Surgical Placement of Dental Implant Near Me in Westerly, RI

Dr. Snehal Lakhkar puts her patients’ health and comfort above all. Her goal with each patient is to help them feel at ease in her office as she provides them with convenient, high-quality care at an affordable price. She has a flexible schedule that gives patients the freedom to choose when they want procedures completed, whether it be at 8 in the morning or 6 at night. To ensure that her patients receive only the best dental care possible, she frequently completes continuing education courses that keep her well-informed about the latest dental techniques and technologies. She incorporates modern technology into her practice, using it to provide pain-free procedures, simple extractions, root canals, and Invisalign.

Dr. Lakhkar began her dental training at Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in India. Once she earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree, she moved to New York where she began practicing dentistry with her mother-in-law in 2005. Since then, she has earned an Advanced Standing degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, from which she graduated with high honors. Today, she is a practicing family and cosmetic dentist in Rhode Island.

Dr. Kevin Hagerty was inspired to enter the medical field by his obstetrician father. He graduated from Providence College and, after discovering that dentistry was his calling, earned his dental degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Melvin Hanzel believes that dentistry should be about the patient, not the teeth. He has carried this philosophy with him throughout his 30-year career and has set an example to other dentists on the benefits of positive, trusting patient/doctor relationships. Dr. Hanzel is dedicated to finding solutions to his patients’ problems, even when other dentists might have given up. He often heals teeth that were previously believed to be unsavable, and he is confident in treating patients deemed medically compromised. He always offers unique treatments attuned to the patient’s individual needs, including precision attachments, overdentures, and natural-looking cosmetic partial dentures. For patients with severe dental anxiety, Dr. Hanzel can use advanced sedation techniques to put them at ease as he completes their treatments.

Dr. Hanzel earned his BA in biology at the University of Rhode Island. He attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine where he earned his DMD. He then went to the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center as Chief Resident in Dentistry to complete a 2-year general practice residency program from 1978 to 1979. During this time, he also worked as a clinical instructor at NYU.

He moved back to Rhode Island immediately after his residency to work alongside his father, Dr. Harold Hanzel, at his practice. Since then, he has become a staff member of the Rhode Island Hospital and in 1982, he became the dental consultant for the hemophilia center. Much of his time at the hospital was spent receiving advanced training in various areas of dentistry including root canal treatment, sedation dentistry, oral surgery, internal medicine, and implant dentistry. He has also become specialized in placing tooth-colored fillings, and other cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Today, Dr. Hanzel is an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the Rhode Island Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the American Dental Association.

Dr. Stephen J. Puerini offers his patients a wide variety of treatments including veneers, crowns and bridges, CAD/CAM dentistry, soft tissue laser, and other cosmetic procedures. He is passionate about staying current with the latest dental technologies and frequently attends continuing education courses to ensure that he provides only the most up-to-date dental care for his patients. In addition to that, he is an active member of the Rhode Island Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the Pierre Fauchard Dental Honor Society, and the RI Interscholastic League which is dedicated to promoting better safety practices for school athletes.

Dr. Puerini graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School before completing his bachelor’s in biology at Assumption College. He then went on to earn his dental degree in 2003 from Temple University Dental School where he was a participant in the oral maxillofacial and pediatric study clubs. Once he graduated, he began his career working alongside his dentist father, Dr. Stephen J. Puerini, Sr., and Godfather, Dr. Steven J. Saccoccio at their family practice.

​Dr. Ryan S. Lee works with Advanced Dentistry of Rhode Island to provide the Riverside, Barrington, and Providence communities with world-class dental care. He was introduced to the possibility of a career in healthcare at Northwestern University where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He then earned his master’s degrees in public health policy and management at Harvard University and A.T. Still University. Soon after, he earned his Doctorate and graduated with honors from New York University. He held the title of President of the American Student Dental Association. To complete his dental training, he went to Jersey City Medical Center for a General Practice Residency program, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to finish a 2-year Dental Oncology fellowship.

Since then, Dr. Lee has served as an assistant professor with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine at NYU College of Dentistry, a position he held from 2012-2015. Today, Dr. Lee is both a practicing dentist and the chief of the Department of Oral Health at Cambridge Health Alliance where he lectures Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Resident Doctors. He is also the Chief Medical Officer at the New York Center for Dental Oncology.

Dr. Lee has served in the United States Army as a Major. He had the opportunity of meeting the Surgeon General at the White House in 2012. He was one of the servicemen deployed to New York and Massachusetts during the COVID-19 crisis and was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal by the Commander of the Massachusetts Air Force National Guard, Brigadier General Virginia I. Gaglio.

As a practicing dentist, Dr. Lee specializes in implants, cosmetics, snoring/sleep apnea, sedation dentistry, adult braces/orthodontics, full-mouth reconstruction, and oral oncology. He is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Congress of Implantologists, and he is a Diplomate of the International Dental Implant Association. When he is not working in the office, he is volunteering his services to those in need as a member of the For Hope International board or lecturing to the next generation of dentists in Haiti and Northeast Asia.

Dr. Joseph Absi is a dentist with a diverse patient population. Throughout his career, he has worked with non-English speakers, patients from different socioeconomic levels, and those with disabilities and developmental disorders. His patients’ wide variety of backgrounds have taught Dr. Absi things about life that he would not have been able to learn otherwise, and he is grateful every day for the relationships he has formed with the people who come into his office.

Dr. Absi graduated from UMASS Boston with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He then earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Boston University. He attended an NYU Langone community health center in Dorchester, MA to complete an Advanced Education General Dentistry program. Since then, Dr. Absi has been a practicing dentist specializing in operative, fixed, and removable prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, socket preservation, and alveoloplasty. He is a certified Invisalign provider and incorporates CAD/CAM technologies into his practice.

Dr. Brett Beaulieu has always been passionate about helping those in need. As a dentist, he loves seeing the positive impact he can have on his patients’ lives and is proud of the trusting relationships he has made with them. He graduated from Providence College and then went on to Drexel University to earn an interdisciplinary health sciences post-baccalaureate certificate. He earned his dental degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Since becoming a practicing dentist, Dr. Beaulieu has learned to value teamwork and open communication, believing that they are the foundations of high-quality care.

Dr. Munal S. Salem runs a family-focused practice that emphasizes personalized care and high-quality treatments. To ensure that he stays up to date on the latest, most advanced procedures, he has completed over 1,000 hours of continuing education courses throughout his career so far. These courses cover all areas of dentistry, but Dr. Salem has received most of his advanced training in implant dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and sedation techniques.

Dr. Salem graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1999. He opened his private practice, Alpha Dental Center, three years later in 2002. When he is not working with patients, he is overseeing the Alpha Dental affiliate offices throughout Cape Cod, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, advising managers on customer service excellence, insurance services, and treatment plans.

Dr. Thomas DePetrillo is devoted to providing his patients with world-class care. Since 2014, he has been voted RI Monthly Magazine’s “Top Doc” by his peers. His career as a dentist has earned him numerous awards and accolades, but no matter how well his work is received, Dr. DePetrillo believes that there is always room for improvement. When he is not working with patients in his office, he is attending continuing education courses and advanced training in all areas of dentistry or is studying alongside other experts in the field. He has studied with the Clinical Mastery Series and the Dawson Academy. He is also a member of the Providence Chapter of the Seattle Study Club.

Dr. DePetrillo specializes in restorative, cosmetic, and preventative dentistry. He is a certified Invisalign provider and can also offer his patients Botox and Xeomin treatments for TMJ, migraine therapy, and esthetic purposes.

Dr. DePetrillo graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Eckerd College. In 1989, he graduated from Tufts University with a Doctorate of Medical Dentistry. He became a practicing dentist soon after. In 2004, he joined Angell Street Dental in Providence and has been working there ever since. When he is not in the office or completing a continuing education training course, he can be found volunteering his dental services to those in need through Christina’s Smile Children’s Dental Clinic and the RI Donated Dental Program.

Dr. Herr discovered his passion for dentistry early in his education, particularly in the areas of implant dentistry, oral surgery, and prosthodontics. He finds great fulfillment in working closely with patients at Clear Coast Dental, helping them achieve their smile goals and improve their oral health. To learn more about his journey, read on.

Dr. Herr began his educational journey at Ohio State University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology. He then pursued his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the University of Maryland’s School of Dentistry.

During his time at Maryland, Dr. Herr stood out for his clinical excellence and commitment to the dental field, which led him to participate in a year-long clerkship focused on implant prosthodontics and oral surgery. He also completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency at the Veteran Administration, where he provided care to veterans with complex medical needs. This experience helped him gain advanced training in various aspects of dentistry, with a particular focus on endodontics, dental implants, oral surgery, and periodontal care.

Since completing his formal education, Dr. Herr has dedicated himself to ongoing professional development. He has attended hundreds of hours of continuing education courses to stay on the cutting edge of dental advancements. He is currently an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry, serving as an appointed Delegate and as the Massachusetts Vice President. He is also involved in the Massachusetts Dental Society’s Leadership Institute.

Outside of the office, Dr. Herr loves spending time with his family and friends. He enjoys traveling and is an avid supporter of the Ohio State University football team. Go Bucks!

Dr. Marco is a proud graduate of Stonehill College and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He began his career as a clinical instructor at Tufts before joining our practice in 1988. A dedicated member of the Massachusetts Dental Society, Dr. Marco has held several leadership positions, including Chairman of the Southeastern District, Chairman of the Peer Review Committee, and serving on the Council on Dental Care.

Dr. Marco’s commitment to the dental profession has earned him recognition from the Massachusetts Dental Society as a Volunteer Hero, as well as the prestigious Academy of Operative Dentistry's Award for Excellence. He is also an active member of the American Dental Association and an alumnus of the L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Studies in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Outside of dentistry, Dr. Marco is passionate about fishing, especially fly tying, and enjoys spending time on the water with his wife, Ann Marie. Their three children, Alex, Brandon, and Elizabeth, are now young adults pursuing their own professional paths.