At Howard County Smiles in Columbia, MD, we truly care about our patients, and offer a warm, friendly environment, providing advanced dentistry for the entire family. Dr. Ray Becker and his staff consider themselves a partner in their patients overall health care, understanding and emphasizing the connection between dental health and overall well-being.

Dr. Becker and our dental care team are passionate about delivering the highest possible standard of care, dedicating hours every year to continuing education and training in order to provide the latest treatment options.

He spares no expense in time, technology, or efforts to deliver a high standard of care to his patients. All of the education in the world cannot surpass the importance of applying it in a compassionate environment that focuses on the patients individual needs.

Our family dentist office serves Columbia, Ellicott City, Elkridge, and surrounding communities and is located in the Stanford Overlook building adjacent to the Stanford Grill. Our newly renovated and state-of-the-art dental office is convenient to both Columbia Mall.

At our family and cosmetic dentist office, we believe that the dental health needs of a patient are best served when the doctor and patient work as a team. We want our patients to be informed and educated about dental problems and treatment options because informed patients make better decisions about their health and well-being.

For over 28 years, Dr. Ray Becker, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. has listened to the dental health and cosmetic concerns of his patients, responding with the best treatment options for their particular needs as a family dentist serving patients in Howard County and many surrounding areas.

Whether you require a little dentistry or a lot, Dr. Becker and his team co-diagnose and treatment plan every patient to make sure the patients individual goals are met. With the help of our highly professional staff, they also follow up to make sure that dental issues are addressed, symptoms are resolved and both dental and overall health improves.

Dr. Becker emphasizes the important role that dentistry plays in maintaining both oral health and overall health, educating patients on the mouth-body connection. A nutritious diet, good oral hygiene, and a healthy lifestyle are all components of dental health and physical well-being.

Dental technology has enabled modern dentistry to provide more accurate results with fewer side effects and less downtime. In many cases, incorporating the use of technology can reduce the number of visits to the dentist and save patients money in the long run. Dr. Becker uses some of the latest dental technology in his Howard County dentist office:

Dr. Becker is a highly regarded and internationally recognized dentist, and a leader and educator on CEREC, offering highly esthetic ceramic restorations. This unique technology enables us to offer the convenience of same-day crowns and other dental restorations, saving patients both time and money.

As the international certifying instructor for Total BioPAK and Tekscan, Dr. Becker has incorporated this advanced technology for better diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of uncomfortable bites, restorations, occlusion, or temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD/TMJ) issues.

Dr. Ray Becker is a cosmetic and restorative dentist serving the families of Columbia. MD and surrounding communities. He offers comprehensive dental services for children and adults and is experienced in all aspects of dentistry, with special interests in cosmetic dentistry, TMJ treatment, restorative dentistry, sleep apnea, and Invisalign.

Dr. Becker is a lifelong resident of Maryland. He grew up in Carroll County and graduated from Westminster High School in 1978. He attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) where he graduated Cum Laude in Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental studies in 1982. He then studied Dentistry at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (University of Maryland Dental School) in 1986.

Dr. Becker strongly believes in the value of continuing education. He obtains many hundreds of hours in accredited CE courses each year throughout the world. Evidence of that dedication towards continuing education is his receipt of the Fellowship Award from the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD) in 1995. Fewer than 5% of active members in the Academy of General Dentistry (whose membership mandates active, ongoing pursuit of CE) achieve that status. This rigorous standard far exceeds the basic requirements for maintaining licensure.

Dr. Becker is a highly regarded and sought-after international lecturer on the topics of CEREC (one visit CAD/CIM crowns) and has been on the developmental team of Sirona (the manufacturer of CEREC) developing the next generation of CAD/CIM technology since 2003. Dr. Becker was one of the original users of CEREC in the entire United States (and first in the State of Maryland) having used the system since 1991.

Recently, Dr. Becker has taken on the role of the sole international interpretation and certifying instructor for the Total BioPAK system. Total BioPAK includes the Tscan 3 system from TekScan which analyzes the bite far more accurately than with carbon paper alone. Dr. Becker is one of only a few dentists in the area using these advanced technologies for better diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of uncomfortable bites, restorations, occlusion, or temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD/TMJ) issues.

Dr. Becker resides in Howard County with his wife, Colleen. They have 3 children who have attended Trinity School, Resurrection School, Mount Saint Joseph High School, and Mount DeSales High School. They enjoy family camping, biking, and attending their childrens many sporting events.

Dr. Kelsey Fierstein is an Associate Doctor here at Howard County Smiles. She grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, so when given the opportunity to bring her dental skills back to her native state, it was a no-brainer. Her interest in dentistry began at a young age while shadowing her pediatric dentist.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of South Carolina, she then attended the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. While there she was actively involved in community service and served on the committee for the American Student Dental Association.

Dr. Chelsea Cross is an Associate Doctor at Howard County Smiles. Shes originally from Catonsville, MD, but now resides in Baltimore. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Clemson University in 2014 where she double majored in Biological Sciences and Psychology.

She later attended the University of Maryland School of Dentistry where she was a member of the Gamma Pi Delta Prosthodontic honor society and Gorgas Odontologic honor society. She completed a one-year residency in general dentistry at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY.

Dr. Cross is proficient in all aspects of restorative and cosmetic dentistry with a growing knowledge of TMD. Dr. Cross charismatic personality allows her to share her enthusiasm for a more holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle beginning with your oral health! She treats each of her patients as if they were part of her family. That means she takes quality time with each patient to fully listen to their needs and wants so that she can better serve them.

Her goal is to make sure she treats her patients needs that are in alignment with their lifestyle goals. When not helping patients with their smile needs, youll catch Dr. Cross spending time with her friends and family. She lives an active lifestyle, so youll see her running and staying in the best shape she can. She also loves to listen to music and is an excellent cook.