Child-Dental-Health Books

Fun and light hearted view from Dora's perspective how fun and important it is to visit a dentist. This book familiarizes young ones with the experience of visiting the dentist, from the tools used to details of the entire examination. My son likes the story and asks me to read it often.

The concept is great, anything to help us brush the little ones teeth. For some reason I thought this was one of the books with thick pages that can stand up to the kids. It is not. Has thin pages that are destroyed in no time.

my son never let the dentist perform the full cleaning until after we read this book together. kids who like dora will most likely respond well on their next dental visit when they see dora acting like a big girl and letting the dentist examine and clean her teeth. i convinced my son that the dentist will make his teeth white and shiny like dora's - he fell for it like a champ! thanks Dora!! :-)

It's a good idea to start early so when that time comes to go the the dentist, your toddler will be willing to sit there just long enough to complete the checkup. Dora rocks when it comes to getting kids to do things like say words, jump up and down, whatever. A must have.

We started reading it every day 2 weeks before her first dentist appointment. Great book! Worked like a charm!

In The Covered Smile, first-time author Sonja Lauren shows her reader a new dimension of childhood neglect. By the so-tender age of 13, a child of poverty in a small West Virginia town, Ms. Lauren had all her teeth surgically extracted. The author believes she may be the youngest child ever to have this experience and her passion to educate so that others will never know her trauma emanates strongly from the pages of this slender book.

Ms. Lauren begins her memoir at her "moment of truth"--27 years old and in her dentist's office. Because her current dentures are ill-fitting, embarrassing, and causing both speech and eating disorders, she believes that new dentures will resolve her problems. Thus she is completely unprepared for the shocking facts she hears. She no longer has enough bone in her jaw to support dentures, will need several expensive implant surgeries over the course of a year, and then will require much more expensive dentures to connect with the implants.

In shock, pain, and deep anger, she goes home wondering how she can afford her needs. Her long-suppressed childhood memories begin to emerge, and we journey back to her childhood home where, with grace, she shows parents unable to care for her and her younger sister. We meet her adopted older sister who has learned to cook and clean and bathe Ms. Lauren and her sibling. When her older sister marries and leaves home, it triggers the author's acting-out behavior. At age 6, she is diagnosed as a troubled child and, among other behaviors, begins to frequently suck on candy and chew gum as comforting devices.

Clearly, the title is not only about hiding decayed teeth but also the demeanor of a neglected child. Ms. Lauren shows us the skills she developed in order to survive in a very literal way. One of her mother's dysfunctions was an inability (based in deep fear) to care for any illnesses or injuries her daughters sustained. Lack of self-care education at home and school led rapidly to one of the inevitable consequences--serious oral decay and infection along with other serious social consequences. In emergency situations, she describes her dentists. The first impatiently tells her mother that since the young Lauren will not care properly for her teeth, she should have them all pulled at age 16. In an emergency visit not long after, another dentist angrily tells her parents that Ms. Lauren has been neglected and they are responsible for not assuring she properly cared for her teeth. Decades later, the author's search to re-connect with her history leads her back to the dentist's chart note from that day--"Absolutely the worst dental case I have ever seen."

Lauren does an excellent job of showing her reader how a neglected child experiences the parent/child relationship in reverse. The chapters progress with a primary focus on her dental experiences as a child, move into her pre-teen extractions, and continue with the lonely, bloody aftermath of two oral surgeries. Ultimately, she discusses her permanent handicaps and how such trauma could have been prevented.

The lovely young woman on the book cover is the author's daughter Angelica, whose hand hides a smile her mother was determined would never need to be hidden. Angelica is "the incredible force that pushed me into therapy at the age of twenty-five. I knew the minute my child was born that she would not suffer as I had. I can recall the day when Angelica began to cut her baby teeth. Each night, I carefully wiped each tooth clean before bedtime. Angelica still has never had a cavity."

We accompany Lauren as she receives her implant surgeries, new dentures and follow-up care in the face of enormous cost. The goodness of the many professionals is demonstrated when they find room in their hearts and practices to help those in need. The author's strength of spirit is also powerfully moving, particularly in one of the last chapters when she addresses a frequently asked question, "Have you forgiven your parents?"

The book contains solid basic oral hygiene education as well as the newest findings. Oral health is clearly linked to overall health. Chapters 14 and 15 are written by two dentists, and the appendix describes ways to help children avoid Lauren's path.

I connected most strongly to the author's word snapshots of being a small, unkempt child alone in her "dark, dirty bedroom staring out the window" while enduring the pain of a tooth infection or a physical injury. In extreme situations only, would she would go to her parents for help. She feels responsible if her mother becomes unduly upset. She feels guilty when her dental care creates financial problems for her parents. Thus, Lauren links her writing with one of my own passions--to show readers the inner world of the neglected or abused child in order to promote education, understanding, and one day, hopefully, obliteration of the destruction of precious, young psyches.

(This review also appears at www.storycirclebookreviews.org)
The Covered Smile: A True Story

Sonja Lauren has a well-written memoir that moves through the details of her childhood neglect and informs the reader about the dangers of parental ignorance with every sentence. She writes about dental neglect, a problem few of us imagine. As the child who lived it and the adult who tells it, she shows courage, honesty, and perserverance. I'm sure THE COVERED SMILE will touch the lives of many and be a strong voice for children. This book will make a difference.

It's difficult to imagine this story occurring in late 20th century America, but it is not that uncommon. Sonja Lauren is one of the rare victims who has the strength and talent to shed light on the results of child physical and emotional neglect in hopes that fewer children will have to suffer as she did. Sonja's tale of overcoming a horrendous childhood in a dysfunctional family will shock you and then warm your heart. Her persistence and insistence in being a good mother herself, despite her own physical problems, offer hope and inspiration to all readers. Despite her trials, Sonja has recovered and forgiven, and her spirit has triumphed. Read her story, learn her lessons, and share her elation.

Sonja's journey through life thus far has been a difficult one, but she has been able to turn all of her adversities into life-affirming experiences. She is a loving, caring and forgiving individual and the perfect example of the meaning of Romans 5:3-4("....we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.")

Her book is an eye-opening story all parents and medical personnel should read.

The Covered Smile, by Sonja Lauren-

I read this book in two days, I could not put it down. It is a story of survival and triumph of the human spirit over poverty, neglect and pain. As a counselor, it brought home to me just how much impact we can have on a child's life for better or for worse.

My son likes the book. It was on a list on a dentists web site to help him cope with his first dentist visit.
I recommend this book.
Mike Carrillo

This book helped me get through life and showed me the true path to spiritual enlightenment.

The world lost a real gem of a writer when Stan Berenstain passed on November 29. Together, Berenstain and his wife, Jan, and eventually their two sons, created books featuring lovable but flawed characters who tackle just about every real issue that faces families.

Going to the dentist is something that most kids (and adults!) fear. And why not? It's invasive, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful to have someone poking around in your mouth with metal objects. However, it's necessary, and having a healthy attitude about it will promote lifelong oral health. This book is a great place to start if you're looking to help alleviate your child's fear about going to the dentist. It'll help open up a dialogue about your kid's fears and help you to explain why the dentist is so important. Wonderful!

Grab this book - this one should be in every library! It's a great hit at our house because in places, it's quite funny! Sister wakes up one morning with a loose tooth and thus, talks funny! The words are spelled as such so my little one gets quite the chuckle out of how sister says certain "s" words! Anyway, sister spends the entire day wiggling her loose tooth until it's time to take brother to the dentist for his checkup. The dentist finds that brother has a cavity and lets sister stand over the chair and watch while he fills brother's tooth. Brother does try to torment sister quite a bit about how the dentist is going to "yank our her loose tooth," so she is somewhat timid to get into the chair. However, she does and while she is busy asking questions and looking at the dentist's "yanker," the dentist feels her tooth in a cloth, wiggles it around and out it comes! Sister had no idea it even happened! She's pretty excited and thrilled about all of it and was very glad that brother was wrong about the yanker! She gets a dime from the tooth fairy and was very excited!

This book does an excellent job in describing what happens when you go to the dentist. It's great for getting rid of those little jitters and it really is accurate. Great job and I highly recommend it!

i love it,so does my son! he will be making his first trip to the dentist soon-ad at 29m old we need all the help we can get!

the only part that is questionable is how Sister gets her loose tooth pulled.It even gave me the willies!

We high recommend this book for our young patients before their first visit to the dentist. Barney helps remove any fears a child may have regarding their first dental visit. This book contains many good pictures to help explain what will happen during the visit.

My son is 2 and LOVES this book - don't know why. Did I say LOVE? I should have said OBSESSED, really, really, absolutely OBSESSED with this book - he asked for it constantly, which is wonderful (I LOVE that he loves it) because we read it everyday several times a day in preparation for his first dental visit, and that visit went fantastically well. This book is made up of photos of Ashley and her mom with Barney going to the dentist, being in the waiting room, sitting in the chair, having an xray, getting her teeth cleaned, and then leaving. It shows some instruments, the metal explorer pick and the little mirror, and all of these photos are exactly what my son encountered at the dentist. Even details like the bid he wore at the dentist or the gloves and mask the dentist wore are shown in the book, so he totally was grooving to it all because he was proud that he could tell the dentist what the dentist was doing. We even took the book with us to the dentist and as he was put into the chair we showed the page in this Barney book and said "Look, just like Ashely, you get to sit in the special chair!". The visit went extremely well, and we emphasized the book even after the visit to reinforce the 'pleasentness' of dentist visits and prepare him for next time. I highly recommend this book and wish there were more like it out there. I think the reality photos are more helpful as tools rather than the drawings of bears going to dentists. I did just order the 'smile wide look inside' book by Dember-paige as it too is photographs.

this is the BEST dentist book i have yet to get for my son! He loves it,and I do too!

The 'real' pictures are an added bonus and everything is done just right!

You won't be dissapointed!

This is a great book for your child to get to see the inside of the Dentist Office and not be afraid because Barney is there. Great tool for the teachers or Dental Professional to use to talk with small children for Childrens Dental Health Month. (Febuary)

Even though the age for this book is from 4-8, my 2 year old loves it. She asks to read, "Barney Dentist" all of the time, even though she has about 15 other Barney books. I hope it will help her to not be afraid of the dentist when it comes her time to go.

Great book. Explains what goes on in the dental environment. We loved the bit about the chair that goes up & down!

The whole Maisy series is so gentle and joyful. Charley is worried about his wobbley tooth and impending visit to the dentist, so Maisy and all his other friends go along to help him feel safe. This short book gracefully outlines what your toddler might expect to have happen at the dentist. My 2.5 year old read it the night before his first dentist visit and I think it really helped him.

This booked helped my 3 y.o. daughter prepare for her first dentist visit. 5 stars plus!

My 3 year old has been very hesitant about going to the dentist for the first time. I have even taken her with me a couple of times. After reading this book a couple of times she wanted to go and take her book with her.

She had a great time and asked the dentist to do the things with the chair that were in the book. It was sweet.

I should tell you that our whole family love Maisy and all her friends. The books are so simple and pleasing to the eye of our youngest whom is one.

This new Lucy Cousins title is sure to win big smiles from those first timers to the dentist, especially when they see how easy and fun it was for Charley.Charley gets to spin in the dentist's chair, and lean back to have Dr. Biteright check his teeth. Charley quickly feels better about being at the dentist after he gets his smiley badge. The colorful illustrations in bubbly cartoonish style are fun and easy to follow from page to page. This is a wonderful book for any parent or caregiver with children who are ambivalent about going to the dentist.

I have followed the writings of Beverly and Jerome Mittelman for 4 years, and was eager to read this book; I was not disappointed. The book is an invaluable how-to/reference manual for expectant parents, parents with children of any age, and should be distributed by pediatricians, dentists, obstetricians, and midwives to their patients to insure healthy teeth among all members of the family. The focus is truly holistic and begins with prevention. The Mittelmans and co-author Jean Barilla's progressive focus is upon nutrition with an emphasis on whole foods, whole grains, natural sweets derived from fruits along with supplementation from key vitamins. The contents succeeds in getting the reader to broaden the traditional view of sugar away from just chocolate bars to all sugars - refined and unrefined, processed and natural - and to manage and minmize total sugar intake. Another key emphasis is upon proper hygiene and attitude toward dental care i.e. dental care from a dentist and hygienist should emphasis healthy teeth rather than being an after-the-fact resource for identifying cavities and filling teeth. This book also provides the answers to the troublesome questions that health care consumers have concerning fluoride (does it prevent tooth decay), sealants (are they safe and/or necessary), mercury (are there alternatives and does mercury affect the immune system), and so on. Finally, this reader was struck by the authors' view of the teeth as being one component of our entire body, and that dental care should not take place in a vacuum. Healthy teeth are related to a healthy immune system, and overall good health. The authors will take the reader light years beyond what we have been taught is basic dental hygiene and light years beyond one's definition of dental well-being. READ THIS ONE AND THEN BUY IT FOR A FRIEND.

As a parent of a 7 year old I found this book very helpful. This book is chuck full of practical information that is a must for anyone who has a child or children in their life. It's an easy read and held my attention. I strongly urge anyone who wants their kids to have good dental care to read and re-read this book. I'm glad I did!

This is a must read for any child who will be visiting the dentist for the first time. Out of all the books I surveyed, (most of them are about children loosing their teeth), this hit the mark in addressing the anxiety a child feels. While Little Bill may have some fears of his own, he gets over them after talking to his family the night before his visit. Once there, he notices a girl in the waiting room who looks scared and finds out its her first visit. In the end Little Bill helps this girl get over her fears by pretending to be a dentist himself and uses her teddy bear as the patient. My daughter and I read this book two weeks before her visit. It was a big help in setting her expectations.

This is a must read for any child who will be visiting the dentist for the first time. Out of all the books I surveyed, (most of them are about children loosing their teeth), this hit the mark in addressing the anxiety a child feels. While Little Bill may have some fears of his own, he gets over them after talking to his family the night before his visit. Once there, he notices a girl in the waiting room who looks scared and finds out its her first visit. In the end Little Bill helps this girl get over her fears by pretending to be a dentist himself and uses her teddy bear as the patient. My daughter and I read this book two weeks before her visit. It was a big help in setting her expectations.

This book has taught our child how to brush her teeth independently. She follows the demonstration of each child on every page. The book is written well for very young children. A very quick read. One sentence for each step. It is a permanent book in our library

This the only good resource for teaching your children that going to the dentist can be fun. I think every dental office should have at least 1 copy in their office.

My child LOVES all of the Black Lagoon books. Perfect for school age children.