel even more at ease.

On Friday I had all four wisdom teeth removed by Dr Shelhamer and I can’t say anything but positive things about Dr Shelhamer himself or his staff.
I first met Dr Shelhamer in March of 2011 after being referred to him by a former co worker. I didn’t have my wisdom teeth removed back then only because my dental insurance was terrible with my previous employer so I decided to wait. I originally had an appointment with my regular dentist but I didn’t feel comfortable with her so I went back to Dr Shelhamer for another appointment after finding him on my new dental insurance plan.
Dr Shelhamer sits with you and explains the procedure, gives you information to take home along with your medication prescription so the only thing you need to worry about the day of is finding a ride and relaxing. My dentist did none of that but ask when we can book our appointment… Listen lady, if you’re going to knock me out and pull four teeth out of my mouth I at least want to know what exactly the procedure is, what I can eat, can’t eat, etc.
Thank you Dr Shelhamer for making my procedure comfortable and calling me afterwards to make sure I was feeling okay. I would definitely recommend him to everyone.

Best doctor everrrrrr!!! I literally got my wisdom teeth taken out today at 830 am haha so far no pain killers have had to be used!
anyways the facility is clean and relaxing, the staff is friendly, nice and knowledgable about everything, Doctor Shelhamer made me feel sooo calm during my procedure, which I verly remember lol but on my consultation, he was awesome, love it, will definitely be refering friends and family! I also love the fact that he gives you his personal cell number just in case you have discomfort or important questions after office hours.
P.s he actually called me about an hour ago to check up on how I was doing!

BEWARE if he damages something next to a tooth he is working on — you are on the hook for all the fixes. And he won’t go out of his way to even put a crown on a temporary cement. Overall he didn’t strike me as careful or caring.