Book Review Cori Gwilliam, RDH
Dental Hygiene Supervisor, Today’s Dental

Smile Wide Look Inside, authored by Judith Dember-Paige, RDH, offers a glimpse into Nicole’s first trip to the dental office. Readers are able to experience her visit through colorful, fun photography.

During her visit, Nicole meets Dr. Smiles, the dentist and Lisa, the hygienist. After getting comfortable in the big chair, Nicole watches Lisa don green gloves and a mask––depicted in the book with a clear acetate page. With the clear page down, Ms. Lisa is wearing the gloves and mask. Lift the page and the gloves and mask are removed. Next Nicole takes a look at the hygienist’s instruments or “dental helpers,” including the explorer, probe, mirror, cotton pliers, curet, saliva ejector and polishing angle. After counting the teeth and checking for decay, the hygienist cleans and polishes Nicole’s teeth and applies fluoride. Digital radiographs are taken and shown on the computer screen. Left-handed Dr. Smiles completes the exam, finding a cavity that needs to be treated and explains it all to Nicole. Dr. Smiles also reinforces the oral-hygiene instructions the hygienist provided, with a suggestion to let Mom or Dad help.

Proud of herself when returning to Dad in the reception room, Nicole tells him all about Dr. Smiles, Ms. Lisa the hygienist and the cavity Nicole needs to have fixed. The final event of Nicole’s visit to the dentist––choosing a prize from the treasure box.

Young children, and their parents too, will benefit from this story that effectively relieves the fear and anxiety of an impending visit to the dentist and brings fun to the experience. Nicole appears to be about four or five years old, not one-year as currently recommended, but such a story wouldn’t work with such a small child. Despite the recommendation to bring children to the dentist when the teeth first erupt, many children actually visit the dentist first at Nicole’s age.

At a Glance
Smile Wide Look Inside
By Judith Dember-Paige, RDH
$15
ABCDE Press: http://www.abcdepress.com

About Judith Dember-Paige, RDH
ABCDE Press was founded in 2003 by Judith Dember-Paige, RDH. Besides dental hygiene, Judith is a busy mother of four. She has devoted her career to making children comfortable during their dental visit and teaching them good dental hygiene. Judith saw a need for an informative book for children and their parents to help take the fear and anxiety out of a child’s first dental experience. To fill that need, she wrote Smile Wide Look Inside, the first offering of ABCDE Press.