Dr. Laurie Brown grew up in Natick, Massachusetts with three older brothers and a younger sister. Her love of dentistry formed when she fell off her bigwheel around age 2 and sustained trauma to her front teeth. Her parents brought her to a pediatric dentist to care for her injury. She always felt safe and comfortable throughout treatment. Dr. Brown enjoyed going to the dentist because she loved that her dentist was always excited to see her and knew her personally. He watched her grow from a toddler to a young adult and she valued the connection that they formed over time. She noticed that he always seemed happy and appeared to love being a pediatric dentist, and he inspired her to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career as a pediatric dentist, eventually becoming her mentor. 

 

Dr. Brown attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna cum Laude with double majors in French and biology and double minors in psychology and chemistry. She went on to earn her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and then completed her specialty training in pediatric dentistry and earned her Masters of Science degree at The Ohio State University and Columbus (Nationwide) Children's Hospital. She has been living in Western Massachusetts and practicing as a pediatric dentist in East Longmeadow since 2005. She and her husband, Jason, live in Easthampton, where they're proud to be raising their son and daughter and six cats.

Dr. Rachel Patenaude grew up in Westfield, Massachusetts where she spent her time as a competitive dancer and active member of the community.

 

She completed her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Siena College, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She then attended the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, where she met her husband, Dr. Jeff Hage. After graduating dental school, Dr. Rachel continued on with her specialty education in Tampa, Florida at NYU Langone’s Pediatric Dental Residency Program. There, she spent two years learning the many important ways that pediatric dentistry is so important and unique.

 

Dr. Rachel is delighted to be working at Pediatric Dental Associates where she can focus on providing a safe and comfortable environment that fosters confidence and sets her young patients up for a lifetime of healthy habits. She values creating lasting relationships with her patients and their families while focusing on education and prevention.

 

Outside of the office Dr. Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and raising her baby and dog alongside her husband.

 

Dr. Rachel is excited to bring her honest, individualized, and evidence-based approach to dentistry as she cares for the Western Mass community that she grew up in.