Dental-Health Books

This is a wake up call to all those who believe processed food trash is okay for ones body.

I never received my order - just the receipt for payment. What crap. Can't see any other easy way to complain, so here is your feedback. Chumps.

This is an extraordinary book that flies in the face of most conventional information on nutrition. Having been a health care practitioner for over 20 years, I know this information is valid and true. If you are interested in dental health or longevity, this is a must read!

Modern nutrition research is a mess. As a scientist who's interested in health research, I find the field to be amazingly full of bias and unscientific thinking. It's driven more by popular consensus than logic.

"Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" slices through modern nutrition BS with devastatingly simple logic: Price found the healthiest cultures in the world, and recorded what they were doing. It's as simple as that.

For those who are concerned with the credibility of the book, I'll mention that it's very consistent with what anthropologists and field physicians were saying at the time. Price also published some of his findings in respected peer-reviewed journals like JAMA and JADA during his lifetime. His genius was in consolidating information from many different cultures and examining what they had in common. Modern Western food habits have left a trail of destruction throughout the world, and it was painfully obvious to anyone observing a transition from traditional foods to industrially processed Western foods.

Price and other groups of researchers have shown that modern degenerative disease is caused by a modern diet, yet mainstream nutrition research continues to fumble around in the dark. These days, researchers conduct studies that compare the sick to the sicker and confuse correlation with causation. This information then gets conveyed to us by a media that is completely unscientific and more concerned with creating a big story than conveying sound information. Leave them all in the dust and learn how to be truly healthy by reading the most important and most overlooked piece of health research ever published.

Would it be crass say this book is the answer to new couples wanting to conceive and raise children who will grow up to have straight teeth, model beautiful cheekbones and manly square jaws? ;)

I fear that is the only way we can get past our current culture obsessed with lowfat oversugared fake food.

This book changed my life and the life of my son. In a time where vegetables-lowfat-tofu eating dietary principles are held up as the answer to health we are eating beef liver and cod liver oil, pastured meat and eggs, wild seafoods and raw grassfed milk, butter and cream, bone broths, soaked grains and nuts and fermented vegetables to try to achieve the 10x the RDA of fat soluble vitamins and 5x the RDA of minerals and water soluble vitamins that protected people around the globe from disease and enabled them to achieve their full genetic potential (ie. the wide palates, model cheekbones and manly square jaws!)

I already know the 3 years following the principles in this book and the WAP Foundation has helped my son as his palate his widened and tooth spacing increased from age 2 to age 5. I'm excited to see if his secondary teeth will come in straight and avoid braces like I had!

Price was a DDS who was the head of research for the ADA of his day... someone very learned with the scientific method. His ten years of travelling the globe has given us most vital information on a natural human diet and how this relates to health and the growth of a child most especially.

I constantly look around me everyday and see the result of modern processed food: the weak chins, narrow palates, crowded teeth, narrow nostrils, "deviated septums" and underdeveloped faces. This is NOT a results of genetics, is is a result of your diet!! That is mind blowing!! As a relatively new mother, that is life changing to know that I can effect how my child will look by what I feed him.

I especially see the results of physical degeneration in the faces and teeth of my son's generation. Interestingly enough, I rarely see it in my parent's generation! (Both my parents were raised on cod liver oil btw.) This alone has been fascinating to consider and it spurred me on to learn more about how proper nutrition effects our bone structure and our health.

With respect to myself, this book inspired me to get tested for vitamin D deficiency, and supplement with cod liver oil. Learning how much vit. D can effect your immune system and breast cancer risk is only secondary to how good I feel... much less fatigued, happier and more resilient on this diet. I used to be a healthy vegetarian eater, but a traditional diet based on WAPF principles is hands down much better for me.

Viva Healthy Animal Fat!
(grass fed or wild)

Hello...

This book gave me the insights I needed when I was in tremendous pain and fear because of a dental crisis. I hadn't been to a dentist in 20 years, and because of this book, I was able to avoid them long enough to gain the strategic insight so I would not just be another casualty of a society which forgets its origin in Nature. Coming home to Nature has been fulfilling on such a primal level. I feel more of who I am as a physical being on this plane. All my life, I've watched the follies of Western Medicine, along with the good deeds, and have been surprised at the disparities. Diet & Core Beliefs are my first priorities when any physical ailment arises. Addressing them effectively has ALWAYS given me the results I've desired.

This book is written honestly, simply and in a very easy to comprehend manner. The Author has actually 'tried and tested' what he advocates in this book. It clearly states that curing tooth decay is possible contrary to mainstream thinking. It looks at the value of good nutrition, and how modern day living has attributed to a decline in tooth health.

I've always known deep down that teeth can heal naturally.
When my own daughter began having dental issues, I went on
a mission! Already been down that path, and being very
scarred from the dental experiences I endured, I knew I couldn't
put my child through it. I found Dr. Weston Price's research
and my instincts told me this was it! Ramiel has now written
a book, drawn from Price's findings, but specifically directed at restoring dental health. The result is a very comprehensive
book that lays it all out. He is honest. And the truth is
an incredible eye-opener! The protocol works. Get this book,
especially if you have children.

Rami Nagel is an "ordinary mortal" who has, by virtue of necessity and courage to dare - and the remarkable archive of anthropological-medical data created by Dr. Weston Price achieved an extraordinary goal - arresting and reversing what most people and practitioners routinely believe to be an inevitable degeneration in dental health

He has come at his subject with all the doubts, hopes and vulnerabilities of a layman whose inner quest will not allow him to be satisfied with the pathological state of affairs that modern medicine takes to be "normal". It is normal in the truest sense of the word - meaning, the condition of the majority, the mean, the present state of things. But normal is not necessarily natural, and the quest for the natural is clearly what inspired both Weston Price and Rami Nagel.

While there are many ways of providing the essential elements required for the job, Nagel chooses to model his approach on that of Dr. Price, who did decades of detailed study and analysis which few now would care to undertake.

However, other - not incompatible - paths exist, such as the very promising potential of modulating the pH acid-alkaline balance in the bloodstream, a pre-condition which is pivotal in virtually all other and later developments in human physiology. One brief example will do: it is necessary for the salivary pH to be at least 6.5 in order for new enamel to be formed.

Even if all other conditions are ideal, and this is not the case, the desired results may not occur. Ideally, "primal" nutrition would create such a condition, but years - perhaps decades - of extreme imbalance (even on well-intended diets), but experience shows that, at least initially, more aggressive measures may often be needed to rectify the all-important fluid state of the body.

Nagel's book is admirable for its honesty, clarity and inspirational power, and deserves to be taken as the deeply valuable resource which it is, collating hundreds of pages of clinical research and distilling it into user-friendly form for impatient contemporary readers and needers.

About a month ago I noticed that my enamel was stripping off. I don't believe this was typical enamel erosion. I don't eat citrus fruits or drink soda, don't have gerd or acid reflux, and I'm not bulemic. I have patches and dull strips where there used to be shiny enamel. I bought this book and changed my diet immediately. Within a few weeks the stripping of the enamel stopped. And all of a sudden in a matter of days, I started noticing vast improvements in the surface of my teeth. I read that tooth structure is lattice like, and it really is. You can really see it! For a couple of days, I actually watched it re-knit, and some of the patches have shrunk, by refilling with shiny enamel. I cheated on my birthday and the progress slowed for several days and I didn't notice daily improvements. I am just starting to see them again. There will be no more cheating. I don't want to slow this down.

My daughter just started getting her permanent teeth this spring and they don't have any shine to them at all. She is also getting some enamel finally. Hers doesn't have the appearance of lattice, yet. She is just now getting her first vertical lines. If I could capture this, I'd probably just post the pictures online for the whole world to see that dentists are wrong! Everywhere you read online, "enamel does not grow back..." But, it does. I don't think this is just the enamel "like" glassy coating that Rami refers to. I really believe this is actual enamel re-knitting.

My husband is getting improvements in his teeth as well. A couple of his molars appeared to have black decay in them, and the blackness is fading away.

A bonus from this diet, is that I am finally starting to absorb my nutrients. Both myself and my daughter suffer from deficiencies caused by malabsorption. We are both doing better. And the proof for me, besides my teeth healing, is that my prematurely gray hair is reversing. Premature gray hair is caused by a lack of minerals. So, I must be absorbing some finally.

This book shows you how important proper nutrition is, not just for teeth but for all health. The teeth are not just for eating. They are not unnecessary and expendible. They are keys to your health. They can tell you when something is wrong in your body. Dentures can't do that. If you have cavities, or enamel issues, it's not just a "dental" issue. It's a HEALTH issue. And fillings are just a bandaid. You MUST take responsibility and take control of your health. Only YOU can do that. No doctor or dentist can do that for you. It is hard work. Change is not easy, and not always fun. But it is SO WORTH the effort. Not only will you feel better physically because you're getting proper nutrition, you will feel good knowing that YOU did this for yourself. No bandaids, no magic pills.

I also recommend Sally Fallon's, Nourishing Traditions book along with your purchase of Ramiel Nagel's, Cure Tooth Decay. Her book will help you keep with the guidelines that Rami suggests in this book.

I just want to add a thank you to Rami for his hard work and dedication to writing this book.

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!

everything you could ever need to know in an easy to follow format, dvd actually is useful

This book is a decent text however it's not an easy read. I had to reread some parts to totally get the concept. It's not the worst textbook I have ever been assigned thought.

Free shipping, got it on time, and way cheaper than what I paid at the school bookstore!

This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone learning to administer local anesthesia (dental fields)!! The author really knows his stuff!!

I believe this is an excellent review about this subject, especially for students. its graphics and pictures are very educational.

A healthy mouth has a direct impact on a healthy body, a connection that is too often overlooked. Bad mouth hygiene and gum disease is linked not only to pre-natal problems, but also to heart disease. There is no more important time to safeguard your health than during pregnancy. This informative, friendly guide can make sure that gum health is not overlooked during pregnancy. It also provides guidance for good mouth health, and is essential reading, whether you're pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or even if you are neither!
Charlotte Libov, co-author, "A Woman's Guide to Heart Attack Recovery"

Pregnancy And Oral Health examines the link between gum infections during pregnancy and an increased risk of premature or underweight births, as well as heart attack, stroke, and other serious illness. Chapters provide recommendations for a simple, daily antibacterial program to support the body's natural healing, an eight-point test to determine if one has gum disease, advice for preventing pregnancy gingivitis, straight talk on why brushing and flossing alone may not be enough, and much more. Pregnancy And Oral Health is a superbly presented and welcome supplement to pregnancy reference shelves, and especially recommended reading for expectant mothers everywhere.

I picked up this book at a local writer's conference. Being a single male, I'm not exactly in the book's target audience, but I like to support local authors. I was very pleasantly surprised. Pregnancy and Oral Health offers very useful information in an agreeable, often humerous style. It is not a fear mongering book, nor is is simply a list (ten things you can do to have better breath...). It is a complete work on oral health, and specifically its importance in pregnancy. It passed what I consider the ultimate test for a "self help" book - it convinced me to change my habits for the better. I'm buying a copy for every woman I know who is thinking about having children.

The link between oral health and pregnancy outcomes has become an important focus in the women's health community over the past decade. It is clear that poor oral hygiene and a lack of oral health may contribute to morbidity during the childbearing year. With her book, Pregnancy and Oral Health, Sheila Wolf offers those interested in optimizing their health a valuable tool. This book is accessible, informative and motivating and clearly outlines simple behaviors that will improve one's oral health. As a nurse-midwife serving women throughout their life span, I found this book's content as pertinent to providers of obstetric care as it is to our clients.

Mama Gums and her immensely readable book most certainly saved my gums, my teeth, and maybe even my life. This entertaining book and its essential oral-care techniques are for everyone -- men and women, boys and girls, pregnant and non-pregnant, and especially dental professionals (who need to read it the most).

Sheila's book has all the information your dental professionals should give you but don't. Believe me, I speak from experience! After years of conscientiously soliciting and scrupulously following the "brush, floss, and regular professional cleanings" advice of my general dentist and first periodontist, I was rewarded with war-zone style bleeding gums at every cleaning, deep periodontal pockets, receding gums, and significant bone loss. My first periodontist told me my only alternative was extensive gum surgery. The periodontist whose second opinion I sought wanted to do even more extensive gum surgery. Yikes, yikes, and double yikes! I was paralyzed with fear.

My friend introduced me to Sheila via telephone and loaned me a copy of her warm, witty, and scientifically sound but completely understandable book. I read Sheila's book cover to cover and immediately began following her oral-care regimen. I also ordered several more copies for my friends, my family, and myself.

This week, I had the best dental checkup of my life -- no bleeding, no tartar buildup, significantly reduced periodontal pockets, tight healthy gum tissue, and one very happy camper. Sheila's book and my willingness to follow it made all the difference, taking me from oral-health hell to oral-health heaven in less than six months.

You literally can't live without this book, so buy it, follow it, and enjoy the results. You, too, will thank Mama Gums.

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.

This is a solid reference work on supplementary dental treatments.
When I read the title I thought this book might cure all of a variety of dental problems. Rather it explains how to help dental problems using homeopathy and herbal treatments. The book is quite exhaustive and thorough for each topic. The recommendations and solutions
are still much like a regular dentist would offer. They are just supplemented with holistic care and idea's such as herbs and homeopathy. I had a hard time finding practical ways to use the information but it is a very complete book on dentistry and tooth and gum issues.

Review is by Ramiel Nagel author of Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition

If the word "dentist" brings to mind a certain song from "Little Shop of Horrors," you may have avoided your twice-a-year visits to such a professional. Sometimes, it catches up with you. What do you do if your filling falls out or you break a tooth? Don't panic. But don't avoid taking action.

Grab this book. California dentist Flora Parson Stay says she wrote this helpful volume after finding few references on dentistry for her patients.

And she's right. Hey, the only remedy for toothache I can ever remember reading is in Mark Twain's fictional Tom Sawyer -- out-of-date information from the same kid who took dead cats to the cemetary to get rid of warts. Not to worry. Dr. Stay, who has more than two decades' experience as a DDS, gives modern advice for toothache sufferers.

This is stuff we need to know. Too often, we have our family first aid kit equipped for every kind of emergency -- except dental ones. This book needs to be kept right next to your regular First Aid manual.

If your Little Leaguer gets popped by a bat, or fields a fastball that knocks his tooth out, did you know you can re-attach it? For real. Stay's on son suffered such an accident. His tooth reattached itself -- yours can, too. Surprise!

Knocked out teeth may be successfully replaced if done within a half-hour's time, Stay advises. Never hold the tooth by the root. Simply rinse off any blood or dirt and replace it in the socket. Then, get to the dentist immediately.

If you can't get to the dentist within that golden 30 minute time period,she says, keep the knocked-out tooth wrapped in a moist cloth or gauze, or placed in a container in milk. Dr. Stay says adults can simply leave the tooth under their tounge until they're seen by the dentist; this is a potential choking hazard for children, however.

Dr. Stay tells you how to put together a dental first aid kit, and what to do if you have an abcess, a cracked tooth, a lost filling or problems with your wisdom teeth. If your temporary crown falls out, stop by a drugstore for a temporary fix-it kit. There's information for denture wearers and people who may have suffered a broken jaw. Advice when to -- and when not to -- use over-the-counter painkillers for the hurt in your mouth.

Don't call the Tooth Fairy, consult The Complete Book of Dental Remedies instead. You'll feel better fast and have reason to smile.

I have to admit, I haven't read any other similar books, but we were given this book by a friend, and have found it very helpful. I'd give it 5 stars, except for the fact that it's getting a bit dated now. (I'm surprised there hasn't been a revised edition.) Anyway, it's full of helpful information and explains just about everything the layperson would need to know. The author has also studied acupuncture and some alternative medicine, so it is informed with that too i.e. helpful herbs, acupressure points, nutritional prescriptions, etc. It very well organized, and the author is clearly knowledgable and at the top of her game. I think she has a good integration between traditional dental advice and more "alternative," for lack of a better word. If you're going to have any major dental work done, you should definitely peruse this book before proceeding. By the way, she includes some excellent advice on how to pick a dentist.

This is a comprehensive handbook for consumers which describes conventional, homeopathic and herbal remedies as they apply to dentistry. Most dental patients are never fully informed about the real causes of dental disease, and most patients are unaware of the variety of remedies available. Dr. Stay explains that bacteria, especially streptococcus mutans and other organisms, produce plaque-forming toxins from ingested sugars. Consumption of refined carbohydrates feeds bacteria, leading to dental cavity formation which is the most common disorder in humans; about eighty-five percent of the population has some form of gum disease. She provides detailed descriptions of the various filling materials which can be amalgam, composite resins, porcelain, or gold; explains why different metals should not be present in the same mouth; and that some dental procedures may affect an unborn baby, particularly at certain crucial times during its development. Amalgam fillings may be the major single source of mercury exposure. Gold inlays are the best filling material and may last more than twenty years. As far as I know, this is the only book of its kind and is well worth the money. Unfortunately, it's very difficult for most people to find practitioners who offer the choices of remedies described in this book, and most dentists refuse to discuss the amalgam controversy with patients.