By Bill Conley—America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral of the Story:
It’s normal to feel nervous about getting a cavity filled.
Dentists help fix little problems to keep your smile healthy and bright.
A cavity filling doesn’t hurt much—it’s over before you know it!
Your dentist and family are always there to help you feel safe.
Brave kids know that taking care of teeth is smart and strong.
One deep breath, one big smile—you’ll feel proud you were so brave!
In the peaceful, green village of
Bamboo Grove lived a gentle panda named Penny. Penny was a happy little panda,
full of giggles and curiosity. Every day after breakfast, Penny would scamper
down the bamboo path to play hide-and-seek with her friends—Milo the Monkey, Bella
the Bird, and Tilly the Tortoise.
Penny’s favorite treat was crunchy,
sweet bamboo shoots. She loved munching on them under the shady trees while she
and her friends told stories and planned new adventures.
One sunny morning after breakfast,
Mama Panda noticed Penny frown when she bit into her bamboo snack. Penny
touched her mouth and wiggled her nose. She didn’t say anything but Mama Panda
could tell something wasn’t quite right.
“Penny, sweetheart,” Mama Panda
asked softly, “does your tooth hurt when you chew?”
Penny looked down and nodded slowly.
“Just a little,” she whispered. “It feels funny, like a tiny poke when I bite
my bamboo.”
Mama Panda hugged Penny close and
rubbed her fuzzy ears. “It sounds like we should visit Dr. Koala, your dentist,
so he can take a look and make your tooth feel better.”
Penny’s big panda eyes widened. “Do
you think… do you think I might have a cavity?” she asked in a tiny voice.
Mama Panda nodded gently. “Maybe a
tiny one, but don’t worry, my brave girl. If you do, Dr. Koala can fix it so
fast you’ll hardly notice. And I’ll be right there with you the whole time.”
The next morning, Penny held Mama’s
soft paw tightly as they walked through Bamboo Grove to Dr. Koala’s bright and
cheerful dental office. The walls inside were painted with pictures of smiling
animals brushing shiny, white teeth. There were baskets of colorful
toothbrushes and a shelf full of little toys for patients to take home.
Penny looked around the waiting
room. She saw Benny the Bunny holding a new carrot-shaped toothbrush and Lucy
the Lemur waving a sticker sheet with shiny silver stars. They both smiled at
Penny and whispered, “It’s easy, Penny! Dr. Koala is really nice!”
When Dr. Koala came out, he wore his
tiny round glasses and the friendliest grin. “Hello, Penny! I hear you have a
little tooth giving you some trouble. Let’s hop into the big panda chair and
take a peek.”
Penny climbed up into the big soft
chair. It tilted back with a soft hum and felt like a cozy bamboo hammock. Dr.
Koala turned on his tiny light and held a little mirror up to Penny’s mouth.
“Say ‘ahh’ for me, please!” Dr.
Koala said. Penny did, and Dr. Koala peered carefully. Then he turned a tiny
screen toward Penny and pointed to a small dark dot on her back tooth.
“You have a tiny cavity, Penny—but
it’s nothing to worry about,” Dr. Koala said calmly. “We’ll clean it up, fill
it, and you’ll be munching bamboo again in no time.”
Penny squeezed Mama’s paw tight. Her
heart thumped fast. “Will it hurt?” she asked in a shaky voice.
Dr. Koala patted her paw. “It might
feel funny for a moment, but I’ll give your tooth a tiny sleepy medicine first
so you won’t feel a thing. And Mama will stay right beside you.”
To help Penny feel calm, Dr. Koala
turned on soft, happy music. Penny closed her eyes and listened to the gentle
song about sunshine and panda dreams. She pictured her favorite bamboo grove
and her friends waiting to play tag after she got home.
Penny felt a tiny vibration and a
quiet hum as Dr. Koala cleaned her tooth. It tickled her whiskers more than
anything else! She peeked at Mama Panda, who gave her a big thumbs-up and
whispered, “You’re doing amazing, Penny!”
Before she knew it, Dr. Koala said,
“All done, Penny! You did so well. Your tooth is now strong and shiny
again—ready for all the bamboo you want.”
Penny blinked. “That was it? That
didn’t even hurt!” she giggled.
Dr. Koala handed Penny a shiny
sticker of a smiling tooth and a new green toothbrush with tiny bamboo leaves
on the handle. “Keep brushing every day, Penny, and your teeth will stay
healthy forever. Remember, strong teeth and a bright smile come from brave
pandas like you.”
On the way home, Penny skipped
beside Mama Panda. She carried her new toothbrush in one paw and her sticker in
the other. She couldn’t wait to show Milo, Bella, and Tilly.
“Mama, I was really scared,” Penny
said honestly, “but I did it anyway. Now my tooth feels all better!”
Mama Panda stopped and hugged Penny
tight. “That’s real courage, Penny. Being brave doesn’t mean you’re never
afraid—it means you do what’s right, even when you feel scared. And look at
that bright smile!”
That night, after dinner, Penny
brushed her teeth carefully with her brand-new toothbrush. She thought about
how her tooth no longer poked when she chewed her bamboo. She was proud of
herself for being so brave.
As Mama Panda tucked her in, Penny
whispered, “Next time I have to go to the dentist, I won’t be so scared.”
Mama Panda kissed her forehead and
said, “That’s my brave little panda. One deep breath, one big smile—and you can
face anything.”
Penny drifted off to sleep with a
bright, healthy smile, dreaming of new adventures, sweet bamboo treats, and a
heart full of courage.
Moral of the Story Poem:
A tiny fix for your tooth brings a healthy, happy smile,
Your dentist cares and helps you feel safe all the while.
One brave breath when you feel fear inside,
One big smile when you’re done, full of panda pride.
Strong teeth, strong heart, that’s what courage can do,
Brave Penny the Panda shows it’s true for you too!
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