Krystle Dean-Duru ’07

After practically growing up in her mother’s dental office, Krystle Dean-Duru ’07 knew deep down she’d join her practice. She had to figure out the path for herself — from studying psychology at the College to considering medical school — but she says the feeling was always there.

“I like to say she used her Jedi mind tricks to get me into it,” Dean-Duru says of her mother, Lynda.

Today, the duo operates Ashburn Children’s Dentistry in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Dean-Duru specializes in patients who have needs beyond a typical cleaning and provides them with airway-focused treatments, like procedures to fix tongue placement and breathing. These craniofacial structural issues can impact a child’s overall physical and emotional health. Left untreated, she says, problems like sleep apnea and mouth breathing, which contribute to overall dysregulation, can show up later; she abides by the philosophy that treating the root cause early is more effective than managing the potentially serious conditions later.

For someone who considered becoming a pediatric surgeon to help kids live healthy lives, it’s a perfect fit.

“We focus on the connection between oral health and full-body health, and I get to perform surgery,” she says. “It’s everything that I wanted.”

Dean-Duru says that working alongside her mother has been one of the biggest privileges of her life and has brought a deeper meaning to their relationship. She’s watched her work on the cutting edge of pediatric dentistry, using the newest and most advanced technologies, such as lasers, to improve patients’ quality of life.

“I’ve been able to see her as more than just a mother,” Dean-Duru says. “I call her a pioneer.”

In addition to growing her practice, Dean-Duru is also a co-founder of Womb 2 Grow Wellness, a family wellness brand based on the same principles she practices every day. She and her mother often travel to conferences and appear on their local morning news show to talk about preventive treatments and the impact of oral health on overall well-being. Dean-Duru likes educating other medical practitioners and sharing her expertise, but loves the daily work of treating patients and seeing results.

“Giving my young patients a voice is the best thing, because they can be vulnerable and not be able to communicate that,” she says. “Being a conduit for that is my favorite part.”

— Emily Driehaus