Upcycling the tooth fairy tale

When Ingrid Bencosme's oldest daughter, now 8, had her first loose tooth, Bencosme went searching for tooth fairy books, dolls or games to make the experience more fun than frightful.

She was shocked when she came back empty-handed.

So the former teacher took matters into her own hands, and wrote poems and stories about the tooth fairy for her daughter. Then Bencosme, who also is the mother of a 6-year-old, 4-year-old and 6-month-old, found a generic fairy doll and transformed her into her daughter's personal tooth fairy.

“She was thrilled. It was so much fun to see her reaction,” says Bencosme, who lives in Manhasset, New York. “She told her friends about our game and story, and then their parents would ask me about it. When that happened, I knew it was something special.”

So special, Bencosme decided to follow her idea to production, and created "Teeth Fairies: A Baby Teeth Tradition.''

The book comes with a tooth-fairy-in-training doll a family must name and look for every morning on her return trips from Fairyland.

The tooth fairy's job is to watch over and record a child's eating choices and dental care habits. She becomes an official tooth fairy when the child's first tooth falls out. There is a pocket in her crown to hold the baby tooth so she can fly it to Fairyland when the child falls asleep. In the morning, a surprise is in the place where the tooth fairy was last.

“Children can touch the fairy and sleep with her when she is not on duty,” Bencosme says. “She can visit the dentist with her child. If a child misses her while she is in Fairyland, just write a letter to her and she can ask the head fairy for special permission to come back and visit for awhile.”

In the back of the book, there is a page to record dental milestones.

“Losing teeth is only for a brief period of time and I want it to be fun for the kids,” says Bencosme. “And the book has a place to record these milestones. It is a keepsake for parents.”

"Teeth Fairies: A Baby Teeth Tradition'' recently won the 2015 National Parenting Publication Silver Award, and is endorsed by pediatric dentists. Part of the proceeds from the book set benefit  Communities in Schools, an organization that helps keep kids in school, as well as the prevention of serious dental disease that can lead to children missing school.

“The book is also an incentive for kids to eat better and do a good job brushing their teeth because they want the surprises the tooth fairy brings,” Bencosme says. “It teaches them good oral hygiene in a magical, and not a preachy way.”

Glen Ruben, pediatric dentist and owner of Little Smiles of Port Washington Pediatric Dentistry and Ruben Smiles Designs in New York, went to an author reading and book signing with Bencosme and spoke to the children in attendance about dental health and how to correctly brush their teeth. He recently joined the Teeth Fairies Dental Advisory Board, and will be adding dental tips to the website, www.teethfairies.com.

“The book takes children on a wonderful and enchanting explanation of the otherwise potentially traumatic events of (losing teeth)  while setting the groundwork for a lifetime of compliant dental patients,” he says. “The doll and book personalize a child's relationship with their tooth fairy and the diary participation keeps children engaged.”

And it helps parents have fewer struggles when it comes to oral hygiene, says Ruben.

“The book reinforces the importance of brushing and flossing by holding the child accountable for doing the work or else it gets reported back to the fairy boss,” he says. “Parents will feed off the positive spin the book conveys on the topic of tooth loss and dental experiences in general.”

Jeffrey Singer, a pediatric dentist at ABC Dentistry in Voorhees, says good hygiene habits learned at a young age can set the tone for a lifetime of dental health. Singer, who has been practicing for 11 years, says there are many benefits to good oral hygiene, including better self-esteem, being able to eat comfortably and better overall health.

Singer says dental decay in children is a serious but preventable issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 percent of children ages 2 to 11 have had cavities in their baby teeth. Out of this group, 21 percent of those ages 6 to 11 have had cavities in their permanent teeth.

“It is important to address good oral hygiene at a young age for several reasons,” Singer says. “Discomfort in a child's mouth can be very distracting and lead to issues with learning, eating and malnutrition.”

Here are eight ways to keep kids' smiles healthy and bright:

1. Drink water: Singer recommends children drink plenty of water, especially between meals and at bedtime. “Water will not cause decay,” says Singer. “Water is cleansing and, along with being good for your teeth, it is good for your overall health.”

2. Eat healthy: Bencosme says it is important for children to eat healthy foods for tooth development. “My children and I talk about eating vegetables and fruits and how they help my kids grow, be strong and have healthy teeth,” she says. “Eating candy is a treat because it can be sticky and have too much sugar, which is not good for their teeth.”

3. Start brushing early: Begin brushing the soft tissues and gums in a child's mouth before the eruption of the first tooth, says Singer. And, he says, definitely start brushing once the first tooth does emerge. “This helps children become familiar with a toothbrush and will make them more comfortable as their oral hygiene demands become more encompassing,” he says.

4. Help them brush: Bencosme says she still helps or oversees when it comes to her children brushing their teeth. Singer says there is no exact age when parents should stop helping their kids brush, but a general rule of a thumb is around the age of 6. “Children benefit much from a parent brushing before they brush their teeth on their own,” he says. “They will learn the parent's technique and become better at brushing their teeth.”

5. Avoid milk and juice at bedtime: “Do not give milk or juice before bed,” says Singer. “Even if they brush afterward, kids tend to be too tired to adequately brush and some sugars may remain on their teeth.” He also suggests to stop bottle feeding or breastfeeding at night when a child is about 1.

6. Put pacifiers away: Singer does not recommend the use of pacifiers. “There are many other ways in which infants and children can be soothed,” he says. “A pacifier habit is difficult to discontinue and can lead to a narrow palate and changes in the relationship of the teeth.”

7. Time them: Bencosme says her dentist told her it takes two minutes for a child to properly brush their teeth, so she sets up a timer for them to track their brushing progress. “We will buy fun toothbrushes that light up or play music for two minutes,” says Bencosme. “I will get any kind of small knick-knack that makes it fun for them to keep brushing for the entire two minutes.”

8. Visit the dentist: The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a patient should be seen by the dentist by the age of 1, says Singer. A child's first visit is different than an adult's appointment, he says.

“A complete oral exam and cleaning of the teeth is performed, but much of the appointment time is devoted to educating and answering questions of the parents,” says Singer. “Parents may have questions about what to expect next, how to manage teething, or what they can do about habits like thumb-sucking or using a pacifier.”

For more information

To learn more about or buy Teeth Fairies: A Baby Teeth Tradition, visit www.teethfairies.com.

ABC Dentistry is at Suite C-2, 1001 Laurel Oak Road, Voorhees. For more information, call (856) 783-3515 or visit www.abcchildrensdentist.com.