Dr. Buddy Trauth is home.
The new owner of the dental practice at 111 Lakewood Drive in Luling, Dr. Buddy is, finally, where he always planned to be: St. Charles Parish.
After five years practicing dentistry in Baton Rouge, Dr. Buddy, a graduate of Hahnville High School and LSU School of Dentistry, made his move this year. He purchased the dental practice in Luling with his wife, Abby. The couple, who met in English class at Hahnville High School, renamed the practice Hometown Dental. The opened their doors in February.
“I think that both of us love where we grew up,” Abby said. “We think that St. Charles Parish is a great place to raise kids. We wanted to give back to the community that has given so much to us.”
The couple purchased the dental practice from Dr. J. David Brannen, who was Dr. Buddy’s dentist when he was a kid. Dr. Buddy’s patient chart at the office includes a photo of him at 13 years old, when he was preparing for braces.
“We were just waiting for the right time,” Abby said of the decision to start a practice in the parish. “We were waiting for Dr. Brannen to be ready to retire so that [Buddy] could come back home and buy the practice that he grew up going to. That was always the goal.”
Dr. Brannen, a graduate of Hahnville High School and LSU School of Dentistry, opened his practice around 1991. He plans to retire at the end of the year, but he is currently working at Hometown Dental on Thursdays and Fridays to help with the transition. He said he hopes his patients remember him as caring, honest and diligent to do his best dental work with as little pain as possible.
“There is a lot of satisfaction over the years in giving people a beautiful, healthy smile,” he said.
Dr. Brannen said that while he is excited about winding down his career, he will miss the work and the people of St. Charles Parish that he has served for 41 years. He said the parish is in great hands with Dr. Buddy, his former patient.
“That continuity and local emphasis is very important to me,” he said. “Dr Buddy is a very dedicated and awesome dentist and is transforming my dental practice into Hometown Dental, with many modern upgrades and some expansion in the works.”
For Dr. Buddy (as his patients call him) and Abby, the dental office has become a hub of community and connection. Each staff member at Hometown Dental is from St. Charles Parish. Some of Dr. Buddy’s new patients have known him since he was a kid. Sometimes, patient visits are a chance to learn more about his own family history from people who have known his family for years.
“One of our patients coached [Buddy] in T-ball when he was a kid,” Abby said. “And [the patient] comes in and he’s like, I can’t believe I’m calling you ‘Dr. Buddy.’”
Abby, who took a temporary step back from her position at Luminate Louisiana Credit Unions to help manage the new business, said the most surprising thing about opening the practice is the connections she’s made with patients.
“Sometimes Buddy has to remind me to stop chatting with patients and get back to work,” Abby joked. “We are getting so attached to these patients. Ultimately, these patients are our friends and family.”
The practice is now open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The practice accepts all insurances.
Dr. Buddy has brought specialized skills to the practice. He plans to offer IV sedation and wisdom tooth removal – services that often require patients to travel outside of the parish.
“We have a lot of high school kids, a lot of kids that will need their wisdom teeth out,” Abby said. “So, they’ll be able to do that just five minutes down the road.”
The new practice is bringing in newer technology, transitioning from paper charts to digital charts and from regular non-digital X-rays to a digital system. This allows for more efficient care and helps the team provide accurate cost estimates so patients can prepare for their procedures.
The practice is also planning a renovation to create more space and improve the patient and staff experience.
Abby said the main goal of the practice is to provide the best care in a comfortable environment.
“You feel like you’re seeing a neighbor, but at the same time you are getting the best care,” Abby said. “We want to educate patients and hopefully work through people being nervous about going to the dentist. It may sound weird, but dental health is so important to overall health.”
