Meet Our Team
Energetic. Efficient.
Compassionate.
Dr. Rania El-Hawary
Principal Dentist
Dr. Rania El-Hawary was born in Toronto, Ontario. She graduated from University of Ottawa in 2004 where she earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering. She then pursued her dental degree and graduated as a D.M.D. from McGill University in 2008. She then completed a General Practice Residency, also at McGill University.
Dr. El-Hawary became a clinical teacher at McGill in the Dental Residents Clinic in 2009. Subsequently, she also moved into private practice in both Montreal and Toronto. Dr. El-Hawary enjoys all aspects of general dentistry and keeps up to date with a variety of continuing education courses.
One of Dr. El-Hawary’s passions is helping the underprivileged and those who cannot access oral healthcare. She travelled to Ecuador with a Dental Mission Group to provide free dental services to impoverished families. Dr. El-Hawary continues to provide dental services on a volunteer basis to those in need in partnership with Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Mission.
Dr. El-Hawary lives in her hometown of Ottawa with her husband and two energetic boys. She spends her free time reading, exercising, baking; and enjoys most to spend time with family and friends.
Dr. Dhanshri (Michelle) Kakade
Associate Dentist
Dr. Kakade is an Associate Dentist who earned her undergraduate degree, in Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University in her home town of Toronto. She then moved to Montreal to attend McGill University where she graduated with her Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree.
With a passion to continue learning, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio to complete a postgraduate residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at Case Western Reserve University. During her time there, she was recognized with the Resident of the Year Award. Since completing her training, she has had the unique opportunity to live and practice dentistry in Vancouver, Toronto and New York City before settling in Ottawa.
Dr. Kakade’s multidisciplinary training has cultivated a special interest in Invisalign, cosmetic and implant dentistry. She provides a broad range of dental treatments to meet the needs of her patients with meticulous care and attention.
As patient satisfaction is of utmost importance to her, she welcomes you to experience comfortable, knowledgeable and friendly dentistry. She is a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, the Ontario Dental Association, as well as the Canadian Dental Association. In her free time Dr. Kakade enjoys travelling abroad, trying new restaurants and staying active with her husband and puppy.
Vienna Hamilton
Dental Administrator
Vienna is the first smiling face you see as you enter, and she will make you feel at ease. As a graduate from Algonquin College, Vienna brings over 20 years of knowledge as a dental assistant to her customer service at our front desk. She prides herself in making the administrative aspects a breeze for our patients and helping to navigate through treatment and insurance plans. One of her favorite parts of working at Dows Lake Dental is meeting patients from around the world and getting to know them. Vienna enjoys being active and trying new restaurants with her family and friends.
Briana Caravatta
Registered Dental Hygienist
Briana graduated from Dental Hygiene from Canadian National Institute of Health in 2016. Briana was awarded with the Community Public Health Award for her involvement with the community in spreading the importance of dental hygiene from young children to the elderly. Dental hygiene is her passion and she loves to treat her clients with the utmost care in the best way that works for each individual.
Besides Briana’s love for dental, she enjoys spending her free time exercising, swimming, travelling, and going to great local restaurants with friends and family.
Ashley Vail
Registered Dental Hygienist
Originally from New Brunswick, Ashley moved to Ottawa in 2014 to pursue her dental hygiene studies. She graduated from the Canadian National Institute of Health in 2016. Ashley strives to provide all patients with a positive and comfortable experience. Her goal is to educate patients about the importance of oral health and provide personalized care based on individual needs.
Ashley enjoys spending her free time with friends and family, traveling, cooking, trying new restaurants and attending concerts with her partner.
Melissa Craig
Registered Dental Assistant
Melissa was born and raised in southern Alberta. She moved to Ottawa 3 years ago and quickly fell in love with the people and beauty, particularly on the Quebec side. She completed the Registered Dental Assisting program at CDI College in 2019.
Melissa values hard work, compassion for others and believes in making a difference in the way patients feel about their oral health. Going to the dentist can be very daunting, it is her goal to make everyone feel a little bit better after being at our office.
Melissa loves being outdoors in her spare time and enjoys fishing, camping, gardening, and bike riding with her son. She also loves to cook and believes that food, great friends and family are everything.
Maryam Hana
Registered Dental Assistant
Maryam graduated with honours from Algonquin College's Dental Assisting program. Maryam is passionate about providing excellent care to her patients, and she has a very gentle and friendly nature that patients especially love.
When she is not at work, Maryam enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Dakota. She is a loving mother to her son, whom she cherishes dearly, and is always finding ways to make lasting memories with him. Maryam is an avid traveler and enjoys exploring new places and cultures.