LEARN MORE ABOUT LOTUS DENTAL - AMITE
MEET THE FOUNDER
DR. TROY MICHAEL VERGES, DDS
Dr. Troy Verges, native of New Orleans, graduated from LSU Baton Rouge in Microbiology. Then he attended Louisiana State University Dental School completing his DDS degree in 1997.
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In his second year as a dentist, he owned his own practice in Kentwood, Louisiana, where he practiced for 20 years. Constantly growing and expanding Dr. Verges opened a new location in downtown Amite, Louisiana in 2017. The new dental office is a renovation of the town’s original pharmacy and post office building and is over 100 years old. He is proud to be part of the history of Amite.
Dr. Verges has 23 years of experience. His passion for the more challenging fields of dentistry include oral surgery, root canals and orthodontics. He takes great pride in the care that his entire team has for each other and their patients. Dr. Verges and his staff are highly trained and are always mindful of their patients’ needs and comfort. They pursue continuing education voraciously with monthly and quarterly office meetings and even traveling for specialized training. Dr. Verges is most proud of Lotus Dental google reviews because they are a reflection of how great his office and team are.
Dr. Verges lives in Covington, LA. He loves spending time with his 2 sons, Owen and Spencer. He runs in the mornings with his Goldendoodle, Shep. His hobbies include being outdoors, running, watersports, skiing, camping, and most recently learning the guitar. Among his many personal interests, health and wellness are a top priority, which overflow into his interactions with his staff and patients. He is always concerned with the health of the whole person.
MEET THE DENTISTS
DR. CELINE SNOW, DDS
Dr. Celine Snow was born and raised in New Orleans. She went to LSU for undergrad, where she received her bachelor’s of science in 2017. Dr. Snow is also a recent graduate from LSU school of dentistry. Her love for dentistry came from her own dental journey, her parents, and through community service. Growing up, she was constantly in the dental chair because of misaligned teeth. She says she basically had metal in her mouth for 11 years!
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Dr. Celine Snow was born and raised in New Orleans. She went to LSU for undergrad, where she received her bachelor’s of science in 2017. Dr. Snow is also a recent graduate from LSU school of dentistry. Her love for dentistry came from her own dental journey, her parents, and through community service. Growing up, she was constantly in the dental chair because of misaligned teeth. She says she basically had metal in her mouth for 11 years!
Dr. Snow always enjoyed going to the dental office as a child and that’s where her initial spark for dentistry came from. She says her parents always taught her the importance of oral hygiene and it’s because of them that she has the teeth she has today. Dr. Snow did a lot of volunteer work at dental clinics in college, and her passion for dentistry continued to grow when she saw how much of a help she could be in the oral health care community. Some fun facts about Dr. Snow is that she is fluent in French, loves to roller skate, and has been doing pottery since 2020! She is so excited to join the Verges dental team.
DR. CAITLIN C. MORRIS, DDS
Dr. Caitlin C. Morris, DDS attended the University of New Orleans majoring in Biological Sciences and obtained her DDS from Louisiana State University Dental School in 2022. Dr. Morris began her journey in the dental field over a decade ago through many efforts including: volunteering in nursing homes providing dental prothesis cleaning services, several years with LA Mission of Mercy providing dental care to those in need, dental screenings for the athletes of the Special Olympics, assisting in dental treatment provided with United Cerebral Palsy and by being employed as a dental assistant.
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Dr. Morris was raised by three generations of registered nurses; the well being of others – essentially patient care, was a foundational value she was brought up on. Having the opportunity to practice dentistry at Verges Dental Center, who also share this core belief, is what she considers as one of the greatest blessings of her life. “Having a team who works diligently every minute of every day to provide the best care possible to those around us, drives me to excel in the field of dentistry by continually learning and growing. I have joy every morning knowing I am walking into a place filled with kindness and positivity.” – Dr. Morris
Currently residing in her hometown of Franklinton, Dr. Morris enjoys boating the Bogue Chitto, attending the Washington Parish Free Fair and attending church at Westside Emmanuel. She loves any time spent with family and friends. Dancing will always be her favorite pastime and one of her favorite ways to stay fit. She and her husband are expecting their first child at the end of 2022.
MEET THE TEAM
CASSIE DIDDON – SUPERVISOR
Cassie Diddon has been with VDC since May of 2022. She attended Sumner High School graduating in 2017 going on to Accelerated Dental Assisting Academy in 2019 and is now the Insurance Coordinator of our clinic. Cassie finds that the most unique feature of working with the team is the atmosphere of how everyone and everything all works together. She enjoys interacting with new people and growing daily among herself and work environment. When not working, Cassie spends time going on spontaneous road trips and hanging out with her friends, family, and furbaby Drake.
LOGAN SLAVEN – REGIONAL MANAGER
Logan Slaven attended the Accelerated Dental Academy in Hammond, LA. and received her Dental Assistant and x-ray certification in 2018. She has been working at VDC since January of 2019 and has received her EDDA certification during that time. In her 4 years, she has grown from dental assistant, to supervisor, and now to the office manager. Her favorite thing about VDC is the culture of teamwork and making patients the first priority. She is most thankful for the opportunities to grow and continue her education with VDC. When not at work, Logan is spending time with her husband Hunter and their children Karter, Fletcher, and Nate.
LARISSA BOYTE – SCHEDULING COORDINATOR
Larissa joined our team in 2024 as our Scheduling Coordinator. She is the first face you see at our office. She says the best part of her job is helping patients and getting to know them along the way. Larissa is passionate about making sure her patients receive quality services and leave with a smile. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, hanging out by the pool, and shopping.
NIKKI THOMAS -HYGIENIST
Nikki Thomas is a Registered Dental Hygienist licensed for local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation administration. Before working at VDC, she attended Pearl River Community College and graduated in 2013. She has worked at Lotus Dental for 7 years and loves working in an office that makes patient care, comfort and personal preferences the highest priority. Since being with VDC, she has grown immensely through continuing her education and training. When not working, Nikki enjoys cooking for her family and music. Her favorite part of what she does is giving people confidence through their smiles and educating patients to improve their overall and oral health.
ELIZABETH POWELL – HYGIENIST
Elizabeth Powell is a registered Dental Hygienist from Bogalusa, LA. She graduated from University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2022 with her Bachelor of Dental Hygiene.She loves that the atmosphere at VDC is patient centered. Her favorite thing about dental hygiene is the relationship she is able to form with her patients. She enjoys helping others to embrace their smile and make a difference in their oral hygiene routine. When she is away from work, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her dog, Allie! She also loves to read.
SUMMER AVERETT – HYGIENE ASSISTANT
Summer Averett the Accelerated Dental Academy in Hammond, LA. Receiving her Dental Assistant and x-ray certification. She has been with our team since April of 2022 and is a wonderful addition! In her free time, Summer enjoys watching Netflix originals, shopping and spending time with her husband and three children. What she likes most about the work that she does is the opportunity to continue to grow and learn each day.
HANAH AHUMADA – HYGIENE ASSISTANT
Hanah Ahumada attended the Accelerated Dental Assisting Academy receiving her dental assisting certificate and x-ray certificate in 2022. She is now working as a dental assistant and has been with the practice since April of 2022. Hanah has cross trained in our office as dental hygiene assistant and administrative checkout. Hanah feels the most unique part about working with VDC is the atmosphere, she says the staff truly feels like a family. She enjoys helping people feel good about their smiles. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband Kevin and their family, photography, and taking care of the animals on her family farm.
MANDY HEBERT – DENTAL ASSISTANT
Mandy was born and raised in Tickfaw, LA. She has been a dental assistant for 9 years now , and loves every minute of it! Mandy started at Lotus dental in 2024 and is happy to have finally found her work home. She loves the family feel environment when you walk into the office. Her favorite part is that everyone works as a team, and everyone loves what they do. Mandy love being able to know that she is part of the reason our patients smile! When not working, she enjoys spending time with my family, friends, and fur babies.
DEMI CUTRER
Demi started dental assisting in June 2024 she was trained by our doctors here at Lotus Dental. She is a former certified pharmacy technician of 14 years, and now excited to be a part of the dentistry profession. In her time here she learned so many new things, including patient care, taking X-rays, and lab duties. Demi says her favorite thing about Lotus Dental is the team dynamic, everyone is a team player and always helping one another. She is looking forward to professional growth and gaining more experience, while helping patients with their dental health. In her free time, she enjoys running, working out, online shopping, being outdoors, riding four wheelers, and spending quality time with her husband and two children.
ASHLEIGH TUMMINELLO – DENTAL ASSISTANT
Ashleigh Tumminello has been with Verges Dental since April of 2023. Ashleigh is both CPR and X-ray certified with plans to become EDDA certified. In her free time you can find Ashleigh spending time with her husband and pups at their hunting camp, fishing, floating in the pool, or working on some type of craft or renovation project around the house. Although she has now chosen a different career path after being a Cosmetologist for many years, she still enjoys doing hair and makeup for weddings on the weekends. Ashleigh’s favorite part about working at Verges Dental is the family-like atmosphere that everyone here strives to provide and the ability to learn something new everyday.
KAILYNN GUIDRY – DENTAL ASSISTANT
Kailynn attended St. Joseph’s Academy and graduated in 2018. She then continued her education at LSU where she graduated in 2022. She has been working as a Dental Assistant at VDC since April 2023 and continues to further her education through classes and trainings. She enjoys interacting with patients and making sure they are comfortable and informed during their appointments. She loves that everyone on the VDC team is always working diligently together to ensure the best patient experience and help each patient achieve their best, and happiest smile. When she’s not working, Kailynn enjoys traveling and spending time with family, friends, her boyfriend Austin and her two dogs Diesel and Denali.
