Terrific Teeth educates young readers about losing teeth and shows them how to handle it. What is the biggest fear kids have about losing teeth?

The fear of losing baby teeth has many surprising connections. It’s partly a physiological condition as new and unexpected changes happen to your body. Something that you just partially control yourself. Children may also fear that the process might be painful.

But there is some mental pain, too. The period when children’s baby teeth start to fall out is an extraordinary stage in their development. It is a turning point when a small child suddenly grows up to meet new challenges. Children can also be worried that a new kind of witch’s smile greets them in the mirror! And who knows when new teeth will grow to fill the gaps – if ever!

That’s why approaching school age, in particular, often increases the children’s pressure and worries about whether they will learn everything they need in time before school starts. Losing teeth and getting them out one by one is a new task children must face simultaneously with many other matters. They may try to be as competent as possible but still feel small and need assistance and support.

What are some key factors parents should keep in mind when helping their kids deal with losing teeth?

It’s essential to remember that the period of children losing teeth is more significant than you would expect. To deal with it wisely, we’ll better consider all the challenges connected to that particular turning point in children’s lives.

The adults begin to talk to their offspring about starting school. The child might get the first proper bike and practice the route to the schoolyard. Besides that, there a many more new skills to learn at the latest, before school – such as reading, swimming, and dressing all by yourself. A familiar life at home is scaling outward to the unknown.

In rapid changes and constantly facing new things, it is essential that the children feel safe all the time. Adults provide their best support by devoting enough time and patience and taking the little one’s concerns seriously. Don’t rush – removing tiny teeth from a small mouth is a necessary process that lasts several years. Let’s be happy with our child about this new phase as well.

Regarding this matter, too, it is good to remember that things look different when we look at them through the eyes of a child. This is especially true of all fears. What seems like a small thing to an adult may worry a child for weeks.

What is the biggest challenge you had as a parent around dental health?

I’m a mother of three children. Fortunately – based on my personal childhood experiences – I was well aware of the possible dental challenges they might face with their teeth. It has helped me approach my children’s upbringing with patient compassion also in this respect.

Each of my children had a unique approach to this teeth-losing period. One was very scared, and taking the tooth away was a multi-day operation for the whole family. The other was a quiet loner who just needed a little encouragement and, finally, some ice cream treats. Somebody needed some praising after proudly presenting the loose teeth between tiny fingertips.

My father helped me get some of my first baby teeth out. He took me to buy ice cream to celebrate our joint success. It left me with a pleasant memory that I have sometimes applied to my children. It has been nice to celebrate the lost tooth somehow together. With my youngest child, we sometimes had to consult the dentist, and after each visit, we went to the bookshop to buy a book, some paperware, or pencils. Soon he was almost waiting for those visits.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I have many roles in our small publishing company, Wickwick Ltd, and I work with stories along the production chain. That’s why I’m also now involved in the various stages of the books that we publish. There is writing, working with translators, editors, and illustrators.

I have just written many new manuscripts, as spring and summer are fruitful seasons for me. Stories pile up, and they will be published next year. I think the five stories I have written linked to important songs in my life will be fascinating. And I trust they’ll inspire the illustrators, too. Besides, I’m writing manuscripts for two great stories with very specific backgrounds. A family friend living on the other side of the world has “donated” me his unique experiences and suggested that I turn them into children’s books. And I will do it. However, it takes some time before these stories can be published with beautiful illustrations. I hope they will be ready for my readers sometime next year.

Fortunately, there are also books ready for publishing already this autumn. It calms my impatient mind! I’ll give you some examples. Friends and Rivals tells a story of power-hungry prince brothers. The illustration is made by the Croatian Iva Dukić. This is our first book together, and I’m delighted with the result. The book’s insightful pictures convey moods from the brothers’ carefree days as children as well as from the dark years of fighting for power.

Also coming soon is The Bird Prison – a fairy tale set in a beautiful garden with surprising limitations. The book has lovely hand-drawn watercolor illustrations by the Ukrainian Sofia Panchyshyn. A perfect garden turns out to be a difficult place to live for birds of different colors, each chirping their unique song. The stiff gardener, Griselda, is definitely not a fan of birds. I have witnessed with joy how my story has been transferred to paper in Sofia’s skillful hands. I expected wonderful pictures because I’ve seen some of her work before. But the illustration of this book exceeds all my expectations. I’m sure it will get a lot of admirers!

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