Sheila Hollins, Amber Qureshi, Lloyd Page (authors) and Beth Webb (Illustrator). Beyond Words, 2016 price £10 pp 104 ISBN

9781784580841

Going to the dentist is the latest book to be published in the 'Books Beyond Words' series – a collection of picture books aimed at people who find pictures easier to understand than words. The book is intended as a tool to be used by both dental health professionals and patient supporters/carers to aid in preparing someone for a visit to the dentist or supporting a patient during an appointment.

The story is told through 39 full page colour illustrations. This starts with the main character Matthew, eating sugary foods and then developing toothache. It then goes on to show him attending the dentist and includes a series of illustrations demonstrating him undergoing a variety of procedures including examination, having radiographs taken, intra-oral injections and restoration of his tooth. The end of the story shows pictures of Matthew undertaking good oral hygiene practices and selecting healthy foods.

In addition to the pictorial story, the book contains a very useful section of written information directed at the person supporting the patient in reading the book. This includes a suggested storyline with a description of what is happening in each picture, clear instructions on how to read the book, succinct easy to understand advice on 'looking after teeth and gums' and a list of suggested useful resources. A particularly good part of this section is the information provided specifically to dental health professionals. This gives helpful brief advice regarding communication, mental capacity assessment and reasonable adjustments that can be made for this patient group. There is also a similar section aimed at supporters and carers, which advises on communication and information they may need to provide at the dental appointment, as well as general tips for making a visit to the dentist as stress-free as possible for the person they are supporting.

This book provides a very good resource for those working with adults who struggle to understand written words and for whom a visit to the dentist would provoke uncertainty and anxiety. One of the greatest strengths of the book is that the illustrations are true to life and accurately depict the things that you would expect to see in the dental environment such as x-ray holders and local anaesthetic syringes, and the smaller details such as the dentist's face visor and the patient wearing safety glasses. While this book may not necessarily be useful for all patients with a learning disability, it is certainly something that would be useful to have in your armamentarium of communication tools.