Where Do the Sugar Bugs Hide?

Where do the sugar bugs hide? Open your mouth and say, “Ahhhhh!” Can you see them?

Embark on a delightful adventure with a curious child to discover the sneaky hiding spots of mischievous “sugar bugs”—a playful term for the bacteria that cause cavities. Where Do the Sugar Bugs Hide? is afresh new take and first introduction to teeth, cavity-causing “sugar bugs,” and brushing for inquisitive little ones. With vibrant illustrations and an upbeat tone that encourages positive habits, this groundbreaking book educates young readers about the importance of brushing, flossing, and making healthy choices.

Written by Dr. Himali K. Patel-Bhatt, a dentist with a passion for educating young minds, this charming book makes dental care a fun and exciting adventure rather than a source of fear or anxiety for children. With this engaging book, parents won’t have to work so hard to get their children to practice great dental hygiene—instead, they will be eager to find those sugar bugs and keep their pearly whites clean and healthy!

About the Author

Dr. Himali K. Patel-Bhatt is a clinical faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine. She initiated her career practicing as a general dentist after graduating from Creighton University School of Dentistry. When she started out, she especially enjoyed working with kids, and a lot of her conversations with children in her practice got her thinking about how to best educate them on dental hygiene.

The idea for this book came to Himali around 2018 when she and her husband went to Portland and visited Powell’s City of Books. While there, she came across a book that was based around the fear and anticipation of a bad dental visit. It made an impression on her, and Himali found herself wanting to offer a different narrative. So, she put pen to paper on her flight back from Portland and began writing the blueprint for her story. The underlying theme tied into her many conversations with her pediatric patients and her drive to empower young readers to take charge of their oral hygiene without being scared. Although Himali continued to work on the story here and there for the next several years, it wasn’t until she had her own children that the desire to teach this message to her sons as well as other children was amplified. When Himali began to use this core messaging in conversations with her sons and other children at their school, the idea fared so well that she was greatly encouraged to turn her long-standing book idea into reality.

About the Author

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