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.