Dental Library Review- Franklin and the Tooth Fairy

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over Franklin and the Tooth Fairy by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark.

This book follows the characters and storyline of Franklin the Turtle and his animal buddies. In this tale, Franklin’s best friend, Bear, loses his first tooth. Startled by his friend’s joyous response, Franklin contemplates how and why he doesn’t have any teeth to lose. As he learns about the tooth fairy, he becomes apprehensive about not being able to “grow up” and get adult teeth. However, his parents clear up the confusion, and leave him a small present to celebrate him growing up, since he can’t get a visit from the tooth fairy.

We love this book because it deals with using lost teeth as a measure of “growing up.” Children typically lose their first tooth between ages 5 and 6, a range that can seem like an eternity to young minds. This book helps reassure children that although their friends may be losing teeth before them, they are all getting older every single day. Kinds tend to use lost teeth as a measure of age as it is a very visible milestone. This book is here to remind them that everyone grows up at their own pace, regardless of lost teeth.

Given the content and word count for this book, we would recommend it as a bedtime story or a guided reader for slightly older children. As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dental Library Review- The Tooth Book

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over The Tooth Book: A Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums by Edward Miller.

The Tooth Book is less of a traditional story book and more of an educational guide with fun facts and illustrations. In it’s pages, you will find tidbits on the history of dentistry, instructions on home care and a little bit of background on the science and structure of the dental profession. The book is quite interesting, even from an adult perspective. How often do you get to learn about Ancient Egyptian dental hygiene habits?

Our favorite part of this book is the discussion on home hygiene. This would be an excellent tool in “driving home” the important parts of dental care with your young kids. The guides on brushing, flossing, diet and how to handle trauma could all be very handy. The best part is the fun and interesting manner in which the information is presented.

We recommend this book for older readers who can process some scientific words and will be interested even in the absence of a plot. As mentioned earlier, this is mostly a collection of fun facts. Children intrigued by science and history will likely enjoy the read, if only for the random  knowledge. However, we do not recommend this book for smaller children and kids with dental phobia. It has some “big words” and some of the discussions on tooth decay and cavities could alarm younger and more sensitive kids. Overall, we would find this book suitable for children ages 6 to 12, depending on their reading level and interest.

As with any of the books in our library, feel free to stop by our office to take a look. We want you to have the best tools available to educate your family and get them excited about dental hygiene. We hope you find this book as enjoyable as we did!