See a need; fill a need, in more ways than one!

You can’t really say that fillings are Susanna Mosli’s life. As a mobile dental hygienist, she identifies cavities, cleans teeth, suggests when people should take themselves off to a dentist.

And because she has her Sparkling Smiles mobile service, she arrives at your home and takes care of the entire family while you get on with your day. No waiting room lineups here. Susanna says her young patients are often more chatty and certainly less nervous about having their teeth cleaned at their own home. In fact, a number of them confide to her that they ‘fool’ their parents and don’t brush their teeth at all. They can’t see any dirt on them, so why bother?

All this took Susanna’s creative mind into high gear. End result is that this busy parent and businesswoman has written, published and launched her own book, Free The Sugar Bugz, in answer to the no-tooth-brushing crowd.

She wrote the story, telling about what happens when sugar ‘bugz’ stay on our teeth, what happens to enamel, what happens to roots. But she’s written it in an adventure-story format with great artwork.

Free the Sugar Bugz is illustrated beautifully by artist Louise Liang. Susanna’s friend’s kids took art classes at the MacLaren and Louise Laing’s work was hanging in the gallery, the perfect rendition artist for Susanna’s book.

“You have only 32 pages in a children’s book, and only 28 contain the story. Fifty words per page so the pictures have to say what the words can’t,” says Susanna. Another friend, Kerry Plumley, is a children’s book designer and gave her great advice during the production of Sugar Bugz.

Without giving away the ending, basically the kids in the book find that not brushing their teeth actually helps the sugar bugz. They trick their mother and help the bugs thrive in their mouths. Ultimately they learn about the secret ‘undersink’ world and free the sugar bugz.

After the book was designed, she applied for her ISBN number and ordered a press run of 1050 copies of the book. She hopes to sell the book for $18.95 a copy.

She’s also planning a colouring book version for dentists to give out as an intro package for new young patients.

Susanna launches her book at Chapters (in the children’s section) on Saturday, July 6.

Susanna and her books will be at Chapters from 1 to 6 pm on July 6 with a reading from the book at 2 pm. She’ll be doing a book signing at the front of the store.

Great news for parents looking for meaningful resources!

Two independent bookstores are also carrying Sugar Bugz… David’s Books at 12 Commerce Park Dr and Old Forrester Books at 31 Ross St (downtown).

Way to go, Susanna! Thanks!