Toddler hates having teeth brushed. Any tips?

Esperanza - posted on 02/18/2012

her teeth might be pretty sensitive my son is 4 with severe autisim and does it really good but sometimes better than others. i ve noticed if i brush his teeth in the bath he really seems to like it or if i let him help me get it ready. i usually brush really sofft on his teeth so as not to hurt him and make gentle strokes

Sally - posted on 02/13/2012

My son (5 yo) was okay with brushing but not with the strong minty taste of most toothpastes and I was always worried about him not being able to spit it all out. The dentist eventually suggested we use a natural toothpaste (they said Dr. Nate's Naturals) that didn't have a strong taste, was SLS-free (so it didn't foam up and over-stimulate) and which was fluoride-free so that if he swallowed it I didn't have to worry that he was getting a stomachful of toxins. Brushing isn't exactly 'easy' yet, but the different toothpaste made a big difference.

Karryn - posted on 08/09/2011

we made a pec card for my 5 year old son and also took him to his dentist every 4 weeks for brushings and having him feel the equipment and just get him use to brushing, and now he brushes his own teeth and loves seeing his dentist. nomore pec cards for him

Chantel - posted on 08/09/2011

My son w/aspergers is now 6 but we had the same issue - I could not get a brush in his mouth if my life depended on it. It is probably a sensory thingg w/yr daughter so maybe you could try using a different type of brush or maybe different toothpaste (I wouldn't put a lot on) the other thing you can try is perhaps a soft cloth to use on her teeth instead of a brush. My son wouldn't let anything in his mouth and b/c of it had major dental surgery done and has 4 caps - not pleasant for him or my bank account!

Melissa - posted on 08/08/2011

My husband made up a rap song about brushing which he would sing as he help brush our son's teeth. It is a sensory thing, sometimes brushing softer or harder might help.

Eileen - posted on 08/03/2011

We discovered our then 2 yr old son had autism, he is 7. He is highly function, eplipsey, & of coarse ADHD. Behavior is a huge challenge. But he has always loved tooth brushes. I have to be on top of brushing his teeth because of life saving surgery at 4mos, dr said my son could easily have bad teeth (he dont). Braydon like to pick out a couple tooth brushes, one he can not play with at all..He loved to chew on tooth brush bristles with or w/o tooth paste, I was told by the professionals that it was a stimulate for him, maybe let her pic one toothbrush for real brushing , one for chewing on it, this works & one she can brush her babies teeth. Braydon likes it when I do things wrong. Like chase the cat saying it needs to brush...I let him brush my teeth...We go thro a lot but dont feel its a big deal...well except one time I got him off to school & as everyone else woke, no one could find any tooth brushes, teacher told us he came to school with a bunch of tooth brushes...lol I am frustrated most of the time, but always willing to mix things up to make it more fun...She may not like any of my ideas, hard to tell, Just thought Id share how Braydon does with it..

Stef - posted on 08/03/2011

there is a toothbrush especially designed for children with autism heres the link
http://www.twinbrush.com/

Sariah - posted on 08/02/2011

My kids' dentist told me that toothpaste isn't really necessary, but recommended that I use just a tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste to help with strengthening their teeth. And by tiny, I mean tiny (if you have ever seen the "big" sugar on cookies... about the size of just one of those crystals of sugar). It is enough to help with the teeth, but safe for them to swallow. I use a bubblegum flavored toothpaste and, for my boys, it works.

Jenny - posted on 08/02/2011

Thank you so much everyone! It helps.. Ive recently found that if I make a game out of the big bad toothbrush trying to "catch" my daughter, she atleast laughs a bit (instead of both of us battling it out) and then seems a little bit more relaxed after its over. I guess everything has to be made a game and we have to find a way to laugh about everything :-) I wish I knew which toothpaste she would the least. Is toothpaste really necessary. She is a verrry picky eater, so Im sure the taste of the toothpaste must be affecting her as well.

Gwen - posted on 08/02/2011

My son couldn't use a normal tooth brush, so he uses a battery operated one, and that helps him. I also don't use a minty toothpaste either. He hates the minty feeling :)

Joana - posted on 08/02/2011

I have the same problem with my 3 1/2 y/o son. He dislikes brushing but HATES the feeling of toothpaste.and I have tried every kind - however, we have had some success with either brushing with ACT flouride rinse on the toothbrush or sometimes we do just water and then "paint" ACT on with a Qtip.

Sariah - posted on 08/02/2011

A lot of kids with autism are sensitive in their mouths, on their ears, etc. I have three autistic boys. One is 16 yr and has Aspergers. He is ok in the mouth, but very sensitive on and in the ears. He does alright with brushing his teeth and has done alright (as well as any kid) with me pestering him and checking on him. I haven't really had to do that for years now. However, my 10 yr old and my 7 yr old more "traditional" and less functioning autistic boys are very sensitive in the mouth. They have always hated it. They have worked on teeth brushing at school in OT as well (as a support to what I do at home). I still need to brush my 10 yr old's teeth to be sure they get clean! (the 7 yr old, too) I will have him brush his own teeth too, but you can see that he really only barely touches them. Have patience. My 7 yr old is still non-verbal, but is understanding a lot more than he used to. He is slowly improving in communication. My 10 yr old used to be there, but has improved a lot. It will take time.