The Dentist and You by Firefly Books

32 pages, 7" x 10 1/4" x 1/8

full color photographs and line illustrations, index

The Dentist and You is a book for any young child making a trip to the dentist's office. It familiarizes children with many of the dental tools and procedures they are likely to encounter during their visit, allowing them to become more comfortable with dentists and oral hygienists. By showing how specific instruments are used to examine or treat them, why they are used, and how they work, this book helps children develop positive attitudes about their dental appointments.

Some of the things examined include: dental lamp, rubber gloves, mirror, X-ray camera, scaler, air hose, saliva ejector, fluoride treatment, syringe, burr, and filling tools.

Because control over their own bodies is very important to young children, their role in the use of each dental tool is emphasized through a special feature called "Your Job." Appearing on each double-page spread, "Your Job" briefly explains what children can do to help with the procedures, providing them with a confident and active role in their own dental care.

The information is presented in a forthright manner. Potential fears associated with dental procedures are also addressed in a comforting and honest way.

"Points for Parents" is a feature that offers advice about discussing the book with children and suggests activities to do together before and after a trip to the dentist to help children become comfortable with the visit and procedures.

The Dentist and You is illustrated with photographs of children visiting various dental offices and contains line drawings. It includes an index.

Diane Swanson is a successful, award-winning writer of non-fiction for children. She is the author of over 40 books for children, including The Doctor and You (2001) and Nibbling on Einstein's Brain: The Good, the Bad and the Bogus in Science (2001). Diane lives in Victoria, B.C.

Visiting the Dentist

Seeing You Best

Dressed for the Job

One Tooth, Two Teeth

Inside Look

Clean-up Team

Water Control

Building Armor

Sealing Out Trouble

Soothe a Tooth

Get Ready

Out with the Bad

Get Set

In with the Good

Points for Parents

Index

Introduction: Visiting the Dentist

Step up to a mirror and SMILE. You're looking at a marvelous set of teeth. They help you chew your meals, speak clearly -- even look great.

Every day, you protect your teeth by cleaning them. But like everybody else, you need a little help at least twice a year. That's why you visit dentists regularly: to make sure you're cleaning all your teeth well and to prevent or fix problems.

Visiting dentists means going to offices that have special tools to care for your teeth. The dentists use many of them. Dental hygienists use some, too. The tools that are pictured in this book are common ones. You'll spot a lot of them on your visits -- even if the tools don't look exactly like the ones on these pages.

When you see, hear, or feel a dentist's tools, they can seem strange. That's why it's good to read this book with a parent before you visit a dentist. You'll find out how the tools are used and why. You'll discover that most of them won't bother you at all and that a few might -- just for a short time. But remember: these tools are there to help you.

You are the person in charge of your teeth, so you are important to their care. In this book, you'll read about some of the jobs you'll have at the dentist's office. Look for them on pages that say "Your Job." Then try them out on your dentist visits.