Autistic kids and teeth cleaning

Page 1 of 1 [ 8 posts ] 

DuckHairback
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jan 2021
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,922
Location: Durotriges Territory

20 Mar 2025, 5:57 am

I cannot get my kid to clean her teeth properly. She hates doing it, a lot of the time she doesn't bother, just squirts a bit of toothpaste in her mouth so I'll think she's done it.

It's a sensory thing, I suppose. We've tried electric toothbrushes and manual ones. She doesn't like either.

I don't want her to grow up with bad teeth. My teeth are a mess and it's annoying and expensive.

Anyone had this issue with their kids and found anything that works?


_________________
I do apologise. But also I can't promise it won't happen again.


babybird
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 79,358
Location: UK

Yesterday, 8:48 am

Any joy on the teeth cleaning front there


_________________
We have existence


babybird
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 79,358
Location: UK

Yesterday, 8:51 am

You'd think they'd come up with something for kids for their teeth wouldn't you; like chew sticks that you give dogs

I always think that I do


_________________
We have existence


DuckHairback
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jan 2021
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,922
Location: Durotriges Territory

Yesterday, 3:20 pm

babybird wrote:
Any joy on the teeth cleaning front there


No. It's always been a problem from the time we stopped brushing her teeth for her (because she would scream as if we were using a cheese grater) and let her do it herself.

It's a sensory thing. Plus a PDA thing. She won't wash properly either and she's hitting puberty so starting to get body odours.

So I don't know what to do. It wasn't so much of a problem when she had a mouth full of milk teeth that were going to fall out anyway but these ones need to last.


_________________
I do apologise. But also I can't promise it won't happen again.


cyberdora
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Jan 2025
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 775
Location: Australia

Yesterday, 3:50 pm

Not sure how old your daughter is? mine was adamant nothing should touch her teeth (she refused to go to the dentist until her wisdom teeth came out). We eventually convinced her peers brush their teeth and that seemed to do the trick.



babybird
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 79,358
Location: UK

Today, 10:11 am

Yeah she might hopefully come round to the idea of doing as she gets a bit older

I dunno it's a tough one because it's a health issue as well as an aesthetics thing

I wish you all the best with this mate I really do


_________________
We have existence


colliegrace
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Nov 2022
Age: 31
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 1,402
Location: USA

Today, 11:55 am

Is it the brush that's a sensory issue? Doesn't sound like it's the toothpaste. When I was a kid I needed the bubblegum flavored toothepaste because mint was too strong.


_________________
He/him or they/them pronouns, please.
ASD level 1 & ADHD-C (professional dx), dyscalcula (self dx), very severe RSD.
Currently in early stages of recovering from autistic burnout.

RAADs: 104 | ASQ: 30 | CAT-Q: 139 | Aspie Quiz: 116/200 (84% probability of being atypical)


babybird
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 79,358
Location: UK

Today, 12:16 pm

I like aquafresh for the stripes and the flavour and because I can remember the advert from when I was a kid and it always plays in my head when I'm brushing away


_________________
We have existence