Little Dino loves to eat! If there’s no more food, Mom Dino needs to fill up so much food that Little Dino always has enough to eat.
After Little Dino finishes lunch, he wants more cookies and chips. In the afternoon, he wants to eat chocolate, candy, and drink soda. Mom Dino is worried about Little Dino’s health. She says to him, “Sweetheart, you’ll get cavities, and they will hurt if you eat too much candy and sugary snacks.”
The greedy Little Dino replied, “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be fine.” Little Dino ignored his mom and kept eating all the sugary and unhealthy snacks. Before bed, he even refused to brush his teeth!
When Mom Dino kept reminding him to brush his teeth, Little Dino didn’t care. Mom Dino decided to hide all the chocolate and candy so that Little Dino would eat less. “I want my candy, Mom!” Little Dino threw himself on the floor, screaming and crying every time his mom told him there was no more candy for him. Little Dino was clearly upset about not getting his candy, but he had a plan.
At night, when his dad and mom were asleep, Little Dino sneaked out of his bed and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and ate the cakes or ice cream in the freezer. He also rummaged through the cupboards to find sugar. When he found it, he was thrilled. He took a spoon from the kitchen drawer and ate spoonful after spoonful. This went on night after night.
One day, Little Dino woke up with a swollen cheek. “Ouch! My mouth hurts. What’s going on? It really hurts!” He sat on his bed, crying while holding his cheek.
Mom Dino came into his bedroom and asked, “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?” “Mom, my tooth hurts! My tooth really hurts,” replied Little Dino sadly. Mom Dino responded, “Oh, you may have cavities. Open your mouth, and let me see.” Little Dino did as he was told.
Sure enough, Mom Dino could see a blackened tooth inside his mouth. “You need to visit the dentist. I see something black in your teeth, and only a dentist can help you,” explained Mom Dino.
“Is it going to hurt? I’m scared to visit the dentist, Mom,” exclaimed Little Dino. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You may feel a little discomfort. But after that, the pain you’re experiencing will be gone,” reassured Mom Dino. Little Dino had no choice but to go with his mom to visit the dentist.
When they arrived at the dentist’s clinic, Little Dino was surprised by the warm welcome he received. “Hello, Little Dino. Welcome to the clinic,” said Dentist Hippo. “What can I do for you today?”
“My teeth hurt so much. My mom told me that only the dentist can help me. Can you help me fix my teeth?” asked Little Dino. “Of course, I can. Sit comfortably in the chair and relax. Open your mouth wide, and let me take a good look at your teeth.” Dentist Hippo turned on the light and looked into Little Dino’s mouth.
He examined Little Dino’s teeth and noticed that a few of his teeth were rotten. There were also dark spots on other teeth. Dentist Hippo took out his dental tools and began lightly scraping the tooth. “Hmm. Are those chocolate stains on your teeth?”
Little Dino felt embarrassed. He replied, “Yes, I had chocolate before bed.” Dentist Hippo said, “I know candy is delicious. It’s hard to get enough of it, but it will give you cavities if you don’t make sure to brush your teeth well after your meals and before you go to bed. Use dental floss at least once a day. Otherwise, you’ll get toothaches.”
Little Dino was very embarrassed and said, “I know, I’ll never do it again. I will remember to brush my teeth every day and use dental floss.”
Dentist Hippo continued, “Now I’m going to save all your remaining teeth from rotting.” Then Dentist Hippo took his dental tools and pulled out all the rotten teeth from Little Dino’s mouth.
It wasn’t the best experience for Little Dino, and since then, Little Dino has taken good care of his teeth. He no longer eats candy, and he brushes his teeth well before bed and remembers to floss!
