About Your Dentist

"The world always looks brighter from behind a smile." - Unknown

My Mission
"My team and I are committed to helping patients achieve and maintain a healthy mouth and to do so with care, warmth, and attention to quality utilizing the latest cutting-edge technology. We promise to treat you honestly and respectfully, just like our own friends and family."

Education
Doctor of Dental Surgery
UCLA School of Dentistry – Los Angeles, California

Continuing Education & Professional Memberships
Dr. Melendez enjoys continuing education classes and always looks for opportunities to advance his clinical skills and better serve his patients.

Life & Hobbies
Dr. Melendez and his wife have a son and daughter. In his free time, he enjoys family vacations, playing guitar, reading history books, fishing with his son, and riding bikes with his family.

“You don’t have to brush all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.”

My Mission
“My mission in dentistry is to boost my patients’ self-confidence. Many people are self-conscious about their teeth, and I want my patients to be smiling, laughing, and showing off their pearly whites! Relieving patients of any pain they are in and keeping them out of pain is very important to me as well, and I want to teach my patients that it is a team effort when it comes to having healthy and clean teeth.”

Education & Continuing Education
Doctor of Dental Surgery
University of Tennessee Health and Science Center – Memphis, Tennessee

Bachelor of Biological Sciences
University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Tennessee

Professional Memberships
Dr. Payne is an active member of the American Dental Association and the American Student Dental Association.

Life & Hobbies
Outside of dentistry, Dr. Payne enjoys hiking, cheering for the Vols and Titans, and being around the water. He moved to Chattanooga at 3 years old and lived there until he left for college. He has a younger sister.