A FIFE dental nurse has released her first children's book with the aim of teaching kids all about good dental habits. 

Tracy Pirie, a senior extended duties dental nurse, wrote the book entitled 'Harry's Healthy Teeth’, which follows a young boy as he makes a visit to his dentist for a check-up.

Throughout the book, Harry learns the best ways to look after his teeth and keep his healthy, happy smile.

Tracy, who works as part of the Childsmile programme, said: "We spend a huge amount of time working in local nurseries and we know that children are much more engaged, and retain more, when we use storytelling."

Childsmile is a national oral health improvement programme aimed at improving oral health and reducing dental inequalities in children in Scotland.

Drawing from her years of experience working with children in Fife, Tracy was motivated to create an educational resource that would resonate with preschool children and help them retain positive messages about their dental hygiene.

She continued: “By developing the book ‘Harry’s Healthy Teeth’, we are aiming to make good oral hygiene fun and accessible for young children, educating them about the importance of proper dental care in an engaging and entertaining way.

"By doing so, we hope to encourage good dental habits from an early age that children can carry with them throughout childhood and hopefully into adulthood too."

Since being rolled out across all nurseries in Fife, the book has become a key educational tool to help instil good habits from early childhood.

Angela Logue, Fife Council’s head of Education and Children's Services, added: “This is a great enhancement to the already successful Childsmile programme in nurseries across Fife.

"Through the magic of storytelling, it is great to see this new book help our children develop this important life skill at an early age, in a fun and engaging way.”