A head start quick guide to protecting your child's smile from age zero

Did you know, tooth decay is the most common childhood disease worldwide, more common than asthma and obesity? And that, children with tooth decay in their baby teeth are much more likely to suffer from tooth decay as adults? That’s not all! Persistent dental problems can lead to lasting adverse effects on children’s health, growth, learning and well-being!

The good news is: tooth decay is preventable. BUT…
Taking children to the dentist regularly, without daily care, will NOT prevent dental problems such as tooth decay. Buying children the “scientifically proven to work” toothbrush is wonderful but it is NOT enough.

YOU can protect your children’s smile by looking after their teeth every day, teaching children to value their own health and helping children to develop good habits that will benefit them for a lifetime. Make a difference with the help of the Tooth Bunny’s A-Z Tips for Terrific Teeth book. Written and illustrated by a highly qualified specialist paediatric dentist, this book brings to you 26 evidence based tips for protecting priceless smiles, from A to Z, in full colour.

Creative, succinct and easy to understand. This book is suitable for children and adults. Go through the pictures with your children. The illustrated A to Z letters are great for little ones learning the alphabet. School-aged children can practise reading, learn new vocabulary and gain dental awareness, as they read the A to Z handy tips with you. Read the book for your own information. Give the book to a friend for her baby shower. Share the book with those who work with children. Or, have it as a coffee table book to start a conversation.
Together, we can protect children against health problems such as tooth decay.

May toothaches be a thing of the past!

Find out more about Tooth Bunny or the story behind how Tooth Bunny came to be at www.toothbunny.com.

Book Reviews

“This is a book written by an experienced paediatric dentist to encourage families to read to their children about dental hygiene. As you work your way through the alphabet the family learns important tips on how to protect healthy teeth and smiles. It is delightfully illustrated and simple to read and a must for all families who want to promote both healthy teeth and early reading!”
Associate Professor Susan Moloney - Director of Paediatrics, Gold Coast University Hospital; President, Paediatrics and Child Health Division, Royal Australasian College of Physicians

“Dr Tsang is a rare individual who has sub-specialised in the field of children’s dentistry. Dr Tsang has been able to distil her years of training and experience into the Tooth Bunny alphabet. This book is a beautifully presented and illustrated book about dental health of people of all ages, but primarily aimed at children via their parents. The format follows a simple A to Z strategy with each double page containing a simple message about how to maintain optimal dental health. Whilst the keys messages are straightforward, they are scaffolded with the scientific evidence base to add more depth for parents needing greater detail. The suggestions around caring for teeth in infancy, healthy foods and feeding practices are excellent. I highly recommend this book for parents of children of all ages.”
Dr Doug Shelton – Churchill Fellow; Clinical Director of Community Child Health; Medical Director of Women’s & Children’s Health Services, Gold Coast Health

 “Getting teeth off to a good start early in life is the key to maintaining good teeth for a lifetime. In a field where there are very few books available for parents, it is encouraging to see such a positive publication that is sure to inspire many to maintain their child’s teeth in great shape!”
Dr Sue Taji – Paediatric Dental Specialist, Brisbane; Vice-President, Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry

“The presentation and illustrations are gay and eye-catching and should draw children into the experience. The link with the letters in the alphabet should assist memory of the message and normalise the dental experiences in the context of another early childhood learning experience. The information is accurate, clear and succinct. Dr Tsang has managed to condense the message without losing the essential details. I like the way there is one message at a time for folks to “take in”. Congratulations!”
Dr Lynette McAllan – Past Director, Oral Health Education Unit, Queensland Health

“We enjoyed the book and loved the pictures. It was really informative and amazing illustrations.”
Dr Tung Vu – Paediatrician, Gold Coast

“It’s a very good idea to raise awareness of oral health in children. The pictures are great and meaningful and the amount of words is just right. And I learned a lot from it too. Valuable advice.”
Mrs Clarissa Law – Pharmacist, Brisbane

"Congratulations to Dr Tsang on this great production. No doubt the prevention of dental diseases in children has to be a family affair. The parents require precise, evidence-based information, the children need their parents to read these information with them so everyone in the family is on the same page. This is a must read for all families with children, and also all parents-to-be."
Dr Kar Mun Chan
A mother with 2 school-aged children,
Principal Specialist Paediatric Dentist ,
Kiddies Dental Care, Melbourne

About the Author

Dr Annetta Tsang
BDSc(Hons), GCClinDent, GCEd(HE), MScMEd(Pain Mgt), DClinDent(Paed Dent), PhD.

Annetta is passionate about protecting children against preventable oral diseases. As a parent and a dessert fanatic, Annetta also understands the challenges and obstacles that get in the way of excellent oral health. Annetta created Tooth Bunny, with the hope of sharing practical evidence-based information with little ones and their adults, creatively and simply.

Annetta is an award-winning academic, speaker, recipient of multiple research grants, author of over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals, reviewer for the Cochrane Collaboration, board member of the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future (ANZ), Adjunct Associate Professor at Griffith University and the only government specialist paediatric dentist on the Gold Coast.

One of the few Australian specialist paediatric dentists to possess two doctorates in paediatric dentistry, Annetta also has postgraduate qualifications in pain management and higher education. Annetta is a University Medallist, a recipient of the NMHRC Gustav Nossal Postgraduate Research Scholarship, a winner of The University of Queensland Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning and a winner of an Australian Awards for University Teaching Citation.

Annetta graduated from dentistry in 1998 from The University of Queensland and has provided dental services across public and hospital settings, tertiary institutions and private practices.

Annetta combines her sensitivity as a mother and her expertise as a paediatric dentist in caring for her little patients. Annetta’s practice philosophy, “best oral health care starts at age zero” focusses on empowering every child to achieve dental confidence and enjoy their dental experiences. Her vision is “for every child to enjoy life, free of preventable oral diseases.”

Find out more about Annetta, read the Tooth Bunny blog, check out the Tooth Bunny gallery or sign up for the Tooth Bunny Club at www.toothbunny.com.