Happy Children’s Dental Health Month!
If you’ve got a child, you know that starting them early with good brushing habits can mean a lifetime of health and happy visits to the dentist. So to celebrate, we’d like to talk today about some great books to get the kids in your talking about teeth and interested in taking care of their own.
Best Kids’ Books About Teeth
1. Dr. Suess’s The Tooth Book A favorite in our household, Dr. Suess’s Tooth Book doesn’t split any hairs about what will happen if you eat too much sugar. It introduces kids to lots of different types of teeth — a lion’s, a family’s — but as the book progresses, it lets little readers see what sugary food will do to your teeth in a series of gross-out pics. The cavity-ridden child in question is Billy Billings, who, as you can guess, gets a lot of fillings.
2. ABC Dentist by Harriet Ziefert Sometimes it is the language that seems scary and foreign to kids. This book, an ABC’s of going to the dentist, walks young people through the process with wit and humanity. Do it. Just try to come up with your own “Q” from a trip to the dentist before reading this book!
3. Just Going to the Dentist, by Mercer Mayer Little Critter (what the heck is that guy? We’ve never figured it out.) goes to the dentist and gets a cavity filled. This one might be for kids that are more school-aged. The pictures show the dentist holding a needle, which might be scary for younger kids, but it is a realistic depiction of what happens when a child comes to the dentist and gets routine dental care.
4. The Berenstein Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstein Sister bear and Brother bear go to the dentist, he to get a cavity filled and she to have a danging tooth removed. Safe and fun and great because of the way it walks kids through routine procedures that can seem a little scary.
5. The Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson Karma Wilson continues her lovely, sleep-inducing rhyming in the latest from Bear. You might know the character from some of her other books, Bear Snores On, Bear Says Thanks. Bear is a favorite in most children’s homes — he’s the one who is always snoring on through his friends’ party, or, in this case, being flummoxed by losing a tooth.
6. William Stieg’s Dr. DeSoto A classic in its own right, Dr. DeSoto tells the story of a mouse dentist, professional to the core, who is charged with working on the teeth of a fox. Stieg has a way of making stories that are engaging for parents and children alike, and this one is no exception. It is a great fable on the nature of good and evil and a wonderful way to get children to understand that the dentist is on their side.7. Brush Brush Brush by Alica Padron This is a very cute, sing-songy board book for toddlers that we recommend using if you have a couple of reluctant brushers in the family. More than a few stories have been told about children who were adamently opposed to brushing before being introduced to this book.
8. Brush Your Teeth Please by Leslie McGuire This wonderful pop-up book for toddlers and preschoolers features a ragtag group of animals who brush and floss their teeth. Keep your eyes open for the shark who flosses! Warning: This is a pop-up, so it has moving parts. We repeat: Do not leave your children alone with this book!
9. Sweet Tooth by Margie Palatini This is the story about a sweet tooth with unchecked power. It belongs to a child who constantly craves sweet foods. The child tries to less the sweet tooth’s cravings by feeding it a steady diet of vegetables and other healthy vegetables. But don’t misunderstand us. This one isn’t overly didactic, just really fun and with great illustrations to boot.
10. Happy Tooth & Sad Tooth by Blake McKinley This newer book on the market tells the story of two teeth — one of whom is happy and needs little care when the child goes to the dentist. The other, naturally, needs a little more TLC. The reader learns how to give it. It’s an accessible way for children to learn how habits and self-care can change the outcome for the teeth in their mouths.
Come visit our dental clinic in McMinnville, OR to meet Dr. Adam Diesburg and to give your kids a great start to a lifetime of dental health!
