Going to the Dentist

This book is a Beyond Words’ book. This means that it is a book with pictures for people who find it easier to understand pictures than words. This book, Going to the Dentist, tells people with learning disabilities about what happens when you go to the dentist.

The main character is a man called Matthew who has toothache after eating lots of sweet things such as cake. Matthew’s tooth hurts a lot and stops him from sleeping, so his Mum takes him to the dentist.

Matthew is nervous when he gets to the dentist and the receptionist gives him a copy of the Going to the Dentist book. He goes through the book with his mum and he starts to feel a bit better. Matthew then meets the dentist, who is very nice to Matthew, and she shows him the chair. Matthew is frightened, but the dentist helps him to feel better as she shows him the tools that she uses and she explains things to him. Matthew can decide whether or not the dentist looks in his mouth – he can say yes or no. It is up to him.

Matthew decides that he is happy for the dentist to look at his teeth. He then has an X-ray (a picture) of his mouth taken which shows that he has a hole in his tooth. The dentist explains to Matthew that he needs to have the hole filled (a filling) which means he has to have an injection in his mouth. The injection makes the mouth go numb so the filling would not hurt. The nurse holds Matthew’s hand while he has the filling done, and Matthew can squeeze her hand if he wants the dentist to stop. He is okay though and uses mouthwash to rinse out when the filling is done. He is happy when it is over! He says goodbye to the dentist and goes home feeling much better and not in pain. Matthew is pleased to see his dog when he gets home. When Matthew goes back to the dentist, she shows him how to brush his teeth, and then he tries it to out too. He feels more relaxed about being at the dentist now.

Matthew also looks at a leaflet about eating healthy food which does not have too much sugar. When he goes to the shops, Matthew buys healthy food instead of sugary cake and the book shows him watching TV and eating an apple. He then reads the Going to the Dentist book whilst his dog sits with him. The book shows Matthew brushing his teeth in the way that the dentist had shown him. Matthew has a big, happy smile at the end of the book, showing his clean teeth!

I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was easy to understand, except for one picture which I was a bit confused about (the picture about Matthew deciding whether or not he is okay for the dentist to look in his mouth). Apart from that, the pictures were real and honest and showed what it is like when you go to the dentist. I also liked it that the Going to the Dentist book was included in the story itself. There was nothing that I did not like about the book.

The storyline at the end of the book is good if people need more help in understanding the pictures. There is also other useful information at the end of the book for dentists who are treating people with learning disabilities, so they should read the book as well. There is also a list of medical words, and what they mean, which I liked. The back pages of the book have a list of dental services in the UK and have details about websites which people can look at for information about how to look after their teeth.

People with learning disabilities should definitely read this book. It will help people understand what happens at the dentist. I think the book will help to make sure that people with learning disabilities look after their teeth. By reading this book, people with learning disabilities can help themselves to have better teeth.