Meet our skilled team of dental hygienists and dental assistants and our friendly office manager.

At Ellicott City Smiles, you can count on our entire staff working to make your experience with us easy, comfortable, and stress-free.

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Brenda Rash, R.D.H.


Brenda Rash is our Registered Dental Hygienist, a 1986 graduate of the Community College of Baltimore. She has been a hygienist for 31 years, and with Dr. Blum’s practice for the past 5 years. She cares about her patients as whole people, and is a big advocate of the importance of comprehensive dental hygiene education for all patients, new and veteran. For Brenda, dental hygiene is a rewarding occupation that enables her to empower people to improve their health and well-being. She considers Dr. Blum, Dr. Modarres and the rest of the team an extension of her family, and wants to extend that same care to her patients too.

Of her experience working with Ellicott City Smiles, Brenda had this to say: “After being in practice for 25 years, I quickly learned how proficient and highly skilled Dr. Blum is. What a perfectionist! When a patient’s desired course of treatment is completed, it always brings me the utmost pleasure to see such a smile.”

Brenda is married with two children, Erin and Ryan (ages 25 and 22).

Denise (Pete) Palmer, C.D.A.


Denise has been working with Dr. Blum as a Certified Dental Assistant for the past 13 years, after graduating from the Medix Dental Assisting Program.
Denise thoroughly enjoys her job with Ellicott City Smiles, saying,
“I have always felt blessed to work as a Certified Dental Assistant with Dr. Blum, at his right hand side. He has always been devoted in bringing his patients the highest care in dentistry today and continues to keep himself and all of us staff educated on the latest dental technology. Not only do our patients receive gentle care with Dr. Blum, but, he also has a great sense of humor.
“The environment at the office is always warm and welcoming. How many people can go to work and say it feels like family? Thankfully I can say it does for me! We pride ourselves in making our patients feel relaxed and comfortable.
“We have so many wonderful patients who it has been a pleasure to work with over the years; the most exciting part about being a dental assistant for me is after we’re finished working on a patient, seeing them smile again when they hadn’t smiled for years. I don’t even try to fight back the tears any more.”

Denise is married with one daughter, Jamila (age 22).

Rachel Ayers, C.D.A., Office Manager


Rachel is a Certified Dental Assistant, as well as the Office Manager at Ellicott City Smiles. She has been working with Dr. Blum for almost 4 years, and has been in the dental field for about 10 years. Rachel says, “I absolutely love working with Dr. Blum and our dental team. We are like family and we treat our patients as part of the family as well. I enjoy teaching our patients about Oral Health and helping our patients maintain beautiful healthy smiles!”
Rachel has two boys, Xavier and Derrick (ages 3 and 14), and when not at work, she enjoys spending every second with them.