Our Dentists

Dr. Melissa D. Moccia-Patton grew up in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. She began working as an office assistant at Legacy Family Dental Center while attending the University of Detroit Mercy, getting her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2007. While obtaining her degree, she was also trained in our office as a lab assistant and dental assistant. Because of her wide scope of training as a medical professional and as an employee in our office, she has been a big contributor to the success of the business.

In 2020, Dr. Melissa became part owner alongside former owner, Dr. Newman, at Legacy Family Dental. Her training and wide knowledge of Dentistry, her familiarity of the many aspects of our office's operations and her drive to making sure patients receive the best quality health care experience in the community makes her an invaluable part of our office.

Dr. Melissa has been practicing general dentistry at Legacy Family Dental since 2007. She is a member of the American Dental Association, Michigan Dental Association, and the Detroit District Dental Society. Over the years, she has taken many postgraduate courses in different areas of dentistry, including endodontics (root canals), oral surgery and CAD/CAM (same day crowns).

Outside of the office she spends most of her time with her husband and children enjoying Michigan and all it has to offer!

Dr. Dale Garber was born in 1960 in Detroit and has been a Michigan native. His affiliation with the Legacy family goes back to the early 1950’s when his father Fred Garber entered the University of Michigan Dental School’s Class of 1956 with Dr. Lawrence Newman and the families became lifelong friends. Dr. Dale Garber graduated from U of M Dental School and later began practicing at Legacy Family Dental.

Dr. Garber enjoys all aspects of dentistry and takes pride in making patients feel relaxed and comfortable through his gentle demeanor and sense of humor. He likes to keep current with the latest technologies and is a member of the American Dental Association. Getting patients beyond their fears and providing them with the confidence that a healthy, beautiful smile brings is what Dr. Garber enjoys most about his profession. In his free time, Dr. Garber likes to keep physically fit through biking. Each year he participates in the Make-A-Wish Bicycle Tour where he rides 300 miles in 3 days to fundraise for children fighting critical illnesses. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his wife Lisa, three children, and grandchildren. He feels very fortunate to be a part of the Legacy Family Dental team, for the past three decades!

Dr. Jonathan Blatt, DDS grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He graduated from Oakland University summa cum laude in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. In 2007 he switched careers and enrolled at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. He also completed his AEGD (Advanced Education in General Dentistry) residency at UDM, and became proficient in advanced dental procedures, gaining additional valuable knowledge and experience.

Dr. Blatt likes interacting directly with people and stays current with the latest dental procedures and technologies to give the best dental care to his patients. He is both very kind and has a sense of humor and is loved by his loyal patients. Dr Blatt strives to improve not only the oral health of his patients, but also helps many to improve their smile through cosmetic dentistry.

During his non-office hours, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, biking, travel, and playing music.