Have you ever taken a moment to thank the person who keeps your smile sparkling? Raina Telgemeier sure has—she even wrote and illustrated an entire graphic novel about it!

In honor of Dentist Day tomorrow (who knew?), today we’re THRILLED to present an original, exclusive, brand new comic strip from the amazing Telgemeier, author and artist of the just-released Smile (not to mention the graphic novel editions of The Baby-sitters Club!).

As someone who had her fair share of dentistry (mostly orthodontistry – hello, headgear!), I’d been looking forward to the release of Smile for months. In it, Telgemeier tells the true story of the time she knocked out her two front teeth—and the crazy, awe-inspiring amounts of dentistry it took to get her mouth in tip-top shape again. But Smile is about more than dental drama; there are crushes to contend with, friends to figure out, and even natural disasters—literally.

I’ve never thought much about my dentists or orthodontists until I read Smile and realized just how challenging the job can be. So in honor of Dentist Day on Saturday, March 6, I salute you, all you mouth professionals. And Telgemeier does, too:

And because it’s just that hilarious, you should check out the Smile book trailer:

For more Smile goodies, head on over to The Stacks, where you can make your own Smile comic and even find another exclusive comic strip from Telgemeier! Plus, check out Telgemeier’s own web site to learn more about her.

And then, when you’ve done all that, go thank your dentist

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Previously On Our Minds:

* #ask557: Twitter chat with Scholastic Book Clubs editor
* The 39 Clues Book 8: The Emperor’s Code revealed!
* 5 Questions with Teacher Advisors