Once upon a feeling #3 Bobby goes to the dentist read by Annatina

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Welcome to Once Upon a feeling!

In this episode of Once Upon a Feeling , we explore how to help children prepare for and cope with dental visits through the story “Bobby Goes to the Dentist”, read by Annatina. 

Dental appointments can be stressful for kids and parents alike—but with preparation, play, and supportive guidance, children can learn to navigate the dentist’s office with confidence.

This episode provides practical parenting tips for easing dental anxiety, building coping skills, and creating positive experiences around oral health. 

Parents will learn what to say, how to prepare their child, and strategies for turning potentially scary moments into opportunities for growth.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to explain cavities, dental tools, and procedures to children
• Strategies for reducing fear and sensory overwhelm at the dentist
• Preparation tips using play, visualization, and positive reinforcement
• Coping methods for children during uncomfortable procedures like X-rays, expanders, or oral surgery
• How parents can support children’s emotional well-being during medical experiences
• Encouraging long-term confidence in children to actively seek healthcare

Story Details:
Bobby experiences his dental checkup, explores the “magic chair,” chooses fun toothpaste flavors, and learns coping skills for discomfort. Anna Tina shares her personal experiences with dental visits, oral surgery, and strategies that helped her feel brave.

Helpful Links:

• Listen to Once Upon a Feeling: https://linktr.ee/gooshi_world
• Gooshi App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gooshi/id6737409774
• Parenting Tips & Updates: https://www.instagram.com/gooshi_world

This episode pairs perfectly with Beyond the Stories, where parents can dive deeper into supporting children’s emotions during real-life medical and dental experiences.

⏱ Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome & introduction by host Rita
 [01:00] Emotional impact of dental visits for children and parents
 [02:00] Story introduction: Bobby Goes to the Dentist
 [03:00] Understanding cavities, brushing, and oral hygiene
 [04:00] Preparing children for dental tools and sensations
 [05:00] Meeting Dr. Lily & exploring the dental chair
 [06:00] Sensory experiences: lights, buzzing tools, and distractions
 [07:00] Story conclusion: stickers, rewards, and positive reinforcement
 [08:00] Interview with Anna Tina: dental experiences and feelings
 [09:00] Oral surgery and ghost tooth explanation
 [10:00] Coping with X-rays, expanders, and uncomfortable procedures
 [12:00] Advice for children facing the dentist
 [13:00] Tips for parents: what to say, how to prepare
 [14:00] Using play and visualization to reduce anxiety
 [15:00] Episode wrap-up & preview of Beyond the Stories

Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to One's Upon the Feeling. This is the podcast where we talk about all things growing up, the fun parts, the weird parts, the messy parts, and the magical parts too. I'm your host, Rita, and I'm so glad you're here. Are you ready? Let's dive right in. Hello everyone, this is Rita and welcome to this week's Once Upon a Feeling. today I have my other daughter, Anna, Tina, here to read the story that we have currently on our app titled Bobby Goes to the Dentist, I think if we have all taken our children to the dentist office.

We know that this is not just merely a teeth checkup, but the amount of preparation and what we go through while we're sitting in that chair for that mere 15 minutes is filled with feelings both for the parents and the children [00:01:00] and everybody around us now. At the start of starting Piper and ZA and gci, we actually focused very much on the medical experiences that we have to guide our children through, and it is my firm belief that if we are able to empower children and teach them how to cope and prep and understand the discomfort that sometimes comes with these visits.

It's going to help them in the long run. They're going to be the one who is gonna be actively seeking medical help when they are 18 years old because they are not afraid of the needles, because they are not afraid of the sound, because they have had a good experience with the dentist and they know how to communicate their needs, their fear, and everything in between.

So here it is. Enjoy the story. I hope delights your Children and we'll have a little interview with her. [00:02:00] She actually had quite a few run-ins with the dental offices, both in orthodontics as well as all oral surgery. So have a listen. I hope this helps and here it is.

Bobby goes to the dentist, brushing it and crushing it. Read by Anatinna Bezzola. One evening Bobby's dad sat with him. After dinner tomorrow we will be going on an adventure. Said Dad. Bobby looked up at his dad. Tomorrow we will visit the dentist. Do you know what a dentist does? He asked. Bobby shook his head.

Dad explained. The dentist is a doctor who checks your teeth to make sure they are strong and clean. They'll count your teeth, brush them, and take a picture of them to check to see if there are any cavities. When are cavities asked Bobby? Hmm. Said Dad. Think of [00:03:00] cavities like tiny little CVEs in your teeth where germs can hang out., 

it is better to find out about cavities while they're still small so that the dentist can repair them before they get bigger.

. We brushed and floss every day to make it harder for the sugar bugs to cause damage to your teeth.

Dad showed Bobby pictures of the tools that dentists use in a dental exam. Bobby looked at the tools, his eyes grew wide. Will it hurt? Bobby asked. Bobby's dad said, no, it doesn't hurt.

It might feel strange though because it's a new experience. You might feel them tapping your teeth, scrubbing them, and sometimes they will use something to help keep your mouth dry. . It feels like a straw that is sucking your saliva out and it makes a loud song, but it doesn't hurt. After they check to see if your teeth are healthy and strong, they'll clean your teeth. And guess what? You [00:04:00] get to choose a flavor for the special toothpaste they use. Dad added, Bobby smiled.

Choosing a flavor sounded fun. But what if my mouth is not strong and healthy? He wondered. Dad thought a moment. If there are cavities in your teeth, the dentist will tell us what to do next. They might give you advice on how to clean your teeth better at home, and they might need to fix the cavity at the dentist office the next day.

Bobby and his family arrived at the dental office. The waiting room was bright and colorful with toys and books.

Bobby noticed a fish tank with swimming fish look fishies. He whispered to his stuffed bunny .

When it was Bobby's turn a friendly lady named Dr. Lily came to greet him.

Hi, Bobby. I'm Dr. Lily. Are you ready to see the magic chair? She asked with a warm smile. Bobby nodded [00:05:00] and held his bunny close, as they walked into the room.

Dr. Lily showed Bobby the big comfy chair, this chair can move up and down. Would you like to try it? She asked.

Bobby climbed into the chair and Dr. Lily pressed a button. The chair gently lifted up. Bobby felt like he was on a ride. Dr. Lily then handed Bobby a tray of cool sunglasses. These will help keep the bright light out of your eyes. You can choose your favorite color.

Bobby picked purple sunglasses and put them on. He felt like a superstar. Dr. Lily showed Bobby some tools. This one makes a funny buzzing sound. , It's like a little tickle brush for your teeth. She explained. Bobby listened to the buzzing sound and giggled. It did sound funny.

And this tiny [00:06:00] mirror helps me see all the way to the back of your teeth. Dr. Lily said, showing Bobby the small mirror.

As Dr. Lily gently cleaned Bobby's teeth, she talked about ice cream and trips to the zoo. Bobby took a few deep breaths and smelled the strawberry cent of the toothpaste.

When the checkup was done, Dr. Lily gave Bobby a shiny sticker. You did great, Bobby. Your teeth are sp sparkle clean, she said.

The sticker said, brushing it and crush it. The End.

Thank you so much Anna. Tina for reading. Bobby goes to dentist for us. I really appreciate that. I love the way you read it.

It was no problem. I mean, it was honestly really fun.

Yeah. So can I ask you a few questions about your experience of preparing, going to the dentist and being at the dentist and all that fun stuff? 'cause you actually spent quite some time at a dentist office.

Yes, I do.[00:07:00]

Yeah. let's start with a scale. From a scale one to 10. How big of a deal is going to the dentist for you?

I think it's about three, two or three.

So it's not really a big deal,

Nah, not really.

but that is really more for a regular visit, right?

Yeah. You also have.

had oral surgery one time where you had to take, do you wanna tell our audience what you had to do?

I had to take out a ghost tooth. And a ghost Tooth is a special but very weird tooth. It's an extra tooth and it can go any way it wants. It can grow up, it can grow to the side, it can grow diagonally, but mine was grown down right in between my two front teeth, and so I had to get that extract.

Did. And how big of a deal was that? From one to 10.

That was about like, I would say, a five or six.

Okay, so that was a bigger [00:08:00] deal.

because I was getting my. Tooth pulled out, but not only just like losing a tooth, it they were going, they cut my gum and took out the

chip. 

yeah. I.

And, just saying if you ever get a tooth extracted and you take the medicine, there might be a big reaction after it.

And what was your reaction after it?

I was crying for about an hour and a half after that, nonstop.

Hmm. But then are you all better now?

I am much better with getting medicine and not breaking down.

Okay, so for those who are a little, I think everybody is a little scared of the dentist office. I am sometimes. Mm-hmm. Um, I don't love it. What part feels the most weird for you?

Um, I think it would be the x-rays.

The x-rays. Tell me more about that. X-rays.

The X-rays, they put a little [00:09:00] like camera thing in your teeth and you bite down on it so it can take the picture. But it gets really uncomfortable when they do your molars because they shove it to the back of your teeth and you have to bite down like it's really uncom.

And when you're really uncomfortable, what do you do? Like you have to do it. So what do you do to cope with it?

Sometimes I clench my toes really tight and I just think, okay, it's gonna be done in 30 seconds. It's, it's not too uncomfortable. It's pretty uncomfortable, but it'll be done.

It'll be over. So you think about what comes, what usually comes for you after a dentist visit anyways.

Um. Usually what I look forward to after the x-rays is like a rubber ducky.

A rubber decky. Okay, that's your prize.

Yeah. I collect rubber duckies.

 a lot of us dread the dentist office. , Nobody likes to smell the [00:10:00] sound. just, just the idea of somebody working in your mouth with your mouth wide open and you can see what is going on in your experience as a 9-year-old.

What is actually not so bad? What is actually better than you have ever imagined? Better than I've ever imagined. Um, I think that the toothpaste flavors are like medium, but like legit.

Okay.

There was once a burger flavored and then get that one. But 

I did not know that. So, um, has anything else ever surprised you in a good way other than the toothpaste flavors?

what surprised me was when I was, they told me I was getting an expander before that they took a scan. So what I did, it had like this little x-ray piece and there was a piece of plastic around it so you don't bite the x-ray. I bit on it [00:11:00] and then there was a big machine that went around my head and it played like seagull music.

Um, that was actually surprisingly comfortable for me. I thought the x-ray would be like uncomfortable.

But that part, that type of a scan was not bad.

And one thing that was uncomfortable is when they had these like plastic tools and you put them on the side of your lips and you had to pull out wide so they can take pictures of your teeth with a digital camera. And that was really, really uncomfortable.

But nothing really hurt to a point where you had tears or was there No.

I don't think I ever have tears at the dentist.

Wow. You one brave girl. Or just have weird nerve endings. I don't know which one it is. And if another kid was really nervous, what would you tell them? That is actually true.

It's not as scary as you think. They're trying to help you and. [00:12:00] you're done, ask your parents to get you a scoop of ice cream.

Okay. Huh? Scoop of ice cream always helps.

Yep.

Now. For us parents out there, we always think that we know what to say to a kid when they're nervous, when they're scared. is it better for us to say, don't be scared or don't be nervous, or is there something else that you rather hear when you are nervous and scared and

S.

like the dentist office?

So for the parents who are listening to this saying, don't be scared and don't be nervous isn't the best thing because your children and me, we can't control not being nervous or not being scared. So I think. Like a really helpful thing to say instead of don't be, you can be positive about it. You can [00:13:00] say, Hey, it's okay.

They're not trying to hurt you. They're trying to help you. And it's, it's not too scary. And for the longest time, my sister, she was. Afraid of the doctor when she was little. And what you did to help my sister is you started playing doctor with her. And that helped, I think, because if you know what's gonna happen, if you feel what's gonna happen, if you think ahead and. You like, tell them, okay, we're going to do this also for like the doctors and the dentists and all those people, it's really good to tell them or like let them think or visualize what is going to happen before they get there 

So preparation really helped you and your sister is what you're saying?

[00:14:00] Yes. And.

Playing dentist and doctors are mighty fun.

Yeah, really fun.

Okay. Well thank you so much for telling me all the things and telling our audience all the things. I think there's a lot of kids out there that hear you we'll feel. They got it. You think they got it?

Ya, skis,

There are skis. What does that mean? 

ya

Yes.

and Yara means yes.

Okay. Well, thank you so much for joining us for this episode of Once Upon A Feeling Podcast. Bobby Goes to Dentist, read by Anna. Tina, I'm Rita, your host, and stay tuned for our next episode of Beyond the Stories where we take a deeper dive.

I.

Thank you.

And that's it for today's episode of Once Upon A Feeling. If you liked listening to the story and all the feelings, we'll explore together. Please tell your friends and ask your grownups to give us a five star review wherever you listen to [00:15:00] podcasts. It really helps more families find us. 

And for all the parents and caretakers, you know it. Stay tuned for our Beyond The Stories episode. Coming right up and this week I got to sit down with Lacey Holmquist. Lacey is a Pasadena based, certified child life specialist. She is also mom to two. And in our conversation we get to chat a lot about dentist visits before, during, and after.

What you can do, what you can ask, and how to advocate for your children during those potentially very stressful visits. So stay tuned, listen to the whole thing and take care of those hearts, and I am so looking forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you. Bye.