Customer Reviews

Show Me Your Smile!: A Visit to the Dentist (Dora the Explorer)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My son hasn't visited a dentist yet, and he was quite afraid of the prospect. Thanks to Show Me Your Smile!: A Visit to the Dentist, he's not nearly as anxious.

This book follows Dora and her Mom as she goes to the dentist to get her teeth cleaned. The beginning of the story shows Dora in a waiting room playing among other children as they wait for the dental assistant to call their name.

Once inside the dentist's room, Dora points out the chair and the light--explaining the purpose they serve. Dora then explains the process of taking an X-ray...and how the assistant will take a picture of her teeth to make sure they're healthy. She even describes how the assistant covers her with a heavy apron.

Once the X-ray is taken, Dora points out some pictures on the wall...and on the next page are black-and-white X-rays corresponding to the pictures (so children can match the X-ray with the character). The dentist comes in the room, and Dora explains the different instruments on the tray (such as the mirror, floss, dental pick, and so on.). Dora explains how the dentist cleaned her teeth and relates the hygienic advice given ("brush after breakfast and again before bedtime").

The dentist finds a cavity on the X-ray, and shows Dora the hole in the tooth (my son balks at this part). Dora explains that there's a "tool" that gets her tooth ready for the filling...and that it makes a "whirring" sound. (The "tool" is, of course, a drill. And not wanting to scare the child, they don't explain that they may have to get a shot to numb it...and that drilling sometimes causes discomfort.)

Dora receives a new toothbrush and a sticker--and even Swiper the fox makes an appearance (his appointment is after Dora's).

Understandably, a children's book can't get into the gory details of a visit to the dentist...but at least a book like Show Me Your Smile! will help make the first visit seem less threatening. This book also shows the importance of dental hygiene and why it's important for a child to brush and floss their teeth.

My daughter is so excited about going to the dentist now. The book is very informative, so she will know what to expect when we get there. Great book for toddler's to learn about going to the dentist. Love this book.

My daughter loves Dora and she remembered everything in the book when we went for her first dental visit. I honestly think this book calmed her nerves. A must have.

My son is a big Dora fan, so I was confident he'd like this book. Indeed, he's requested it at bedtime several times this week.

Dora walks children through most aspects of the dental visit: the waiting room, x-ray, cleaning, and cavity-filling. The book includes very detailed, accurate, and informative drawings of the instruments a dentist uses to examine and clean teeth. (I certainly didn't know that the scary, pointy hook tool was called an explorer--"just like me!" says Dora.)

Although Dora explains what a drill sounds like and how the dentist uses it to fix cavities, it does not mention how the dentist injects an anesthetic to numb the tooth. In my opinion, glossing over this important aspect is both a big cop-out and an educational faux pas. Children, like adults, prepare better when they have all the facts beforehand and know what to expect. Because of this omission, I could not give the book five stars.

I'm a dental hygienist and have two toddlers of my own. Even if your child isn't big into Dora, this is a great book. Too many "visit to the dentist" type books instill scary ideas with mention of "hurt", "shots", "scared". The dental staff helps a child through these notions if the need should arise. If they don't do so you need to find your child a new dentist. For many children, this is all they need to know going into a dental appointment. If they do need a "shot" for a cavity to be repaired, the dental team will use kid friendly/appropriate terminology to walk them through the process. Honestly, please do your children the favor of this fun read and not even uttering words like "needle", "shot", "hurt", or god forbid "pulls teeth" (I've heard parents unknowingly scare the beans out of their kids...). This book will show them how fun going to the dentist can and should be for a child.

Going to the dentist is an often scary experience for young people. However, it is something that all children must face and Show Me Your Smile is a book that helps take some of the tension out of the situation. This book features the popular Nick Jr. character Dora the Explorer as she visits the dentist for the first time and it is sure to be a hit with young fans of the show.

Show Me Your Smile follows Dora through each step of the dentist visit. Starting with her appointment and trip to the dentist's office, Dora relaxes in the waiting room while she waits for her name to be called. She then explores the dentist's office and invites young readers to identify some of the tools and various objects common to a dentist's office. These parts of the book serve to educate children on the dentist profession and what different things mean. The book offers nice illustrations that look exactly like those on the popular television show. It is the type of book that kid's can learn from while they watch their favorite heroine enjoying herself at a dentist's office.

One of the best qualities of this book is that it helps to eliminate the anxiety often associated with a visit to the dentist. The book makes the experience seem like nothing; like a regular part of life that can be as fun as going to the zoo. This message is, of course, a little exaggerated, but the positive attitude Dora shows is very beneficial to young children. For example, when Dora talks about having a cavity and the dentist taking care of the problem by filling the cavity, she is completely upbeat and smiles throughout. She shows no signs of fear and actually seems to consider the event a great adventure- something to enjoy and share with your friends when it's through.

Visiting the dentist is an often dreaded event, but this book helps put kid's minds at ease as they follow Dora from the waiting room through to the finish line. This book doesn't include many of Dora's closest friends, such as boots, isa, and others. It shows their pictures a few times, but the book remains focused on Dora herself as she enjoys herself at the dentist's office. It's a good book that removes some of the negative anticipation from a visit to the dentist.

This has been a great resource for my 3-4 year old. Dora is a familiar face who shows what will basically happen at a dental visit. I do wish it could have shown Dora getting her teeth polished, or something like that, but over all a very good resource.

My daughter enjoyed this and it helped prepare her for her first visit to the dentist.

My toddler loves, loves, *loves* Dora books, and this one is his favorite. He owns quite a few Dora books, and he consistently chooses this one to read again and again! We received this one as a hand-me-down, but you can get it at Barnes and Noble for $3.99.

This book was the perfect thing to prepare my almost 3 year old daughter for the dentist! I read it to her about three times at her request!