Indiana University student's book aims to dispel fears of going to the dentist
Hannah Rose Pedersen, a very busy Indiana University senior, has circled the date Friday, Dec. 15. Yes, that’s the start of Christmas break, but it’s also the next step toward her career. That's the day Indiana University School of Dentistry notifies applicants if they’ve been accepted.
And Pedersen really hopes she’ll be accepted by the professional school at IUPUI in Indianapolis. She’s been moving toward dentistry for quite a few of her 21 years.
When she was a little kid, like lots of children, “I was petrified of the dentist,” Pedersen said in an email. But she got over it “because of the welcoming environment my dentist created for me.”
As a high school student in Carmel, Pedersen became increasingly interested in becoming a dentist herself. She landed a part-time job as an intern at Pediatric Dentistry of Noblesville.
Doing what?
“So, I’m dressed in scrubs, and I sterilize instruments,” she said in an interview.
“Then I started doing the initial portion of the patient’s visit — bringing kids back from the lobby, saying their name, getting them into the chair” — practicing the “welcoming environment” she herself had experienced.
And how do you make a scary place like a dentist’s office welcoming?
“First of all,” Pedersen said, “all smiles. Everyone is smiling, and then adding some confirmation to each little patient, like ‘Oh, that’s pretty what you’re wearing!’”
And it helps to have some silly stuff in the waiting room, like giant toothbrushes, she said.
Pedersen has captured much of the feeling she prescribes for a children’s dental practice in her new book “Will I Survive the Dentist?”, described by the publisher as “a heart-warming story of a little girl going to the dentist for the very first time” who soon realizes her anxiety and fears “were just figments of her imagination once she meets her dentist, Dr. Julia.”
Pedersen wanted Bloomington teachers to know that she’s available to read her book to kids and share thoughts on the scary subject of going to the dentist.
And why does she feel so drawn to dentistry? It’s more than a skilled profession, Pedersen said.
“It’s a craft. That’s what I love about the art of dentistry — you’re always doing something with your hands, whether you’re preparing a crown or filling a cavity,” earning the confidence of the patient and building a relationship.
“I think that’s really cool,” Pedersen said.
Pedersen can be reached by email at hrpeders@iu.edu. Her book is available on BookBaby.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU student authors children's book 'Will I Survive the Dentist'
