What’s your favorite part about going to the dentist? If you’re like most people, it’s leaving the office when the appointment is over. For adults and children on the autism spectrum, just getting to the appointment in the first place can feel like an insurmountable challenge.

Enter Dr. Krystal Manning, a dentist who opened her practice in Louisville, Kentucky in 2017. She had a novel idea: treat the whole person, not just their mouth. In pursuit of this whole-person approach, she worked with an autism therapist to develop a desensitizing dentistry program to make in-office care possible for those with sensory processing challenges.

Dr. Manning wanted to make sure that her dental practice was “Taking into account the whole patient and the whole person.”

Her office, Solstice Dental and Aesthetics, is committed to transparency and kindness, and when patients walk in the door they find an open, welcoming office. “You’re not going to walk into a tiny box and a tiny windowless box and be asked to open your mouth and endure treatment,” Dr. Manning said. She struggles with dental anxiety herself, and she understands that dental appointments can be scary for anyone.

Read the full story here.

For tips on going to the dentist if you are on the autism spectrum please go here.