By SHIRLEY JINKINS STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

    ARLINGTON - Parents can simply double-click before directing their children to open wide, now that an Arlington-based Web site Dentists4kids.com is available with listings of more than 4,500 pediatric dentists across the country.
   Julie Brown, mastermind behind Dentists4kids.com. has created more than just a national directory of specialists.  The site also includes information on dental topics, parental help, community information, kids' games, print-out motivational charts, a homework help and resource center and even a link to the tooth fairy.
   "Anywhere you are in the U.S., you can find a pediatric dentist near you," said Brown, business manager for Arlington pediatric dentists Drs. Hyde, Bailey and Miller. Brown has worked in the field of pediatric dentistry for 23 years. 
   "We try to make it as user friendly as possible," Brown said. "You type in a zip code, and it gives a listing of the pediatric dentists in that area. ".
   Dentists4kids.com is dif-

ferent from other Web sites, Brown says, in that an attempt has been made to compile a directory of every pediatric dentist in the country.  She finds them via directories, professional journals and other databases as well as personal replies from the dentists themselves.
    Dentists have a free listing, but if they want to upgrade their listing and add more facts, pages, maps, forms, animation or music, they can purchase listing upgrades. 
    The idea for Dentists4kids.com was born two years ago during a brainstorming session between Brown and her employers.
    "I looked around that weekend, and there really wasn't anything out there like what I we had discussed," she said.
    The site went online in January 2000, and Brown began marketing it in March of that year.
    "I didn't realize it was going to be quite the full-time job it is," said Brown, the mother of two teen-agers.  She answers! all the site's e-mails, contacts dentists and markets the site.  
"Three years ago I didn't know         the       difference 

between a web site and e-mail," Brown said, adding that she did have three years of computer science engineering at UT- Arlington 20 years ago.
    The site gets 5O,OOO hits per month and is top- listed on most major search engines. Brown said she has seen upgrade business from interested dentists triple from this time last year.
    "Dentists can upgrade for as little as $60 or as much as $2,600 for a full blown Web site of their own with a lot of pages, links and so forth," Brown said.
    Some of the dentists' and parents' favorite features are online forms to fill out or new patients, cutting down office time on the day of an appointment; answers to most commonly asked questions (furnished by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) and virtual tours of dentists' offices.
    Dentists can even order office supplies from dental vendors online.
    Kids enjoy the pages with games, puzzles and reward charts for brushing and flossing.
   Toni Hall, webmaster, was Dentists4kids.com first employee, hired in May  2000

Star Telegram/Darrel Byers

Julie Brown started a nationwide online clearinghouse called Dentists4kids.com that puts parents in touch with more than 4,500 pediatric dentists across the country.

"We have three different people to cater to - children, parents and dentists themselves," Hall said. "I've had to make it child-friendly, as well as user-friendly for parents and professional for dentists." Hall customizes dentists' 1ogos, adds colorful backgrounds, animation. music and other frills to the listings.
    "In this day and age, people are connected together electronically, and to promote their practice and have people referred to them, they \R dentists\S need to do that via the Internet," said Dr. Phil Bailey. 
    "That used to be the Yellow Pages," Bailey said. "But today, people are looking for information about your practice before they come in. People want to see how you do things, how you treat that child, what your philosophy is." 
    It's a way to make parents and children feel at ease even before they enter the door. 

    "We do all we can to \R soothe\S the child and the parents that have had bad experiences themselves as children," Bailey said. 
    Bailey said it is especially handy to have forms, for new patients to fill out in advance and basic dental and treatment information right at the patients' fingertips.
    "It's much more in-depth [advertising] through the Internet," Bailey said, adding that many dentists aren't computer savvy.  "There's a new awareness about this, though. Guys my age, half of us don't even know how to turn it on. But it's not a passing phase." 
    Brown agrees that many dentists are happy to have someone else deal with their Internet presence. 
    "We have some guys that just give us a business card and say, 'do it',"she said.   
 "It is fun,"   Hall said of her  designing job. "There's always something to learn. I can always improve something - somewhere. 

    "One of my favorite things about my job is, I'm the tooth fairy," Hall said, flashing a smile. "When kids e-mail the tooth fairy, I write them a little poem back." 
    Of course, the tooth fairy has to be careful about making promises or specifying exact sums of under pillow money destined for young tooth- losers. 
    "I take it with great responsibility," Hall said. "The parent is, of course, actually the tooth fairy".
    One child sent her a greeting card as thanks for her reply and for services rendered.

Shirley Jinkins. 817-548-5565
syjinkins@star-telegram.com