Tooth brushing h*ll

[Anonymous]

DS is 6 & low functioning autism. He freaks out about brushing his teeth. Like barely does it. We have been hit, hit, kicked while trying to assist/backwards chain it. We’ve tried the dentist & it’s of course a disaster. I stay awake at night just imaging the cavities & what the hell we are going to do. So that’s my question- what the hell do we do? Just wait for his teeth to fall out?
It’s the day to day stuff like this that makes parenting a SN kiddo a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

I used to lay mine on the bed and straddle him and pin his arms with my knees. It wasn’t easy but I didn’t get hurt.

[Anonymous]

Is he in OT? They can work on that in OT.

[Anonymous]

I’m assuming you’ve tried different tooth pasted and brushes already? Letting him pick things out?

Would he watch a video on the iPhone? You sit cross legged on a bed and he puts his head on your legs and his body stretched out on the bed so you’re above him like a dentist.

No I wouldn’t just let this one go, bad teeth can lead to heart problems later in life.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My kid is 9 and has all kinds of issues with this. Things have gotten better over the years but it's still a major chore. Things we've tried:

gel vs paste--Colgate makes a kids' gel that my kid does okay with. The texture or taste bother some kids. We have also tried Tasty Paste(vanilla or chocolate_ which a lot of kids apparently like. Try lots of brands.

mouthwash--my kid is willing to swizzle some kid mouthwash so there's that

toothbrushes--my kid will tolerate now a kids' Sonicare--this is a totally different feel than a regular toothbrush

at times we have brushed only with water

rewards chart with prizes

use a timer

[Anonymous]

If you can find a dentist who DS will tolerate, then I would suggest going three times a year as one visit would just be for a cleaning. We ha en adult daughter who handles her personal care, but I know dies not brush that closely. 3 visits seems to do the trick as no cavities and no talk of heavy plaque build-up. She also has a small mouth so we just ipuse a child size tooth brush. In ear,ire years, it was a lot easier to maneuver than a full size adult brush.
She also had braces. A pediatric dental practice might be key.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry OP, I had struggles when my kid was 2, it was a battle, I can't imagine battling a 6 year old on this. My son eventually got over it and learned that it was going to happen no matter what, we did the timer, fun brushes, he gets to brush my teeth, his toys teeth etc, watch video etc, what worked was sitting him on my lap and letting him open the toothpaste squeeze it etc. I understand this may not be an option for you so here are some ideas to maybe mitigate the cavities

A little unconventional but maybe one of those chewing gums that help clean teeth - Orbit or Trident

Would he do mouth wash and not swallow it?

A few days ago I saw an ad on facebook about a new type of toothbrush that I think is worth a try. I can't remember the exact name but it's something like this:

https://tryautobrush.com/products/autobrush-for-kids-v3?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI49nR2JGf4wIVnIqzCh3pEgj7EAQYAyABEgIZvvD_BwE $99

https://360sonicbrush.net/products/kids-sonic-brush?cmp_id=2038244345&adg_id=72373457472&kwd=&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI49nR2JGf4wIVnIqzCh3pEgj7EAQYAiABEgLPhPD_BwE $37 dollar


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Full-automatic-Variable-frequency-360-Ultrasonic-Electric-Toothbrush-Teeth-Cold-Light-Whitening-Device-Automatic-Toothbrush/981194625?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=100001365&adid=22222222227257561684&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=307067744391&wl4=pla-550865236506&wl5=9008123&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=125359789&wl11=online&wl12=981194625&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI49nR2JGf4wIVnIqzCh3pEgj7EAQYBCABEgJJEvD_BwE $39

I haven't used them so I can't say if they work well or not but it seems like something like this would be easier than sticking the brush in his mouth.
Good luck OP!

[Anonymous]

Try the arm and hammer electric toothbrush (battery operated) fairly quiet. It's sensory, and pinning him down is cruel, I dont suggest that. My DS used to be like yours, that it took 2 years of brushing everyday and struggling before we discovered that toothbrush, which he would tolerate a lot more than a manual toothbrush, or louder electric toothbrushes. We did not move on from toddler toothpaste though, because he would swallow it, so we do not use mouthwash, either. He just started to be able to rinse and spit at 7 years old. So, maybe one day we will move on to fluoride toothpaste but his dentist said it's fine to use fluoride free for him.

[Anonymous]

So normally I'm not a big fan of ABA, but discrete trial can be super helpful for stuff like this. He CAN learn to do it and tolerate it, you just need a plan and to go slowly.

It's great to have a professional work on this. Do you have access to an OT who understand behavioral principals? Or an ABA therapist/clinic?

I don't know if this video will help or not. She's basically desensitizing him to the tooth brush by distracting him with the video and proceeding with the brushing in quick bursts. I would assume over time you can brush longer and longer as the child gets use to it.

http://abanashville.com/wp/2014/10/tooth-brushing-desensitization-part-2/

[Anonymous]

In college I worked in a group homes for people with developmental disabilities, and teaching toothbrushing often involved a process designed by a behavioral psychologist in which every step was broken down and steps taught one at a time with a lot of reinforcement and hand over hand. I'm guessing that's what ABA would do.

Also, I knew someone whose son had severe (really, really severe) anxiety (not developmental disability but his anxiety was so severe he is on SSI as an adult), he had to be sedated for dental work. That was also the case with some of the group home clients.

Once when I took a client to the dentist he explained to me that to mitigate gagging (a common problem) to have the person tip their head forward and drop the lower jaw loosely. I actually have had problems at time gagging when brushing and would do that when it happened. He also recommended electric toothbrushes.

[Anonymous]

My DD has ADHD and very sensitive teeth/gag reflex. Tooth brushing was a nightmare until she learned to do it herself- really after lots of reminders from me and her orthodontist and just getting to the age where she now cares. Extra cleaning at the pediatric dentist helped - we go to Dr. Alan Kuwabara, he has an excellent hygienist, Jenny, who is wonderful with special needs kids. Jenny made all the difference between horrible dental visits and great ones - she was loving and encouraging- we went 4xs a year for a couple of years.

[Anonymous]

Yes, as mentioned work with an OT. Mine learned to love the electric tooth brush ticking. She did all sorts of desensitizing things. I recall we used to have to do some facial massage or something to help. It was so long ago I forgot it used to be an issue.

[Anonymous]

With my daughter, we kept trying different toothpastes until we found one that she liked. I’d recommend using a toothpaste with fluoride even though your son isn’t spitting. Just do a light smear of toothpaste on the brush and it’s fine if he swallows it.

Before we found the toothpaste, I had considered having her ABA therapists work on it with her. OTs and even some STs can assist with this as well!

Also, did you go to a pediatric dentist? We found an amazing one in Ashburn and my daughter did SO amazingly well. I held off on her first visit for three years because I was so scared of how she would do, but she loved the dentist and hygienist! We saw Dr. Valerie Woo if Ashburn is close for you.

[Anonymous]

Dentist here. Agree with the previous posters about trying a quiet electric toothbrush. If your child is a deep enough sleeper, you can also try lightly brushing teeth while he is sleeping (it’s okay to leave a little toothpaste on the teeth while he’s sleeping). You can also ask your dentist for fluoride varnish that you can apply at home. This won’t fix the problem long term, but it can help prevent tooth decay. If using mouthwash, use one with fluoride such as Act Kids. Also, your child should watch you and your partner brush your own teeth each night. Make it a family affair!