Dr. Thomas Sammons – Dental Artistry

Dr. Thomas Sammons – Bringing Technology, Compassion and a Preventive Approach to Dentistry

Dr. Thomas “Tom” Sammons of Dental Artistry joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his path into dentistry, his commitment to continuing education and advanced technology, and his philosophy that good dental care is about far more than simply fixing teeth.

A Youngsville native and UL Lafayette graduate, Dr. Sammons grew up in Acadiana after his family moved here in 1995. His father, Tom Sammons, taught architecture at UL Lafayette, and education was strongly emphasized in the Sammons household. Dr. Sammons graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UL Lafayette before earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery from LSU School of Dentistry in New Orleans.

His connection to UL Lafayette runs deep. As a student, Dr. Sammons was active in the pre-professional society, student government and honor society, and participated in Up ’til Dawn, which supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He says UL is where he truly found his community in Lafayette.

Today, that sense of community remains important. Dr. Sammons and his wife, Abby, both grew up here and even attended the same church, where Abby’s father once taught him in Sunday school. Their parents live nearby, and Dr. Sammons and Abby are raising two energetic young sons, Gabriel and Everett. “I love being with them. I love being with my family.”

A Childhood Spent in the Dental Chair Led to a Career

Dr. Sammon’s decision to become a dentist was shaped in part by his own difficult dental history. His permanent teeth erupted with enamel hypoplasia, leaving them soft and yellow and requiring extensive dental work. He also admits he did not take particularly good care of his teeth as a teenager.

Fortunately, he had dentists he genuinely liked, Drs. Thomas and Harmon in Youngsville.

“I actually loved my dentist. I didn’t like being in the dental chair, but I liked him,” Tom recalled.

For years, Tom thought he would become an engineer. Then he attended orientation at UL Lafayette, toured the engineering program and abruptly announced to his parents that he was going to become a dentist. The more he learned about dentistry, the more certain he became that he had found the right profession.

That personal history also helps explain the empathy Dr. Sammons brings to patients who fear dental treatment. He discovered early in his career that many people had experienced frightening or painful dental care as children.

For some patients, he says, simply opening the front door of a dental office can feel like “a very heavy weight.”

When Dr. Sammons joined the practice of longtime Lafayette dentist Dr. Ann Laurent, he found a mentor whose philosophy closely matched his own. Dr. Laurent had built a practice around caring for patients with dental anxiety and treating their fears with empathy.

“It’s not the most fun place to be. I understand that,” Dr. Sammons said of the dental chair. “It doesn’t have to be the worst place to be. We can make it comfortable. We can make it fun.”

That philosophy is reflected throughout Lafayette Dental Artistry. Patients who need additional help with anxiety can receive nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, at no additional charge. The practice also offers oral sedation and, when appropriate, IV sedation administered with a nurse anesthetist.

Your Mouth Is Connected to the Rest of Your Body

One of Dr. Sammon’s strongest messages is that oral health should never be viewed in isolation. “The mouth is also connected to the whole body. It is systemic health. It is not just oral health.”

Dr. Sammons and his team spend considerable time educating patients about brushing, flossing, diet and the habits that contribute to dental disease. Chronic infection and inflammation in the mouth can have consequences beyond the teeth and gums, and periodontal disease can progress without causing significant pain.

One of the biggest misconceptions Dr. Sammons sees today involves sugar-free beverages. Eliminating sugar does not necessarily make a drink tooth-friendly because acidity can damage enamel.

“Acid is worse,” he explained.

Energy drinks, soft drinks, coffee and other acidic beverages can create an environment that promotes enamel erosion and decay. Dr. Sammons explained that when bacteria consume sugar, they produce acid, but drinking an already acidic beverage exposes teeth directly to that damaging environment.

He sees the consequences particularly among younger patients. Someone can leave high school with few or no cavities, head to college, develop a habit of consuming energy drinks throughout the day, and return with significant decay.

The problem is compounded when a person sips the beverage over several hours. After each exposure, saliva needs time to buffer the acidic environment. Dr. Sammons’ advice includes limiting acidic drinks, drinking water and, for some patients, using an alkaline mouth rinse. He also discussed products containing xylitol as another tool for fighting cavity-causing bacteria.

Lafayette Dental Artistry provides comprehensive care ranging from preventive dentistry to full-mouth rehabilitation, cosmetic dentistry, crowns, veneers, bonding, implants, bridges and clear aligner therapy.

Dr. Sammons particularly enjoys cosmetic dentistry and clear aligners. In some complex cases, moving the teeth into a better position before restorative work can dramatically reduce the number of crowns or veneers a patient needs.

“The less I do is more in a lot of ways. The best dentistry is no dentistry. The second best dentistry is preventative dentistry.”

His goal is to perform dentistry today that prevents larger problems tomorrow. That philosophy becomes especially meaningful when patients arrive after years of avoiding dental care because of fear, embarrassment, finances or difficult life circumstances. Dr. Sammons has watched patients regain not only their oral health but their confidence.

After restoring a person’s smile, he may see them six months later having made other changes: exercising, losing weight, quitting smoking or simply taking better care of themselves. “It changes their whole life. It changes their whole trajectory.”

Dentistry’s Role in Sleep Health

Dentists are playing a growing role in recognizing potential sleep disorders.

Because dentists routinely examine the mouth, jaw and airway, they may see signs that suggest a patient should be evaluated for sleep apnea. Lafayette Dental Artistry has equipment patients can take home for a sleep study, although Dr. Sammons emphasized that a medical doctor reads the study and makes the diagnosis.

For appropriate patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea, a dental appliance may help keep the airway open by positioning the jaw forward. More severe cases generally require CPAP therapy. Implantable airway-stimulation devices are an option for some patients who cannot tolerate either CPAP or a dental appliance; those devices are placed by specialists.

Dr. Sammons also uses Botox primarily as a therapeutic treatment for patients suffering from TMD, often called TMJ, including people who clench their jaws and develop muscle pain and headaches. While he occasionally uses Botox cosmetically, his primary interest is relieving pain and muscle tension.

More Than 100 Hours a Year of Continuing Education

Louisiana dentists are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years. Dr. Sammons regularly pursues more than 100 hours annually. Why? “I’m just a huge nerd. I love it. I love to learn.”

That appetite for learning has helped him incorporate rapidly changing technology into his practice, including digital scanning, same-day crowns, 3D printing and digitally created surgical guides for implant procedures.

Approximately 99 % of the impressions in his practice are now digital. A tooth can be scanned, the crown designed virtually, milled in the office and placed in the patient’s mouth the same day. For anxious patients, avoiding a temporary crown, a second appointment and another injection can make an enormous difference.

Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of the practice. Dr. Sammons uses AI with digital X-rays to help identify possible cavities, bone loss and calculus. He views it as an additional set of eyes rather than a replacement for professional judgment.

The technology is also a powerful educational tool. Instead of asking patients to decipher shades of gray on an X-ray, the software can highlight areas of concern, making it easier for patients to understand what the team members of Dental Artistry are seeing.

“It’s kind of like a second set of eyes,” he explained, noting that the technology can occasionally flag a tiny area that deserves a closer look.

Lafayette Dental Artistry Is Growing

Lafayette Dental Artistry is preparing for a major renovation and expansion of its longtime office. Dr. Sammons discussed the reality that modern digital dentistry requires different spaces for equipment, laboratories and treatment areas than were needed when the original office was built.

During construction, the practice will temporarily relocate about five minutes away while the existing office is rebuilt. The temporary move is expected to last approximately nine months.

The goal is to create a more modern environment while preserving what patients already value about the practice: comfort, relaxation and personal attention.

And Dr. Ann Laurent remains very much a part of the practice. “She’s been an amazing mentor to me, both as a clinician and also just as a leader.” Dr. Laurent continues to see patients while enjoying a little more time to travel.

Dentist, Business Owner, Husband and Dad

Running a dental practice also means running a small business, something Dr. Sammons jokes can be difficult “when you got your fingers in people’s mouths.”

He generally treats patients Monday through Thursday and reserves Fridays for administrative work, meetings and catching up on the business side of the practice. He made a commitment to himself to leave the office on time whenever possible so he can be home with Abby and their boys.

His days start early, often around 3:30 a.m., with quiet time followed by a workout or swimming.

When he does find spare time, Dr. Sammons loves to read, alternating between science fiction or fantasy and books on business, professional development and self-improvement. He enjoys movies, working out and swimming, but these days much of his free time is devoted to his sons.

That means building blocks, jumping on the trampoline and, much to his delight, a recent family discovery of Legos. “I love doing Legos.”

Perhaps the most revealing part of our conversation was hearing Dr. Sammons describe what makes dentistry rewarding. Sometimes it is as immediate as helping someone who walks into the office after spending a sleepless night with an excruciating toothache. Other times, it is watching someone who has neglected their oral health regain a healthy smile and the confidence that comes with it.

“I don’t know of many professions…that can do all that. It’s so much fun and rewarding to do that. And I really can’t imagine doing anything else.”

We thank Dr. Thomas Sammons and the entire team at Lafayette Dental Artistry for their support of Discover Lafayette and for their commitment to helping Acadiana residents achieve better oral health while making the dental experience as comfortable and positive as possible.

Learn more about Lafayette Dental Artistry through its website at https://www.lafayettedentalartistry.com/ and follow the practice on Facebook and Instagram under Lafayette Dental Artistry.