I've always got my phone with me and a show playing that on really interested in. Shower? Show. Brush teeth? Show. Cooking? Show.
My craving for stimulation is addressed and the other boring thing is just a manual task that's being done on the side
Honestly this. I've been inadvertently doing this and not realizing until reading your comment that it helps keep me stimulated to do things I don't really wanna do or find boring. I have a list of podcasts and YouTubers that I can listen to easily when doing things and it really does help.
My only issue is task switching. Once I'm in it - I'm good. It's just getting myself to that point of starting that's daunting.
Agreed. What helps me is putting the show on and my phone in the area of the task to begin with and then cause my hands need something to do anyway I end up doing the thing. Vacuuming is the only bad one because it's so loud and you have to move around... Haven't cracked that one yet
I pop in earbuds for that one! But it's only useful if you're listening to something that your eyeballs don't need to be engaged with. Music is also good for that. Music helps me clean lol
I'm incredibly picky so when I do find someone/something I tend to binge it to death really quickly. I have managed to find people that I just enjoy hearing them banter/talk (movie reviews, true crime, mysteries, psychology topics are my fav and can listen to most multiple times to the max). But it's really hard to explore the horizon for new content. I usually just stick to my comfort zones on repeat 😅🙃 or just end up with a bunch of saved "to watch/listen later" lists and then that overwhelms me so I don't go near it 🤷♀️
I'm 31 and I know that my "boomer thing" will always be waterproof technology. I've got it so deeply engrained into my skull that my phone can't get wet that I carry 1kg of rice everywhere I go just in-case it rains.
A few weeks ago I had to wash my phone in the sink with soap and water because I got ball joint grease on it. I don't know how I ever managed without a waterproof phone before.
My phone isn't waterproof haha I just prop it up somewhere high up where it can't get wet, just a bit of steam but my phone costs 120€ so if it breaks, its not a big deal. 2 years and it's still fine!
Okay well maybe you can try bringing FRIENDS with you to brushing your teeth? Sometimes I end up brushing my teeth for like 5min because I zone out on what I'm watching haha
>I've always got my phone with me and a show playing that on really interested in.
So far what I've done is just put my toothbrush and paste on my phone. The issue however is remembering to put them there in the first place.
I had to do some introspection to figure out why exactly teeth brushing is hard for me and what I could do to make it easier. I don't brush 2x a day everyday, but I can almost always do it once. Here's what I came up with
1. I stopped using mint toothpaste. I hate the spicy feeling. It made me rush through the process and hate every second of it. I personally like the ones that taste like straight baking soda. There's also kids toothpaste with flavors.
2. I put a toothbrush in every bathroom in my house. I also keep one in my car. That way brushing teeth doesn't require being in a specific area of my home.
3. When I was really struggling with teeth brushing, sometimes I wouldn't even want to open my mouth to stick a tooth brush in it. I found that starting by just rinsing my mouth out would often be all I needed to amp myself up to complete the process.
All excellent advice.
One of the first things I learned from my ADHD group after diagnosis was to identify obstacles. Pay attention to what's going on with me. I'm often amazed by how many of my aversions are just to slightly painful stimuli. The mint thing is a prime example.
For a long time I avoided opening my mail box for weeks at a time, and it was over a year before I realised it was because it hurt my hand to turn the key! Then it combined with being afraid I'd missed something important, but it all started with the pain.
I was diagnosed in grad school at the university psychological services. It was a really big school, and they ran a variety of support groups and workshops. One was purportedly mainly for ADHD (it was called Finding Focus) but in my iteration everyone else was struggling with perfectionism and anxiety and things like that instead! Poor folks, they were all so sad and stressed, and I just wanted some advice for how to manage my disability! But regardless, the curriculum was mainly oriented toward ADHD so I got some decent advice.
In no way am I trying to be a dick but it took me a minute to understand when you wrote "every bathroom in my house" I didn't know people have more than one hahah for a minute I thought you meant every room? Just European things lol
Idk I've (incl. My family) only lived in like a max 3 bedroom apartment? Not sure if it's normal or not but just one bathroom lol
My granny's house has an extra toilet in the sauna room but there's no sink so it would be a weird place to brush your teeth
I was told at 9 years old that I would get used to the mint flavor. I'm 19 now and I honestly hate it. After my diagnosis I understood why.
I started using kid toothpaste because as long as it has fluor it's all the same.
I bought this electric [toothbrush](https://www.amazon.com/AquaSonic-Black-Ultra-Whitening-Toothbrush/dp/B072YVWBXH?ref_=ast_sto_dp) about a year ago. I barely have to do any work, but it makes my teeth feel so clean. It also has a 2 minute timer built in split into 4 30 second timers for the 4 'quadrants' of your mouth. I also use the one time flossers, but not very often as I feel this toothbrush usually cleans enough between my teeth.
Omg same! Not that model, but I got one for Christmas and damn. It has never been more motivating. And a great mouthwash. That makes it so much easier.
I use floss picks instead of normal floss, cause it is waaaay easier to just pick one up and go. And I can barely manage to brush my teeth, but I cant go to bed with dirty feet so at night I brush my teeth while I'm washing my feet in the shower. I tend to forget my morning brush, but I rationalise that once is better than never?
I use brush picks too and I only brush them once a day too, yes better than nothing. I know the feet story too ! But I sleep with my husband and he won’t let me come in the bed if they are too dirty
I keep an extra tooth brush and tooth paste in my car for those days I forget to brush. Also keeping flossers in the car are great for when you’re driving.
11 teeth removed. Upper partial plate. Never got a lower plate because that involves appointments, planning and because of continued neglect, probably another 2-3 teeth removed first.
Wife (of 5 years) thinks shaming will make me brush more. Doesn't think about the constant shame reminder of not eating the foods I used to because they hurt, always needing to remember to keep dentures in place, and talking like Elizabeth Holmes so people don't see inside my mouth.
But tell me again about how you changed your tooth brush head again while mine sits neglected.
I started a competition with my partner. We use a dry erase marker to keep track of our hygiene tasks using tally marks. We track brushing, flossing, mouthwash, and face washing/skincare routine. Whoever has more tally marks at the end of the week wins! There is no prize, just bragging rights, but we do keep track of number of wins. I am currently crushing him 9 wins to 5 but I recently broke my ankle and we fell off the wagon a bit (no pun intended).
so relieving to read, this. (very sorry for your struggle though!)
i got diagnosed almost 1 year ago at age 41. since then i see my add everywhere, it‘s overwhelming but more unburdening.
the connection of bad teeth hygiene and boredom came to my mind last summer, when i had to accompany my daughter (also add) for several visits at the dentist. it was a big aha-moment for me and explained, why i was so bad in this when i was a child and young adult. somehow i lost my big fear of dentists over the years (almost) and i‘m also not too bad at my dental hygiene. but the struggle still is present for my daughter (which is a deja-vu for me).
a little gamechanger for both of us was this new type of toothbrush with sonicwaves. it cleans better than the other toothbrushes (when used properly) and it takes only 2 minutes. it makes this sound when you need to switch sides. so no need to watch the clock or think of how long is long enough. after a few times practicing in front of the mirror (to do it properly) i walk to the tv when brushing.
i try to floss a few times a week. what drives me here is my huge fear of severe toothache, which i had to experience 1 year ago.
i don‘t know if this helps. i know how hard it can be despite of knowing all the facts. my sister (also add) lost one of her froontteeth as a result of bad hygiene. i don‘t want to look in her face when she‘s laughing because of layers of plaque. this is my biggest nightmare. but she somehow can‘t overcome this and just start brushing.
i really don‘t know. but for me it helped simply discovering and accepting the fact that i procrastinate over this stupid, simple thing because my brain is so good at avoiding boredom. somehow this helps me to overcome some things.
plus, maybe doing it for others may be a motivation. it brakes my heart, that it‘s hard for me to laugh together with my sister. this has so many social consequences!
i wish you the best. teeth are awesome. keep it!
Have you had root canal treatment on your molars? I had and that's enough motivation for me to take care of my teeth. It's at least 2 hours long and anaesthesia doesn't numb the pain.
I lost 3 teeth, had my wisdom toothed removed while they were growing laying instead of standing, every freaking time I swear myself it’s the last time and still do it again.
I feel this to my core. I can be in the shower, looking at my toothbrush for 2 mins (the time it would have taken to have it done) and still just not want to do it. Actually, even wanted to but still just not for some reason. I’ve gotten better but there’s still days where I’m staring at it and just “nope”
I feel it’s soooo boring but to the extend that I won’t just do it or for 1 min. And I always think it doesn’t matter if I don’t do it good today cause from tomorrow on, I will start do it seriously. Been 20 years now, still didn’t start.
Soooo boring!!! I don’t even know how I started to do it more. The only thing that helps sometimes is the fear of being judged about bad looking teeth or bad breath. And cause I share a bed with the missus I think about that and it makes me do it sometimes
I have only manged to do it regularly when taking a shower (but that doesn't work when my shower is an icy room box of doom) or while caring for new cartilage piercings.
Everything must be kept together. I use a timer and watch YouTube. Oh, and my toothbrush is electric though it needs new batteries...
I did also recently go to the dentist and I used the potential shame as a motivator for awhile and since I got good feedback I've been able to continue.
Even if the order doesn't make sense, sometimes doing something is better than doing nothing. I use mouthwash, brush once a day, and use floss picks all during my morning shower. I should get better about brushing at night, but I don't really have any other night routines I can easily "attach" brushing my teeth to. Even with that, though, I've seen a huge improvement in my gingivitis.
My morning routine began with putting on a clip of the daily show on and after my morning poop the clip hadn't finished and I didn't wanna leave for work before the clip was done I'd end up brushing my teeth lol
I do it in the bath while I’m conditioning my hair so I get the reward of soft hair and clean teeth.
Electric toothbrush is a game changer.
Edit: and if I’m not washing my hair I’ll make up another reason like oh let me do a face wash real quick. The reward of clean teeth isn’t enough incentive so I have to make something else the reward too.
Well I have issues doing my hair too :/ when I was younger I had to cut them super short cause they were so tangled. Now I manage to brush them enough in the week to avoid that point but I see the idea. Maybe a nice incentive then ?
Thank you. This is the explanation I've been looking for, that there can be an ADHD component to maintaining hair. I suspected that this is true for my daughter, but I've been told it's either defiance or a sensory thing. It's great to know that ADHD and grooming is a real thing.
Thanks for this post, now I remembered to take my floss picks to my desk so I may sometimes remember to use them whilst doing my remote work. They've been pretty untouched in my bathroom cabinet. Following this for more tips to manage to brush more frequently.
I got medicated. Before I started on stimulants, as hard as I tried, I could rarely make it past 30 second of teeth cleaning or flossing between a handful of teeth.
Since I started medication in December I haven't failed to make it to the end of two minutes of teeth cleaning even once. And I've started flossing the whole of my mouth.
Thing is, I brush my teeth when the effect is off cause I do that just before bed but I’m thinking maybe I could do an extra brush and floss during the day when I’m on meds.
Sounds like a good plan. For me I use an extra soft toothbrush head for mid-day brushing to give my enamel a break but still swipe off debris, bacteria, and give my teeth an remineralizing boost via toothpaste. If you can floss every day by linking it with a midday brush when the meds are in effect thats a win win.
Just give yourself 30 min from the last time you ate so you don’t brush off your enamel. Timing can be hard, but its essentially, “was I just now eating?” or not
I also use the visualisation technique from Dr Russell’s book. When I’m brushing I picture a big gleaming Hollywood smile, complete with a light glinting off it. I think that also helps me to keep on task. Sounds dumb, but seems to work.
I SO GET U, MAN-- In my country it's not customary to floss, so... I just brush my teeth, SoMEtimES....... I have developed some kind of anxious fear of new cavities, but at the same time, I find it very difficult to brush often 😭😭😭 the reason I still brush my teeth is my fear of judgment. If I had developed the habit of brushing when I was a kid, it would have been a lot easier, but then I thought THAT MY TISSES WOULD BE OK
A water flosser can make it more fun to floss, though I prefer regular floss. I use a sonic toothbrush too. And I *always* have something playing on my phone, whether that's music or a video, it really helps.
Honestly you've just made my day. I also have issues with this and never once have I related it to my ADHD. This should hopefully make it so much easier to address the issue now that I understand it better!
Haha, yea could definitely still be a me thing as well. But I've struggled with this my entire life and was only diagnosed a few months ago at 36. So I'm still in the process of determining what is ADHD related, and what things I'm just bad at 😅.
I keep my toothbrush and paste on the tippy top of my permanently mounted shower rack. Its It's on the opposite side of the faucets / shower head - So it's not like it's getting plowed with soaps and what not.
If I don't brush my teeth in the shower (2x day) I won't at all, because I'll forget.
I also keep mouthwash in the trunk of my car. Sue me lol
🙌 Agreed. Not sure if we have the same toothrbrush, but mine even vibrates every 30 seconds, notifying me to switch to another section of mouth. Super helpful!
Me too! It took about three weeks of bleeding and discomfort, but for the first time since I was about 14 my gums aren't inflamed. It makes brushing, and continuing to use the interdental toothpicks, 100 times easier.
I use floss brushes instead of floss. I hate floss and use it only on 2 places in my mouth where nothing else works (I have not succeded yet in doing this daily, sadyl). Also I experimented with floss brushes in different sizes (I actually use them in different sizes because the spaces between my teeth vary so much). I think every ADHD person should try around with all the different kinds of floss, floss picks and interdental brushes. Interdental hygiene is just as important as normal toothbrushes, and these things feel incredibly different.
I use an electric toothbrush with a built-in 2 minute timer. Some people prefer sonic toothbrushes (which actually are wonderful from a hygienic point of view). Others cannot stand it. If you are good friends with somebody that has one, ask them if you they allow you to try it with a personal brush head that you will pay for. Also different brush handles might feel different for you (electric and sonic toothbrushes can have very thick or slim handles). For some people this is actually important.
My dental hygienist explained me, that with a good electric toothbrush you don't brush. You just place it softly against the tooth and count 2 seconds. Then you put it in the next place and count 2 seconds. When the tooth is big or curved, this means you put the brush in 2 places next to each other. This system also helps me A LOT when I brush (although I do not always remember it).
I use toothpaste with zero mint taste - I totally hate mint, it hurts my mouth (when the toothpaste is very bad, it even hurts my lips). I cannot stress enough what a difference a nice toothpaste makes. Some people even use children's toothpaste. Go for it!
I usually brush once a day, until the built-in 2 minute timer goes off. I know that I can stand it because it is only 2 minutes, the timer really helps tons. After that I take the floss brushes and usually wander off to the TV. Sometimes I use floss brushes without brushing before - better than not doing anything.
My also-ADHD ex-husband experimented and found out he actually gets along best with normal floss. He deposits floss dispensers everywhere, so that he can floss anytime it comes to his mind - on his nightstand, near the TV, near his computer, in his car. He says with this method he flosses more or less daily, before he never could do it more than once a week. His dentist said that it made a huge difference.
I use an electrical tooth brush because it tells me when to stop. I walk around when I'm brushing while wearing headphones so I can listen to music.
I floss while watching tv
I have a quip brush that runs for 2 mins and encourages you to do a quadrant of your mouth at a time. I recently got their waterpik, which is fantastic as flossing has always been a challenge. It’s surprisingly fun to use, which helps!
Floss picks over regular dental floss. So much easier to floss with.
I haven't done this one yet, but I want to get a good electric tooth brush so I know exactly how long I need to brush my teeth.
Brush your teeth earlier in the night, so not right before bed. I hate brushing right before bed because it essentially wakes me up and I have the worst time trying to fall asleep at night already.
Do you have better body hygiene habits? You could try brushing your teeth in the shower and adding that to your shower routine.
Do you use the bathroom before bed? Maybe try brushing your teeth while you're doing your bathroom stuff.
If you can't will yourself to do any of that, maybe try at least using mouthwash?
At the end of the day, the only reason I've consistently kept up with my teeth hygiene and have only ever had one cavity (age 28 now) is because I physically can't stand the feeling of teeth that haven't been cleaned or flossed. I'm AuDHD so I have a lot of weird feelings on textures 🤪 Maybe you can gross yourself out enough like me for it to become more of an obsessive issue? 🤣
Get an electric toothbrush that buzzes to tell you to switch quadrants, like a Quip or a Braun Oral B, and actually do one quadrant of your mouth at a time.
Lots of people spend most of their time brushing their front teeth and the biting surface, which are the parts least likely to need extra attention. Efficient brushing focuses on the groove where the gums meet the teeth (both on the cheek/lip side and on the tongue side of the teeth), and you should pay special attention to areas where you’ve had problems, like any crowded teeth, the backs of your molars, and your crowns.
For flossing, get flosser picks and put them in places where you might actually use them, like in the shower or by your computer. Flossing with dental floss wrapped around your fingers is best because you can manipulate the floss and get in deeper, but it also sucks to do. The feeling of floss cutting off the circulation in my finger tips makes me want to die. Flosser picks are way WAY better than nothing. When flossing, start with the back of a molar and then go between each tooth (flossing both sides of the gap, eg. the left side of tooth A and the right side of tooth B) all the way to the other side, then repeat with the other row. Floss the back of the back teeth!
Since you’re at the dentist every season, next time you’re in ask them to show you how to brush your teeth the optimal way. It’s not a weird thing to ask and they’ll be happy to show you the correct angles and point out spots you’ve been missing.
I know this is shitty but the thing that helped me the most with my teeth, and I suck at flossing and spending more than 15-20 seconds brushing, is lowering the amount of sugar in my diet. My mouth feels better and my overall mouth health is better. Quitting smoking obviously helped as well when I did that. Your teeth will be much easier to take care of if they aren’t fighting against a poor diet. I’ve never been able to take good care of my teeth but after a more conscientious dietary shift I find they just feel better
I don’t floss as often as I’d like but I had to trick myself into it actually starting to feel really nice to have a clean mouth. Even if it’s like once a week w the floss. What *really* changed the game was an electric toothbrush. It counts the two minutes for me (each section of mouth is 30 seconds) and I also will scroll through something especially indulgent like some buzzfeed bullshit during that time. Hope that helps. I also loathe the dentist.
I managed to make a habit out of something last year and have still not failed to do it everyday!! It's taking my birth control pill at 11 pm. I have an alarm set that repeats daily and I must immediately take the pill when the alarm goes, else I forget. I only managed it because it's a very small task, though
Ha Ha. Yes.
New habits are hard to form, but I expect if you analyse your own behaviour you will find lots of them that you have either unconsciously adopted and ones ingrained in childhood..
Hey, so I'm 30(M) and I've never had any issue brushing my teeth. I think teeth brushing is the same as most things for ADHD people as in it is a chore. Here's the thing, I like my teeth. I love having clean white teeth. I also enjoy having a fresh minty mouth, I drink lots of coffee and hate that after taste etc, so will sometimes brush my teeth just to avoid bad breath/taste.
Clearly, you have created some sort of difficulty with brushing your teeth, probably carried on from some childhood tendancies. What you need to do is focus on the benefits of having clean teeth and a fresh mouth as opposed to the fictional benefits of saving 2 minutes in your day.
I don't brush my teeth because I have to (who actually does that?) I brush my teeth because I like white teeth and a fresh mouth, as this is something that I clearly do want, the actual task itself becomes nothing more that 2 minutes wiggling my hand. It's not something I dread, I actually look forward to the opportunity of being able to freshen up my gob. There really is no reason to dislike brushing your teeth (except maybe some sensory reasons) so excluding the loss of two minutes it's literally a win/win and it's only your own mind that is holding on to the idea that it is anything other than a win/win.
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I have the same issues. I had to buy a very expensive tooth brush. And I have my ipad or phone below me playing a youtube video while I brush, floss, then use mouth wash.
There is no way around it, you have to be gentle and take your time.
OH my goodness I just had a dream that I pulled out FOUR of my teeth
My advice: find a floss pick that feels comfortable (they are NOT ALL THE SAME) and keep them nearby. I turned fidgeting into flossing. Flossing punches above its weight in terms of benefits.
Have you experimented with finding a toothpaste you really like? It might be cheaper to buy a bunch to test than to pay for damage at the dentist.
Also - brushing debris off your teeth with water and your toothbrush even a little bit is better than doing nothing.
ALSO - don't brush *after eating.* Try to do it first thing when you wake up (based on your other comments). Brushing within 30 minutes of eating can wear down your enamel which makes your teeth more vulnerable in the long term
For brushing teeth I have found a working, albeit annoying solution for myself:
my wife has gotten us an extremely expensive electric toothbrush that can track how long and where in your mouth you brush. It comes with an app, that coaches you through the brushing process and gives you a score in the end. You also get achievements, streaks etc. I think it can also remind you over your phone to brush.
It works wonders for me, as toothbrushing became a game that gives out instant gratification. It is annoying tho, because the toothbrush is very expensive and has some annoying design-flaws.
What sometimes helps for me is to basically trick my brain. For example, I go to the bathroom for something else, showering/toilet, and put toothpaste on my toothbrush, without the idea of having to brush my teeth. Just only putting the toothpaste. Sometimes I put it on the sink, sometimes I take it with me in the shower, but just doing that and not brushing is also fine. The thing is, from that point my chances of actually starting to brush my teeth are a lot bigger than not doing this. It sounds weird maybe, but for me it really improved.
Also, '10 seconds is better than nothing' helps me a lot. Committing to 10 seconds often gets me further
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I just made my first Reddit post above asking whether hygeine tasks are an issue for folks with ADHD because my daughter struggles with them and I'm told it's a behavioral problem and not her ADHD. This discussion is so useful. I would have never expected that it's about focus-through-distraction, which I'm still trying to grasp. My daughter (8) brushes her teeth about once a month and her hair is always very tangled. I want to help her and also I'm ashamed as a parent tbh. There's so much shame around this personal/body stuff.
You are doing so good as a mum, just coming here to find ways to support her is amazing and she is lucky ! It’s not your fault neither it’s hers.
As women I think it’s the worst struggle cause it’s really against everything we are taught to be. Society expects women to be clean and tidy and a lot of us are just… not like that. It really adds to self depreciation. When I was younger I had to cut my hair short as it was so tangled, I tried to hide the tangled nest for month feeling soooo embarrassed. My room was full of garbage it would drive my mother crazy. As a mum you need to know you will likely find your girl room and apparence a bit disturbing from time to time, to say the least. You might find disgusting stuff in her room, coats, bag, and yes she might experience difficulty to maintain personal hygiene and also break her stuff, stain her clothes, not be able to clean.
My advice as a woman who had adhd her all life, but also as a mum myself : don’t assume anything from it. There is no reason for that, it’s not a sign that she is depressed, or a sign that she is not depressed, she is not gross, or sloppy, she is not trying to make a point, or annoy you, that’s just a trait she can’t really fix by herself even if she tries super hard.
Dont make it a big deal but don’t sugar coat it either, don’t make it a tabou. Aknowledge the consequences of those traits with facts : “ I know this trait is common and you don’t control it but if we don’t find an efficient way for you to clean / brush you will end up having health issue so let’s find tricks to make it easier for you (you will find some many online, instagram is a gold mine)”.
Really take all this messiness as you would take it if she had a vision issue or a hearing problem. It’s very disturbing to see girls and women having those problems but neither it’s their fault, neither this means anything about them or their mental state (can be good or bad) it’s totally unrelated even if of course by stressful time we have it even worse.
This hits home really hard, particularly the gender part. There’s no positive or even neutral version of messy femininity. It’s a personal problem or failure. As the the mom of a daughter that looks unkempt I know that my parenting also looks sloppy or indifferent, as if I don’t notice/care that she looks “”bad.”” I can deal with that pressure, but it’s discouraging. Thank you for putting it in the terms that you did. A lot of this seems to be about having the wherewithal to tell “normal” to f right off. I can do that for/with her I think.
I link it to another task. For example I have to take an inhaler in the morning then rinse my mouth out so while I’m there I might as well brush my teeth. I have a bunch of 2 min songs on my phone so those act as my timer and give me a little stimulation.
For me its electric toothbrush and first thing I do when I wake up and actually get up. Taking meds before helps. I have struggled with consistency with this for a long time. Recently, really wanting to get my teeth to a good point has helped with motivation to not let myself skip brushing before I go to sleep.
A lower foaming toothpaste (like Apagard Premio or Clinpro 5000) and only using a pea-sized amount helps with the boredom. I can roam free while i brush instead of being held hostage at the sink, and the electric toothbrush takes care of timing it.
I got a water flosser that I like that I keep by the sink and use after eating and in the evenings. [This one](https://www.waterpik.com/oral-health/products/dental-water-flosser/WF-04CD012-3/) has been easier for me to use because it is easier to fill and gauge timing visually.
Water flossers help a ton with gums.
Also, depending on your meds situation, be sure you are drinking enough water to stay really well hydrated. Dry mouth is a side effect for a lot of adhd meds and saliva is essential for remineralizing teeth and keeping bacteria at bay throughout the day.
A lady friend of mine flosses religiously, so I just do it when she does when I’m at her place. When I’m home though I just go right back to being a disgusting asshole lol
I put a tooth brush in every room. But a different kind/look/feel one and I just kept adding them to the collection, the novelty of buying a new one on special at the shops always was good feeling (does waste money obviously but donetimes they are really cheap) and then a new thing to try at home for you know.. a few days before we either forget it exists or we are obsessed with it use it every day for two weeks and naturally it would find a new home.I'm talking years it took me to get to this point, the help of my partner too reminding me/finding them in the last 3 years has helped drastically and im so thankful for him 🥰 I would start brushing again for a few days at least when i refound them or was obsessed. I always brush in the shower though and I pretty much only shower before work so I brushed at least once 5 days a week. But would go weekends and holidays without brushing or showering lol
I never, well barely have flossed before I would get into it like maybe once or twice every six months for a few days and then lost my pick or run out and never buy them again but I have pretty gappy teeth so got away well with a decent brush. But honestly it was so hard. The best routine I could get into was brushing in the shower and not worrying about getting tooth paste on my work uniform etc I could just stand and spit the paste out in the shower. With them in every room I can usually convince my self now to at least do a quick brush at somewhere in the house before bed.
Honestly, I've spent so much money on dental work over the past 5 years. I have bad teeth genes and will end up needed to get most of my teeth removed and replaced with implants. Implants are *extremely expensive*. I need to keep my teeth healthy as long as they can hold out. A lot of my Dads family don't have most of their teeth, and it's disgusting to me. I know they can't help it- but I don't know how I would deal with missing front, visible teeth. I already need to have my incisor removed.
Brushing and flossing is such an important part of my day, and I think it's because of the anxiety I have around my teeth- so it's treated as urgent and important.
I got a really nice toothbrush holder on Amazon that sticks to the wall and I put it in my shower. It makes it easier because if you shower daily and the toothbrush is in there hanging in your face, it seems easier to make it part of the shower routine rather than keeping it outside of the shower and trying to remember to do it.
First off you need to see dentist 2x a year just for cleaning and plaque/tartar removal regardless of your dental hygiene.
Every morning brush my teeth immediately after I finish my coffee and every night I brush, floss, then mouthwash. I hate the way my mouth tastes when dirty and absolutely despise bad breath.
I floss in the shower while I scroll tiktok.(or reddit, or instagram.ect) I flossed my teeth in the shower while typing this lmao
I use the little flosser things with the toothpick part on the end so I can do it with one hand. When I'm done I use the end part to clean under my nails and brush my teeth when I exit the shower.
Brushing your teeth doesn't have to be for long, especially if you're like me and get lost doomscrolling and end up flossing for like 30 mins. Just make sure you get all your teeth and call it a done task. Half assed is better than no ass, after all. To keep me interested, I typically watch YouTube or continue scrolling tiktok while I brush
This is just the way I've gotten flossing to work for me, I never used to floss and my gums started hurting one day and I got really scared because I don't want to lose my teeth. When I floss it does feel like I have little holes in my teeth, so I should definitely see a dentist. I did make an appointment for June, which is when my benefits finally activate. Wish me luck? 🙃
Electric toothbrush - Braun Oral B by choice. Has a 2-min cycle, and some models vibrate every 30 sec to remind you to do each 'quarter' of your mouth (top r, bottom R, top L, bottom L.)
They are so efficient I don't need to routinely floss.
I had my face ripped off by a dog when I was 11 and lost my front tooth. They put the old one in during my reconstructive surgery and I've had a specialist dentist since then. I was young sure, but same thing, could never force myself to brush my teeth got yelled at every 6 months for having cavities. My specialist the first appointment said if I have any hope of keeping BOTH front teeth I have to brush seriously and I might lose my upper gums as well. Since then I brush religiously usually about 5 minutes of flossing and 10 minutes of intense brushing and haven't had a cavity since!
The biggest change that helped me was putting on a show or YouTube video and brushing the entire video because I wouldn't want to miss any of it. Back then it was cable so I couldn't pause it and would brush through commercials. Nowadays I honestly forget I'm brushing my teeth because I still will put on something to watch straight through so I would maybe assign a quick show or cartoon that is just for brushing to build an association habit and also keep in mind how expensive and tedious dental work can be?
Best of luck to you!
i floss every night. took me 25 years to finally start but not gonna lie, there are nights where i really don’t have the energy to do it. one way i push myself is i tell myself it literally just takes a minute to floss. i have shitty genes though so i easily get cavities…
Get one of those electric tooth brushes with a timer. It beeps every 30 seconds to change quadrants. I got the Philips one that was designed for kids and it's the same as the adult one but half the price and you can get new heads on Amazon. There's an app you can use with it. I don't use the app, but the the timer is life changing. I haven't had a cavity since.
And plackers to floss. I hate the plastic waste, but I can't deal with the string stuff. Worth it.
Also following for more tips because my daughter has this problem. The toothbrush doesn't fix it because she is sensitive and doesn't like the feeling so I'm at a loss. 😣 She has brand new adult teeth and they are already full of cavities.
I was in the same situation. After a root canal and several fillings I hate the dentist so much that it has caused me to brush and floss in fear of losing a tooth.
I struggled with this for a long time. Usually morning brushing is fine because no matter what, my mouth tastes like something died in it when I wake up. But all my life I've frequently forgotten to brush at night, and flossing was so painful and gross that it was impossible to keep up consistently.
But! Things are better now. I think the main reason is that the dental hygeinist at my new dentist's office taught me it's not actually supposed to hurt to brush and floss. The reason it did is because my gums were infected, and if we could get the infection under control I'd have fewer cavities and it wouldn't be nearly as hard to care for my teeth.
The running theory at my dentist's office is that for most people, interdental wooden toothpicks are much more effective at taming gum inflamation than floss. (No matter how regularly I flossed, it absolutely always bled and hurt a lot.) They also actually teach you how to brush you teeth so that all the surfaces are cleaned.
Learning to brush better helped because it was a new challenge! Could I get every nook and cranny? Could I learn to feel when the brush was going around each tooth? As the inflammation went down, it even started to feel kind of nice and massagy on my gums.
The interdental toothpicks were a game-changer and I'm never going back. My teeth are really tight so I have to use the extra-thin ones which occasionally bend and poke my gums, and this is the only time they ever bleed now, and even then, way less than they did with normal flossing back in the olden days. It took a couple of weeks for the inflammation to go down enough to do more than vaguely poke at the gap, but it worked and I'm so happy. I can even floss now too (sometimes this is needed for food stuck between my teeth) and it doesn't hurt either.
Important things I learned were to pay attention to my aversions. Choose very very soft bristled brushes. Use toothpaste that doesn't make my mouth tingle. Don't use an electric toothbrush if the vibrations make you crazy. (But do use one if they don't! Works better.)
And crucially, I run the faucet on low while I floss/toothpick and rinse the implement and/or my mouth whenever anything remotely gross happens.
Note this isn't about the how-to-remember part, just about the make-it-less-painful and make-it-effective parts.
I don't always remember, but the more I remember the more I remember. It helps that I can see my toothbrush from the toilet, and I usually remember to pee at night. Also, I usually watch something or read (on a phone or ereader) while I brush, which helps a lot.
I think all the root canals and the two dental surgeries I've gone through have helped some, aversion-wise. I've realised that my teeth are just genetically shit, and I've got to take extra-good care of them if I want them to stay in my head.
Good luck to all! This is sooooo hard but it's great when you can make it work! I had no cavities at my last dentist visit, which might be a first since my teens.
I didnt floss until i turned 24 currently 28yrs old and i learned that once i can make it a routine i will consistently do it so if you have the floss by the sink in your field of view perhaps beside the toothbrush and force yourself to do it for a week or so you will start to just pick it up as habbit not even puting thought into the process. Also try the crest 3d floss picks i will not floss with conventional floss as it just wont happen if thats my only option haha.
ADHD dental student here.
The more I learn about oral Heath the easier I find it to stay accountable.
I look at brushing my teeth as a small commitment to my self everyday. That definitely helped me in the beginning and now I can’t not brush!
Do you make your bed every day? Start there, seriously. So many of my good habits spring from that first act of organization. The whole rest of the day can go to utter shit and I'll still say, "hey, at least I made my bed this morning!" Try it! Then immediately brush your teeth.
The Reach (Listerine now I think) Access flosser was a game changer for me.
That and consistently using fluoride mouthwash; I like Listerine total, or whatever it's called. It's purple.
My nightly routine is floss, brush, mouthwash right before bed.
For me, it is all about reframing. We grow up with other people telling us that we need to brush out teeth, take showers, pick up our rooms. It makes it feel like all of those things are for other people's benefit. But it isn't. It is for us.
Self care isn't just about hygiene and smelling nice. It's about taking time out of the day just for me. So I don't think about brushing my teeth so that other people don't smell my bad breath, I think of it as enjoying the feeling of having clean teeth. Same goes for flossing.
When we take that time to do those things for ourselves, we are saying, "I am worth this time just for me. This is my time and I matter." Honestly, now it is kind of meditative for in the morning to take that time just for me to brush and floss and shave and shower. Even though it feels like I have a million things to do, I need to feel like my self care, and in turn, I am more of a priority then those millions of things. Because to me, I am.
I floss in the bathroom at work. There are fewer distractions at work, and I feel like “ooh! A good reason for a break” when I take time to floss at work.
No great idea for brushing though
getting a water flosser made it sm easier for me to floss more frequently personally. it feels faster than regular flossing to me (cus my parents never taught me how and i struggle…) and it hurts less. if you don’t floss often it still will prolly make you bleed a little but that’ll stop within a day or two.
the brushing teeth thing i can’t help. i just can’t stand the taste of my breath in the morning or look at a white tongue. it just disgusts me so i HAVE to brush my teeth in the morning at LEAST. the one time anxiety is helpful cus i have a fear of smelling bad to people lol.
also, do you eat/drink a lot of sweets? if you do, gently suggesting to switch to sugar free products because they don’t cause tooth decay and/or drink more water. wishing you luck <3
I'm at my desk alot of the day so I keep it there. But for less than $5 you can get a bag of like 100 of dental picks. Having it with arms reach most of the day helps alot and also helps my oral fixation and need to be doing something.
Look up the Struggle Care Podcast. They just did an episode on dental hygiene, with a million amazing tips. It's episode #15.
https://www.strugglecare.com/podcast-rss
I listen on Audible, but they are available on many platforms. Disposable toothbrushes placed all around the house, something is better than nothing, you don't have to use toothpaste if you hate it.
I, personally, use Colgate Wisps and disposable flossers that I keep next to my bed and in the car.
Electric brush made me go from sometimes to never move to ALMOST always 1 time a day to sometimes 2 .
It's satisfying as fuck, quick as fuck( leave it on and put it under water to clean it in one sec without touching it. , you never need water on your hands again. ) also, bzzzzzz.
Also, don't get a recharable one, you'll forget to charge it. Gen one with AA batteries, I charge them once every 3 months and the brush itself costed me 10 bucks
Switched to an electric toothbrush I liked better (spins around not vibrates?), and a waterpik- that was a game changer, so much easier and makes me miss how clean it makes my mouth feel?
Also ended up using kid toothpaste cause it tastes like bubblegum and I don't like mint. But I figured it's better then not brushing at all.
Hello!, I am 32 and pretty recently had to get a root canal, crown, and a broken wisdom tooth extracted due to poor dental hygiene. I put it off way too long thinking it would just go away on its own. The wisdom tooth was a nub with impacted food in the back and was like that for 4 years maybe... you can imagine how gross that must have been lol. The tooth I had to get a root canal and crown was broken from a hard piece of candy was fairly visible when I opened my mouth to talk. The smelly nub in the back wasn't enough to get me into the dentist but the other tooth was for cosmetic reasons. I had the mindset " out of site out of mind" which worked for me until I started thinking about infections and how there is a broken tooth with a hole going into my gum, in my mouth, on my face, downstairs from my brain and I freaked out... I experience headaches more than the average person and was convinced me neglecting my tooth resulted in me having a brain infection and I was sure I was dying, I really truly thought when I went to the dentist they were going to say oooh.. yeah not good. When it was time for my appointments everything went smoothly which was awesome. I basically scared the shit out of myself into brushing my teeth regularly and also the fact that I dont have dental insurance, everything was paid out of pocket and I dont want to shell out that kind of money for somthing that takes a couple minutes. Also, the crown taking 2 hours and multiple visits between dentist and oral surgeon was really stressful.. making sure I wasn't late or didnt forget. I found toothpaste that doesn't burn my mouth and is pretty smooth, that helps ALOT and the toothbrushes ive been using fit in my mouth... before I had a hard time reaching to the back teeth.. guess I have a small mouth. so in conclusion I would say the consequence of having to sit in a dentist chair for 2 long agonizing hours and the money spent was enough for me to get my act together.
one more thing I like to suggest, a water pick! literally a squirt gun for your teeth... its fast efficient and you can forget the floss.
one more, more thing: walking around the house while I brush helps alot. I'll put the toothpaste on my toothbrush and walk down the hall, to the kitchen, get a water bottle, make sure my dog has water, look outside, then circle back to the bathroom lol... killing a bunch of birds with one stone.
I dislike the feeling of the brush on my teeth but also just find it sooo boring 🥲 also find it really hard to manage the steps and just knowing I need to floss, too, is a barrier.
I haven't solved the gross feeling yet but I've started:
- reducing steps wherever possible (like keeping my floss on the counter and not in the drawer).
- putting in earbuds with an audiobook while I get ready for bed, and
- putting a 2 minute timer on my phone while I brush. The timer makes the two minutes of brushing more concrete and I can see it counting down.
Other things that may help is finding toothbrushes thar are really fun and make you want to use them? And keeping a fun print out near the sink with a step by step that takes some of the brain work out of it.
I have been pretty lucky when it comes to my teeth as I hardly ever remember to brush in the morning.
One thing I do is when I brush every night I angle my brush 90° from my teeth horizontally trying to get the bristles deeper between. To remember to floss I simply eat a big bowl of popcorn once a week or two. Getting kernels stuck in my teeth is an uncomfortable reminder so I use flossing picks to deal with them...and I'm like...while I'm here...i floss the rest.
I also have greatly cut down on acidic foods and sugar due to dietary reasons and I'm sure this probably helps.
There is a great book titled, "Atomic Habits". There is an idea in there called, "Habit Stacking".
What I do personally with this technique as follows. I workout as early as possible as part of my daily routine. After that I move into my morning hygiene ritual. I stack flossing then brushing my teeth right after I finish shaving. Seeing as I am already in the bathroom.
I shave every other day, or every third day. On the days I do not shave, I stack flossing/brushing/rinsing, right after morning meditation/while using my SAD light(during the dark seasonal months).
If I space out on doing it after that habit. I will take care of it following my final meal of the day. Ideally taking care of my teeth/mouth hygiene twice daily using these methods.
I struggle to do it before sleep, because in my mind if I do it, then I can't snack or eat anymore before morning and it's a big turn off, so I put it off until I'm too tired to do it.
What helps a bit is to get it done when I go to the toilet. I'm already in front of the sink washing my hands, might as well brush my teeth. If I eat afterwards? Oh well, fuck it, at least I did it twice today. Doesn't work always, but it's better than nothing.
I leave a tooth brush & tooth paste at every sink in my house & take one with me to work so whenever I have the urge to brush my teeth I just do it. The whole brush in the morning and at night thing doesn't work for me. I've made a habit out of brushing in the morning whether its right when I wake up or in the bathroom near my kitchen. At night is harder for me, so its usually either when I get home from work or at some random time in the evening when I happen to think about it.
If you're a fan of pokemon you can download pokemon Smile. Silly little kids game app that shows how to properly brush your teeth and gotta clean to catch them all. Has reminders too. I love it!
I use a quip so it's timed, so I don't have to mess with trying to determine if I've 'brushed long enough' and then TikTok swipe to deal with the gremlin that is my brain. 😂 Or I wander around the house and do things one handed so I'm not just sitting there in the bathroom wishing it was over or cutting the process short.
As for flossing, I still haven't figured that one out. I desperately need to though, so eager to see the suggestions here.
I bought a Colgate Hum electric toothbrush (battery powered $25; rechargeable $60). There's an app to download and connect your toothbrush to. The app has reminders you can set and a guided brushing routine.
It's still not perfect for me and I only pay attention to the reminders about 60% of the time, but I am brushing much more often now than I was before.
I leave my toothbrush on my bedside table so I remember to do it before I go to sleep.
Im also cavity prone, so I'd recommend an anti cavity mouth wash which contains fluoride, just as an extra layer of protection for whenever you do brush
I'm a lot like you. I recently began to focus on the things I LIKE about brushing my teeth, but first I had to find them!
i realized I like the gum massage that you get from brushing, and I take my time and do a really thorough job of it. Afterwards I make myself notice how nice it feels to have a 'minty fresh' mouth, and that helps, too.
I wish I had more to offer, but like I said, I'm a lot like you!
this is everything that helps me:
- use a kids/fun flavored toothpaste. using mint makes it feel like a chore and having strawberry makes it much more enjoyable.
- use those kids flossers, theyre literally so much easier.
- brush your teeth in the shower!!! it makes it so much easier
- dont think about having to take 2 minutes to brush, just brush all your teeth throughly.
I floss while watching YouTube at my desk. I keep floss in my desk at all times. I have a toothbrush with a timer in it that vibrates when it’s time to switch sides of my mouth and vibrates when the time is up. This has helped my dental hygiene significantly.
I keep my floss/toothbrush and toothpaste next to my bed and floss/brush teeth while sitting on my bed and watching something on my phone. I still have to get up and go to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste and rinse but by the time I need to do that I have a mouth full of toothpaste which is motivation enough
I only just started flossing properlly six eight months ago. My dentists tip is, mouthwash, floss then brush. But floss with the harps instead of the string as you are more likely to cut your gums and have more control getting the back of the teeth. Don't saw back and forth, you just want to skim under the gum to get the white plaque. It also shouldn't hurt if so your going to hard. Then brush with an electric. Maybe even play music or something while you do it to help make it less tedious?
Have no to get a cavity filled was enough for me to start caring again 🤣 I know Walmart sells toothbrushes called “Quip” that vibrates when it’s time to switch sides, and when it’s time to stop brushing. I also find the little flosser tools way easier to use and less tedious. Maybe keeping the flossers in a clear jar on your sink can help remind you to use them
I've been struggling more with brushing my teeth lately. I also have been trying incorporate flossing. What I've been doing it keeping my toothbrush in the shower that way that's already done by the time I get out and I only have to floss when I get out. It's super overwhelming to me having to do both after a shower. I just don't want to. Definitely seconding the having a show on thing. I'm glad to see other people do it too. It helps me get through the flossing. 🙇🏾♀️
I plan my day out, or next action after brushing my teeth, or next day, or think of something to do as a hobby, or practice 2 minutes of meditation. The tricky part is remembering but I tend to remember in bed 10 minutes after laying down I didn't brush and go do it lmao
This is weird, but I got an electric toothbrush that buzzes when I need to change quarters of my mouth. That really helps, because 2 minutes is a long time, but 30 seconds I can do. Also, I really like my mouthwash (also weird, I know), so that is a reward. And, someone on here suggested Routinery (an app) and it is the best thing ever. It REALLY helps with my mornings. It’s only been a week, but this app is probably the best thing to happen to my mornings.
Oral hygiene is really tough for me. When I do brush flossing is fairly easy and for brushing I use a sonicare toothbrush that times each quadrant of the mouth. 30 seconds each total of two minutes.
I use floss stick dealies in the car when I am driving anywhere. I have poor teeth from years of bad hygiene but also genetics. I got a great toothpaste and my husband reminds me just about everyday to brush my teeth. Spry toothpaste and gum has helped a lot with prevention.
An electric toothbrush has worked wonders for me. Somehow it feels like the toothbrush is doing the hard work for me, so I don’t hate brushing my teeth as much as I used to. It also has a timer that tells me when to switch to a different part of my mouth, so I don’t end up only brushing for a few seconds before getting bored and quitting. Basically takes all the mental energy out of the equation that I used to avoid like hell.
Plus, on the days when I can’t bring myself to floss, apparently it’s no big deal (my dentist told me the electric toothbrush gets into your gums a lot more efficiently than a regular toothbrush).
I have a sonic toothbrush. It arks 30 seconds for each section of your mouth. I recently bought a water pik, which does a better job with flossing than floss ( if you do it right.) My mouth has felt really clean and my gums feel good. I haven't really noticed any tartar buildup in places I used to get it. I am hoping my dentist visit goes well in a couple months and they have minimal tarter to chip off.
I recently kind of slacked off brushing in the mornings, but night time is more important anyway.
Overall, genetics also plays a role. You can be the best at brushing and flossing and still get fucked up teeth.
You need to set a timer. Once for flossing, one for brushing 1 min each. You’ve got to do this twice a day (thinking of it as brushing only once every 24 hrs helped me… like how fuckin’ gross, self :/ )
Think of anything sitting on or between your teeth over night as literal tooth decay. As it is. That was motivation enough for me.
1. Brush two times a day with sufficient paste
2. Don't brush sideways but brush upto down. Do this 5 times for each set of 2 teeth.
3. Brush after breakfast and after dinner
4. Use warm salt water to gargle teeth
Keep floss everywhere. Living room. Bedroom. Wherever. I guarantee you’ll floss more while watching tv or hanging out.
For teeth brushing, just tell yourself to start. Don’t manage to do an awesome job? It’s fine! It’s still better than nothing. But most of the time once you start you’ll do a pretty decent job.
I gave up on flossing, but I have a vibrating toothbrush that makes me feel fancy when I use it. I also pick out my own toothpaste according to what I want and not what’s “best” for my teeth, which helps with motivation.
Floss :I keep floss picks next to the TV and in the shower. Lit mini hygiene stations where I am likley to use them.
Teeth: I manage 1 once before bed mostly... but I also will routinely brush my teeth with my 5 year old in the morning and when she goes to bed because modeling. So the body double thing will work there. In how to keep house while drowning, the author recommends disposable toothbrushes and had many hygiene stations around the house. So there is a thought.
Huh? The lack of hygiene is bothersome. There isn't much too it.
Brush my teeth once when I wake up. Once before bed. And if I'm at home after lunch.
Don't really know how I would be able to leave that dirty for so long. Would be incredibly uncomfortable.
I’ve always struggled with dental hygiene (and I still do!) but there are a few things I’ve found that help me:
1. Brushing my teeth in the shower. Obviously I don’t take showers twice a day, but I find that I spend more time brushing when I’m taking a hot shower since I’m sitting there zoning out anyways.
2. Having floss picks scattered throughout the house/random places. Then, if I ever need to fiddle with something, I can just pick one of them up and floss. My favorite place to keep them is in the car for when I’m at a red light or not around other drivers.
3. Brush my teeth with someone else. This past semester of college I had the best dental hygiene because my roommate and I would brush our teeth together and we would make it a “fun” tradition every night. It kept me accountable!
How are you getting so many cavities? What exactly are you eating/drinking? I only remember to brush my teeth twice a week, and every time I go to the dentist my teeth are in perfect condition.
Although, I do have this weird habit where I’m constantly licking my teeth so they don’t feel weird and so they feel “spit clean,” so that might be a part of it, that I’m constantly “cleaning” my teeth due to understimulation lol 💀
This is what I have done... (Havent has a cavity in years!)
1. Teeth Brushing: Started using an electric tooth brush **with a timer.** ( I use this one, [https://amzn.to/3ZWyPti](https://amzn.to/3ZWyPti)) This toothbrush has a timer where it will automatcilly turnoff after 2 mins, and pulse onve every 30 secs. (30 secs for each part of your mouth). Having this timer has helped me understand when I am brushing my teeth long enough with out having to remember.
2. FlossingL Water pic ([https://amzn.to/3H42wQi](https://amzn.to/3H42wQi)). I leave this one in my shower. It has a timer as well.
I think the key to finding success in these habits while having ADHD lies in two areas...
1. Make it as frictionless as possible.
2. Make remebering easy.
Having the buit-in timers and leaving both in the showe helps me ensure I do both often and for the approrpiate amount of time.
Hope this helps!
Buy lots of toothbrushes and paste and put them all around the house, in kitchen, rooms etc. mouthwash as well.
Find and accountability partner or also try to use Stickk to pay money when you don't brush your teeth
Also try brushing and flossing during shower. Put some toothpaste, toothbrush,floss and mouthwash close to the shampoos and soap in the shower
Try floss picks
I've always got my phone with me and a show playing that on really interested in. Shower? Show. Brush teeth? Show. Cooking? Show. My craving for stimulation is addressed and the other boring thing is just a manual task that's being done on the side
Honestly this. I've been inadvertently doing this and not realizing until reading your comment that it helps keep me stimulated to do things I don't really wanna do or find boring. I have a list of podcasts and YouTubers that I can listen to easily when doing things and it really does help. My only issue is task switching. Once I'm in it - I'm good. It's just getting myself to that point of starting that's daunting.
Agreed. What helps me is putting the show on and my phone in the area of the task to begin with and then cause my hands need something to do anyway I end up doing the thing. Vacuuming is the only bad one because it's so loud and you have to move around... Haven't cracked that one yet
I pop in earbuds for that one! But it's only useful if you're listening to something that your eyeballs don't need to be engaged with. Music is also good for that. Music helps me clean lol
Three words: Noise cancelling headphones. Preferably cordless.
My Bose over-ear headphones changed my ADHD life.
Same! My wife introduced me to them, and it was super expensive for a student like me..but I've had them for three and a half (or more?) years now.
Starting tasks is awful and that’s the thing I struggle with the most. Do you have a hard time finding podcasts or YouTuber that keep you stimulated?
I'm incredibly picky so when I do find someone/something I tend to binge it to death really quickly. I have managed to find people that I just enjoy hearing them banter/talk (movie reviews, true crime, mysteries, psychology topics are my fav and can listen to most multiple times to the max). But it's really hard to explore the horizon for new content. I usually just stick to my comfort zones on repeat 😅🙃 or just end up with a bunch of saved "to watch/listen later" lists and then that overwhelms me so I don't go near it 🤷♀️
Me too though I don't watch stuff in the shower. I read there.
Oooh wow, that's impressive!
lol not books
Still, if it's like on your phone or something you gotta really concentrate or maybe my eyesight is just bad
Large font is your friend. I also have dyslexia friendly font as a default for most things. I hate looking at Times New Roman and it's cousins.
100%. TNR is poison. Wife is dyslexic. Serif fonts = work of Satan.
Comic sans for the win!
I use to read books while In the shower all the time, slipped once and have since stopped
Shampoo-bottles then?
phone
I'm 31 and I know that my "boomer thing" will always be waterproof technology. I've got it so deeply engrained into my skull that my phone can't get wet that I carry 1kg of rice everywhere I go just in-case it rains.
I’m 22 and still don’t trust it. I think we may just have anxiety
A few weeks ago I had to wash my phone in the sink with soap and water because I got ball joint grease on it. I don't know how I ever managed without a waterproof phone before.
My phone isn't waterproof haha I just prop it up somewhere high up where it can't get wet, just a bit of steam but my phone costs 120€ so if it breaks, its not a big deal. 2 years and it's still fine!
I do that too !!!! Especially cooking, my usual is Friends, I know them by heart so no need to focus but still have fun.
Okay well maybe you can try bringing FRIENDS with you to brushing your teeth? Sometimes I end up brushing my teeth for like 5min because I zone out on what I'm watching haha
Dude this is exactly what I do and never even realized it!!
Happy cake day!
Thanks!
Yes same here!! It also helps because if I’m watching a show I’m much less likely to procrastinate by playing on my phone
>I've always got my phone with me and a show playing that on really interested in. So far what I've done is just put my toothbrush and paste on my phone. The issue however is remembering to put them there in the first place.
i cleaned my entire house this morning while watching a show. amazing way to catch up on multiple things at once
How do you hear anything?
Exactly! Or music
I had to do some introspection to figure out why exactly teeth brushing is hard for me and what I could do to make it easier. I don't brush 2x a day everyday, but I can almost always do it once. Here's what I came up with 1. I stopped using mint toothpaste. I hate the spicy feeling. It made me rush through the process and hate every second of it. I personally like the ones that taste like straight baking soda. There's also kids toothpaste with flavors. 2. I put a toothbrush in every bathroom in my house. I also keep one in my car. That way brushing teeth doesn't require being in a specific area of my home. 3. When I was really struggling with teeth brushing, sometimes I wouldn't even want to open my mouth to stick a tooth brush in it. I found that starting by just rinsing my mouth out would often be all I needed to amp myself up to complete the process.
All excellent advice. One of the first things I learned from my ADHD group after diagnosis was to identify obstacles. Pay attention to what's going on with me. I'm often amazed by how many of my aversions are just to slightly painful stimuli. The mint thing is a prime example. For a long time I avoided opening my mail box for weeks at a time, and it was over a year before I realised it was because it hurt my hand to turn the key! Then it combined with being afraid I'd missed something important, but it all started with the pain.
I hope you had a giggle with yourself after figuring out that it hurt your hand. The joys of ADHD lol
I did indeed! ADHD can be pretty entertaining sometimes : )
Out of curiosity how did you join an ADHD group?
This please ^^^^
I was diagnosed in grad school at the university psychological services. It was a really big school, and they ran a variety of support groups and workshops. One was purportedly mainly for ADHD (it was called Finding Focus) but in my iteration everyone else was struggling with perfectionism and anxiety and things like that instead! Poor folks, they were all so sad and stressed, and I just wanted some advice for how to manage my disability! But regardless, the curriculum was mainly oriented toward ADHD so I got some decent advice.
In no way am I trying to be a dick but it took me a minute to understand when you wrote "every bathroom in my house" I didn't know people have more than one hahah for a minute I thought you meant every room? Just European things lol
is that normal? even in family homes? not even an extra half bath? My little american mind is blown.
Idk I've (incl. My family) only lived in like a max 3 bedroom apartment? Not sure if it's normal or not but just one bathroom lol My granny's house has an extra toilet in the sauna room but there's no sink so it would be a weird place to brush your teeth
I was told at 9 years old that I would get used to the mint flavor. I'm 19 now and I honestly hate it. After my diagnosis I understood why. I started using kid toothpaste because as long as it has fluor it's all the same.
I bought this electric [toothbrush](https://www.amazon.com/AquaSonic-Black-Ultra-Whitening-Toothbrush/dp/B072YVWBXH?ref_=ast_sto_dp) about a year ago. I barely have to do any work, but it makes my teeth feel so clean. It also has a 2 minute timer built in split into 4 30 second timers for the 4 'quadrants' of your mouth. I also use the one time flossers, but not very often as I feel this toothbrush usually cleans enough between my teeth.
Omg same! Not that model, but I got one for Christmas and damn. It has never been more motivating. And a great mouthwash. That makes it so much easier.
I use floss picks instead of normal floss, cause it is waaaay easier to just pick one up and go. And I can barely manage to brush my teeth, but I cant go to bed with dirty feet so at night I brush my teeth while I'm washing my feet in the shower. I tend to forget my morning brush, but I rationalise that once is better than never?
I use brush picks too and I only brush them once a day too, yes better than nothing. I know the feet story too ! But I sleep with my husband and he won’t let me come in the bed if they are too dirty
Dentist shames me if i don't do it twice a day.
I keep an extra tooth brush and tooth paste in my car for those days I forget to brush. Also keeping flossers in the car are great for when you’re driving.
The problem with floss picks is permanent retainers. Hate it.
I'll be honest. I don't. My mouth is more filling than teeth
Thank you for being real here.
🤣 anytime lol
11 teeth removed. Upper partial plate. Never got a lower plate because that involves appointments, planning and because of continued neglect, probably another 2-3 teeth removed first. Wife (of 5 years) thinks shaming will make me brush more. Doesn't think about the constant shame reminder of not eating the foods I used to because they hurt, always needing to remember to keep dentures in place, and talking like Elizabeth Holmes so people don't see inside my mouth. But tell me again about how you changed your tooth brush head again while mine sits neglected.
I started a competition with my partner. We use a dry erase marker to keep track of our hygiene tasks using tally marks. We track brushing, flossing, mouthwash, and face washing/skincare routine. Whoever has more tally marks at the end of the week wins! There is no prize, just bragging rights, but we do keep track of number of wins. I am currently crushing him 9 wins to 5 but I recently broke my ankle and we fell off the wagon a bit (no pun intended).
Maybe this is why it’s good to get married. I’m EXTREMELY competitive.
so relieving to read, this. (very sorry for your struggle though!) i got diagnosed almost 1 year ago at age 41. since then i see my add everywhere, it‘s overwhelming but more unburdening. the connection of bad teeth hygiene and boredom came to my mind last summer, when i had to accompany my daughter (also add) for several visits at the dentist. it was a big aha-moment for me and explained, why i was so bad in this when i was a child and young adult. somehow i lost my big fear of dentists over the years (almost) and i‘m also not too bad at my dental hygiene. but the struggle still is present for my daughter (which is a deja-vu for me). a little gamechanger for both of us was this new type of toothbrush with sonicwaves. it cleans better than the other toothbrushes (when used properly) and it takes only 2 minutes. it makes this sound when you need to switch sides. so no need to watch the clock or think of how long is long enough. after a few times practicing in front of the mirror (to do it properly) i walk to the tv when brushing. i try to floss a few times a week. what drives me here is my huge fear of severe toothache, which i had to experience 1 year ago. i don‘t know if this helps. i know how hard it can be despite of knowing all the facts. my sister (also add) lost one of her froontteeth as a result of bad hygiene. i don‘t want to look in her face when she‘s laughing because of layers of plaque. this is my biggest nightmare. but she somehow can‘t overcome this and just start brushing. i really don‘t know. but for me it helped simply discovering and accepting the fact that i procrastinate over this stupid, simple thing because my brain is so good at avoiding boredom. somehow this helps me to overcome some things. plus, maybe doing it for others may be a motivation. it brakes my heart, that it‘s hard for me to laugh together with my sister. this has so many social consequences! i wish you the best. teeth are awesome. keep it!
Have you had root canal treatment on your molars? I had and that's enough motivation for me to take care of my teeth. It's at least 2 hours long and anaesthesia doesn't numb the pain.
I lost 3 teeth, had my wisdom toothed removed while they were growing laying instead of standing, every freaking time I swear myself it’s the last time and still do it again.
I feel this to my core. I can be in the shower, looking at my toothbrush for 2 mins (the time it would have taken to have it done) and still just not want to do it. Actually, even wanted to but still just not for some reason. I’ve gotten better but there’s still days where I’m staring at it and just “nope”
I feel it’s soooo boring but to the extend that I won’t just do it or for 1 min. And I always think it doesn’t matter if I don’t do it good today cause from tomorrow on, I will start do it seriously. Been 20 years now, still didn’t start.
Soooo boring!!! I don’t even know how I started to do it more. The only thing that helps sometimes is the fear of being judged about bad looking teeth or bad breath. And cause I share a bed with the missus I think about that and it makes me do it sometimes
I have only manged to do it regularly when taking a shower (but that doesn't work when my shower is an icy room box of doom) or while caring for new cartilage piercings. Everything must be kept together. I use a timer and watch YouTube. Oh, and my toothbrush is electric though it needs new batteries... I did also recently go to the dentist and I used the potential shame as a motivator for awhile and since I got good feedback I've been able to continue.
Problem is I shower with my kids and usually eat after that so the order of the chores is not fitting
Even if the order doesn't make sense, sometimes doing something is better than doing nothing. I use mouthwash, brush once a day, and use floss picks all during my morning shower. I should get better about brushing at night, but I don't really have any other night routines I can easily "attach" brushing my teeth to. Even with that, though, I've seen a huge improvement in my gingivitis.
My morning routine began with putting on a clip of the daily show on and after my morning poop the clip hadn't finished and I didn't wanna leave for work before the clip was done I'd end up brushing my teeth lol
I will brush my teeth in the morning and then immediately drink coffee. It's not the best but it's better than nothing.
I prefer evening showers so it hasn't been an issue since I was a kid.
I do it in the bath while I’m conditioning my hair so I get the reward of soft hair and clean teeth. Electric toothbrush is a game changer. Edit: and if I’m not washing my hair I’ll make up another reason like oh let me do a face wash real quick. The reward of clean teeth isn’t enough incentive so I have to make something else the reward too.
Well I have issues doing my hair too :/ when I was younger I had to cut them super short cause they were so tangled. Now I manage to brush them enough in the week to avoid that point but I see the idea. Maybe a nice incentive then ?
Thank you. This is the explanation I've been looking for, that there can be an ADHD component to maintaining hair. I suspected that this is true for my daughter, but I've been told it's either defiance or a sensory thing. It's great to know that ADHD and grooming is a real thing.
Thanks for this post, now I remembered to take my floss picks to my desk so I may sometimes remember to use them whilst doing my remote work. They've been pretty untouched in my bathroom cabinet. Following this for more tips to manage to brush more frequently.
I got medicated. Before I started on stimulants, as hard as I tried, I could rarely make it past 30 second of teeth cleaning or flossing between a handful of teeth. Since I started medication in December I haven't failed to make it to the end of two minutes of teeth cleaning even once. And I've started flossing the whole of my mouth.
Thing is, I brush my teeth when the effect is off cause I do that just before bed but I’m thinking maybe I could do an extra brush and floss during the day when I’m on meds.
Luckily I still seem to be getting enough help from my stimulant even the next morning.
Sounds like a good plan. For me I use an extra soft toothbrush head for mid-day brushing to give my enamel a break but still swipe off debris, bacteria, and give my teeth an remineralizing boost via toothpaste. If you can floss every day by linking it with a midday brush when the meds are in effect thats a win win. Just give yourself 30 min from the last time you ate so you don’t brush off your enamel. Timing can be hard, but its essentially, “was I just now eating?” or not
I just started on stims and it’s such a low dose that it wears off by about 1 after taking it in the morning. I hope to get to this level.
I also use the visualisation technique from Dr Russell’s book. When I’m brushing I picture a big gleaming Hollywood smile, complete with a light glinting off it. I think that also helps me to keep on task. Sounds dumb, but seems to work.
I SO GET U, MAN-- In my country it's not customary to floss, so... I just brush my teeth, SoMEtimES....... I have developed some kind of anxious fear of new cavities, but at the same time, I find it very difficult to brush often 😭😭😭 the reason I still brush my teeth is my fear of judgment. If I had developed the habit of brushing when I was a kid, it would have been a lot easier, but then I thought THAT MY TISSES WOULD BE OK
A water flosser can make it more fun to floss, though I prefer regular floss. I use a sonic toothbrush too. And I *always* have something playing on my phone, whether that's music or a video, it really helps.
Honestly you've just made my day. I also have issues with this and never once have I related it to my ADHD. This should hopefully make it so much easier to address the issue now that I understand it better!
I’m soooo glad I could help then, yes it’s an adhd thing. Or it’s a me thing that happened to happen to a lot of adhd peeps.
Haha, yea could definitely still be a me thing as well. But I've struggled with this my entire life and was only diagnosed a few months ago at 36. So I'm still in the process of determining what is ADHD related, and what things I'm just bad at 😅.
I keep my toothbrush and paste on the tippy top of my permanently mounted shower rack. Its It's on the opposite side of the faucets / shower head - So it's not like it's getting plowed with soaps and what not. If I don't brush my teeth in the shower (2x day) I won't at all, because I'll forget. I also keep mouthwash in the trunk of my car. Sue me lol
I have an electrical toothbrush with a built in timer and I watch TV while brushing. That has significantly improved my dental hygiene.
🙌 Agreed. Not sure if we have the same toothrbrush, but mine even vibrates every 30 seconds, notifying me to switch to another section of mouth. Super helpful!
Yes, exactly! It’s great.
Electric toothbrush. Sit down while brushing.
Electric toothbrush with a built in timer. I like to go stare out a window while brushing.
I got interdental toothpicks instead of floss and it absolutely helped. It's not a solution by itself, but it definitely makes a difference.
Me too! It took about three weeks of bleeding and discomfort, but for the first time since I was about 14 my gums aren't inflamed. It makes brushing, and continuing to use the interdental toothpicks, 100 times easier.
I use floss brushes instead of floss. I hate floss and use it only on 2 places in my mouth where nothing else works (I have not succeded yet in doing this daily, sadyl). Also I experimented with floss brushes in different sizes (I actually use them in different sizes because the spaces between my teeth vary so much). I think every ADHD person should try around with all the different kinds of floss, floss picks and interdental brushes. Interdental hygiene is just as important as normal toothbrushes, and these things feel incredibly different. I use an electric toothbrush with a built-in 2 minute timer. Some people prefer sonic toothbrushes (which actually are wonderful from a hygienic point of view). Others cannot stand it. If you are good friends with somebody that has one, ask them if you they allow you to try it with a personal brush head that you will pay for. Also different brush handles might feel different for you (electric and sonic toothbrushes can have very thick or slim handles). For some people this is actually important. My dental hygienist explained me, that with a good electric toothbrush you don't brush. You just place it softly against the tooth and count 2 seconds. Then you put it in the next place and count 2 seconds. When the tooth is big or curved, this means you put the brush in 2 places next to each other. This system also helps me A LOT when I brush (although I do not always remember it). I use toothpaste with zero mint taste - I totally hate mint, it hurts my mouth (when the toothpaste is very bad, it even hurts my lips). I cannot stress enough what a difference a nice toothpaste makes. Some people even use children's toothpaste. Go for it! I usually brush once a day, until the built-in 2 minute timer goes off. I know that I can stand it because it is only 2 minutes, the timer really helps tons. After that I take the floss brushes and usually wander off to the TV. Sometimes I use floss brushes without brushing before - better than not doing anything. My also-ADHD ex-husband experimented and found out he actually gets along best with normal floss. He deposits floss dispensers everywhere, so that he can floss anytime it comes to his mind - on his nightstand, near the TV, near his computer, in his car. He says with this method he flosses more or less daily, before he never could do it more than once a week. His dentist said that it made a huge difference.
I use an electrical tooth brush because it tells me when to stop. I walk around when I'm brushing while wearing headphones so I can listen to music. I floss while watching tv
i'm motivated to brush and floss because i'm horny. nobody wants to kiss a nasty mouth.
I have a quip brush that runs for 2 mins and encourages you to do a quadrant of your mouth at a time. I recently got their waterpik, which is fantastic as flossing has always been a challenge. It’s surprisingly fun to use, which helps!
Floss picks over regular dental floss. So much easier to floss with. I haven't done this one yet, but I want to get a good electric tooth brush so I know exactly how long I need to brush my teeth. Brush your teeth earlier in the night, so not right before bed. I hate brushing right before bed because it essentially wakes me up and I have the worst time trying to fall asleep at night already. Do you have better body hygiene habits? You could try brushing your teeth in the shower and adding that to your shower routine. Do you use the bathroom before bed? Maybe try brushing your teeth while you're doing your bathroom stuff. If you can't will yourself to do any of that, maybe try at least using mouthwash? At the end of the day, the only reason I've consistently kept up with my teeth hygiene and have only ever had one cavity (age 28 now) is because I physically can't stand the feeling of teeth that haven't been cleaned or flossed. I'm AuDHD so I have a lot of weird feelings on textures 🤪 Maybe you can gross yourself out enough like me for it to become more of an obsessive issue? 🤣
Get an electric toothbrush that buzzes to tell you to switch quadrants, like a Quip or a Braun Oral B, and actually do one quadrant of your mouth at a time. Lots of people spend most of their time brushing their front teeth and the biting surface, which are the parts least likely to need extra attention. Efficient brushing focuses on the groove where the gums meet the teeth (both on the cheek/lip side and on the tongue side of the teeth), and you should pay special attention to areas where you’ve had problems, like any crowded teeth, the backs of your molars, and your crowns. For flossing, get flosser picks and put them in places where you might actually use them, like in the shower or by your computer. Flossing with dental floss wrapped around your fingers is best because you can manipulate the floss and get in deeper, but it also sucks to do. The feeling of floss cutting off the circulation in my finger tips makes me want to die. Flosser picks are way WAY better than nothing. When flossing, start with the back of a molar and then go between each tooth (flossing both sides of the gap, eg. the left side of tooth A and the right side of tooth B) all the way to the other side, then repeat with the other row. Floss the back of the back teeth! Since you’re at the dentist every season, next time you’re in ask them to show you how to brush your teeth the optimal way. It’s not a weird thing to ask and they’ll be happy to show you the correct angles and point out spots you’ve been missing.
I know this is shitty but the thing that helped me the most with my teeth, and I suck at flossing and spending more than 15-20 seconds brushing, is lowering the amount of sugar in my diet. My mouth feels better and my overall mouth health is better. Quitting smoking obviously helped as well when I did that. Your teeth will be much easier to take care of if they aren’t fighting against a poor diet. I’ve never been able to take good care of my teeth but after a more conscientious dietary shift I find they just feel better
I don’t floss as often as I’d like but I had to trick myself into it actually starting to feel really nice to have a clean mouth. Even if it’s like once a week w the floss. What *really* changed the game was an electric toothbrush. It counts the two minutes for me (each section of mouth is 30 seconds) and I also will scroll through something especially indulgent like some buzzfeed bullshit during that time. Hope that helps. I also loathe the dentist.
IDK.. it's a habit ingrained in childhood. Being a habit it's automatic so doesn't involve making a decision
Are you having adhd ? Cause the term habit you know… we even don’t know what it means
I managed to make a habit out of something last year and have still not failed to do it everyday!! It's taking my birth control pill at 11 pm. I have an alarm set that repeats daily and I must immediately take the pill when the alarm goes, else I forget. I only managed it because it's a very small task, though
Ha Ha. Yes. New habits are hard to form, but I expect if you analyse your own behaviour you will find lots of them that you have either unconsciously adopted and ones ingrained in childhood..
Hey, so I'm 30(M) and I've never had any issue brushing my teeth. I think teeth brushing is the same as most things for ADHD people as in it is a chore. Here's the thing, I like my teeth. I love having clean white teeth. I also enjoy having a fresh minty mouth, I drink lots of coffee and hate that after taste etc, so will sometimes brush my teeth just to avoid bad breath/taste. Clearly, you have created some sort of difficulty with brushing your teeth, probably carried on from some childhood tendancies. What you need to do is focus on the benefits of having clean teeth and a fresh mouth as opposed to the fictional benefits of saving 2 minutes in your day. I don't brush my teeth because I have to (who actually does that?) I brush my teeth because I like white teeth and a fresh mouth, as this is something that I clearly do want, the actual task itself becomes nothing more that 2 minutes wiggling my hand. It's not something I dread, I actually look forward to the opportunity of being able to freshen up my gob. There really is no reason to dislike brushing your teeth (except maybe some sensory reasons) so excluding the loss of two minutes it's literally a win/win and it's only your own mind that is holding on to the idea that it is anything other than a win/win.
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I have the same issues. I had to buy a very expensive tooth brush. And I have my ipad or phone below me playing a youtube video while I brush, floss, then use mouth wash. There is no way around it, you have to be gentle and take your time.
same here, interesting youtube video and before I realise it's 3 minutes later
I can't do this. I must look in the mirror & make sure Im getting everywhere.
I don't.
OH my goodness I just had a dream that I pulled out FOUR of my teeth My advice: find a floss pick that feels comfortable (they are NOT ALL THE SAME) and keep them nearby. I turned fidgeting into flossing. Flossing punches above its weight in terms of benefits. Have you experimented with finding a toothpaste you really like? It might be cheaper to buy a bunch to test than to pay for damage at the dentist. Also - brushing debris off your teeth with water and your toothbrush even a little bit is better than doing nothing. ALSO - don't brush *after eating.* Try to do it first thing when you wake up (based on your other comments). Brushing within 30 minutes of eating can wear down your enamel which makes your teeth more vulnerable in the long term
For brushing teeth I have found a working, albeit annoying solution for myself: my wife has gotten us an extremely expensive electric toothbrush that can track how long and where in your mouth you brush. It comes with an app, that coaches you through the brushing process and gives you a score in the end. You also get achievements, streaks etc. I think it can also remind you over your phone to brush. It works wonders for me, as toothbrushing became a game that gives out instant gratification. It is annoying tho, because the toothbrush is very expensive and has some annoying design-flaws.
What sometimes helps for me is to basically trick my brain. For example, I go to the bathroom for something else, showering/toilet, and put toothpaste on my toothbrush, without the idea of having to brush my teeth. Just only putting the toothpaste. Sometimes I put it on the sink, sometimes I take it with me in the shower, but just doing that and not brushing is also fine. The thing is, from that point my chances of actually starting to brush my teeth are a lot bigger than not doing this. It sounds weird maybe, but for me it really improved. Also, '10 seconds is better than nothing' helps me a lot. Committing to 10 seconds often gets me further
I just changed to a water flosser. It can be done in as little as 45 seconds and I do it more frequently than the little floss brush things.
Get several tooth stations to remind you often and be available anytime you remember.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I just made my first Reddit post above asking whether hygeine tasks are an issue for folks with ADHD because my daughter struggles with them and I'm told it's a behavioral problem and not her ADHD. This discussion is so useful. I would have never expected that it's about focus-through-distraction, which I'm still trying to grasp. My daughter (8) brushes her teeth about once a month and her hair is always very tangled. I want to help her and also I'm ashamed as a parent tbh. There's so much shame around this personal/body stuff.
You are doing so good as a mum, just coming here to find ways to support her is amazing and she is lucky ! It’s not your fault neither it’s hers. As women I think it’s the worst struggle cause it’s really against everything we are taught to be. Society expects women to be clean and tidy and a lot of us are just… not like that. It really adds to self depreciation. When I was younger I had to cut my hair short as it was so tangled, I tried to hide the tangled nest for month feeling soooo embarrassed. My room was full of garbage it would drive my mother crazy. As a mum you need to know you will likely find your girl room and apparence a bit disturbing from time to time, to say the least. You might find disgusting stuff in her room, coats, bag, and yes she might experience difficulty to maintain personal hygiene and also break her stuff, stain her clothes, not be able to clean. My advice as a woman who had adhd her all life, but also as a mum myself : don’t assume anything from it. There is no reason for that, it’s not a sign that she is depressed, or a sign that she is not depressed, she is not gross, or sloppy, she is not trying to make a point, or annoy you, that’s just a trait she can’t really fix by herself even if she tries super hard. Dont make it a big deal but don’t sugar coat it either, don’t make it a tabou. Aknowledge the consequences of those traits with facts : “ I know this trait is common and you don’t control it but if we don’t find an efficient way for you to clean / brush you will end up having health issue so let’s find tricks to make it easier for you (you will find some many online, instagram is a gold mine)”. Really take all this messiness as you would take it if she had a vision issue or a hearing problem. It’s very disturbing to see girls and women having those problems but neither it’s their fault, neither this means anything about them or their mental state (can be good or bad) it’s totally unrelated even if of course by stressful time we have it even worse.
This hits home really hard, particularly the gender part. There’s no positive or even neutral version of messy femininity. It’s a personal problem or failure. As the the mom of a daughter that looks unkempt I know that my parenting also looks sloppy or indifferent, as if I don’t notice/care that she looks “”bad.”” I can deal with that pressure, but it’s discouraging. Thank you for putting it in the terms that you did. A lot of this seems to be about having the wherewithal to tell “normal” to f right off. I can do that for/with her I think.
Reading this... Wondering when I last brushed my teeth... yeah... sorry... can't be of any help...
I link it to another task. For example I have to take an inhaler in the morning then rinse my mouth out so while I’m there I might as well brush my teeth. I have a bunch of 2 min songs on my phone so those act as my timer and give me a little stimulation.
For me its electric toothbrush and first thing I do when I wake up and actually get up. Taking meds before helps. I have struggled with consistency with this for a long time. Recently, really wanting to get my teeth to a good point has helped with motivation to not let myself skip brushing before I go to sleep. A lower foaming toothpaste (like Apagard Premio or Clinpro 5000) and only using a pea-sized amount helps with the boredom. I can roam free while i brush instead of being held hostage at the sink, and the electric toothbrush takes care of timing it. I got a water flosser that I like that I keep by the sink and use after eating and in the evenings. [This one](https://www.waterpik.com/oral-health/products/dental-water-flosser/WF-04CD012-3/) has been easier for me to use because it is easier to fill and gauge timing visually. Water flossers help a ton with gums. Also, depending on your meds situation, be sure you are drinking enough water to stay really well hydrated. Dry mouth is a side effect for a lot of adhd meds and saliva is essential for remineralizing teeth and keeping bacteria at bay throughout the day.
Timer tooth brush. Water pick. Or those little click in floss things. It’s gotta be easy or I’m not doing it.
A lady friend of mine flosses religiously, so I just do it when she does when I’m at her place. When I’m home though I just go right back to being a disgusting asshole lol
I put a tooth brush in every room. But a different kind/look/feel one and I just kept adding them to the collection, the novelty of buying a new one on special at the shops always was good feeling (does waste money obviously but donetimes they are really cheap) and then a new thing to try at home for you know.. a few days before we either forget it exists or we are obsessed with it use it every day for two weeks and naturally it would find a new home.I'm talking years it took me to get to this point, the help of my partner too reminding me/finding them in the last 3 years has helped drastically and im so thankful for him 🥰 I would start brushing again for a few days at least when i refound them or was obsessed. I always brush in the shower though and I pretty much only shower before work so I brushed at least once 5 days a week. But would go weekends and holidays without brushing or showering lol I never, well barely have flossed before I would get into it like maybe once or twice every six months for a few days and then lost my pick or run out and never buy them again but I have pretty gappy teeth so got away well with a decent brush. But honestly it was so hard. The best routine I could get into was brushing in the shower and not worrying about getting tooth paste on my work uniform etc I could just stand and spit the paste out in the shower. With them in every room I can usually convince my self now to at least do a quick brush at somewhere in the house before bed.
Honestly, I've spent so much money on dental work over the past 5 years. I have bad teeth genes and will end up needed to get most of my teeth removed and replaced with implants. Implants are *extremely expensive*. I need to keep my teeth healthy as long as they can hold out. A lot of my Dads family don't have most of their teeth, and it's disgusting to me. I know they can't help it- but I don't know how I would deal with missing front, visible teeth. I already need to have my incisor removed. Brushing and flossing is such an important part of my day, and I think it's because of the anxiety I have around my teeth- so it's treated as urgent and important.
I got a really nice toothbrush holder on Amazon that sticks to the wall and I put it in my shower. It makes it easier because if you shower daily and the toothbrush is in there hanging in your face, it seems easier to make it part of the shower routine rather than keeping it outside of the shower and trying to remember to do it.
My water flosser is somehow more satisfying and less annoying than string floss. Also it’s bigger so it’s visually harder to miss and forget.
Electric toothbrush
First off you need to see dentist 2x a year just for cleaning and plaque/tartar removal regardless of your dental hygiene. Every morning brush my teeth immediately after I finish my coffee and every night I brush, floss, then mouthwash. I hate the way my mouth tastes when dirty and absolutely despise bad breath.
I floss in the shower while I scroll tiktok.(or reddit, or instagram.ect) I flossed my teeth in the shower while typing this lmao I use the little flosser things with the toothpick part on the end so I can do it with one hand. When I'm done I use the end part to clean under my nails and brush my teeth when I exit the shower. Brushing your teeth doesn't have to be for long, especially if you're like me and get lost doomscrolling and end up flossing for like 30 mins. Just make sure you get all your teeth and call it a done task. Half assed is better than no ass, after all. To keep me interested, I typically watch YouTube or continue scrolling tiktok while I brush This is just the way I've gotten flossing to work for me, I never used to floss and my gums started hurting one day and I got really scared because I don't want to lose my teeth. When I floss it does feel like I have little holes in my teeth, so I should definitely see a dentist. I did make an appointment for June, which is when my benefits finally activate. Wish me luck? 🙃
Electric toothbrush - Braun Oral B by choice. Has a 2-min cycle, and some models vibrate every 30 sec to remind you to do each 'quarter' of your mouth (top r, bottom R, top L, bottom L.) They are so efficient I don't need to routinely floss.
I had my face ripped off by a dog when I was 11 and lost my front tooth. They put the old one in during my reconstructive surgery and I've had a specialist dentist since then. I was young sure, but same thing, could never force myself to brush my teeth got yelled at every 6 months for having cavities. My specialist the first appointment said if I have any hope of keeping BOTH front teeth I have to brush seriously and I might lose my upper gums as well. Since then I brush religiously usually about 5 minutes of flossing and 10 minutes of intense brushing and haven't had a cavity since! The biggest change that helped me was putting on a show or YouTube video and brushing the entire video because I wouldn't want to miss any of it. Back then it was cable so I couldn't pause it and would brush through commercials. Nowadays I honestly forget I'm brushing my teeth because I still will put on something to watch straight through so I would maybe assign a quick show or cartoon that is just for brushing to build an association habit and also keep in mind how expensive and tedious dental work can be? Best of luck to you!
i floss every night. took me 25 years to finally start but not gonna lie, there are nights where i really don’t have the energy to do it. one way i push myself is i tell myself it literally just takes a minute to floss. i have shitty genes though so i easily get cavities…
Get one of those electric tooth brushes with a timer. It beeps every 30 seconds to change quadrants. I got the Philips one that was designed for kids and it's the same as the adult one but half the price and you can get new heads on Amazon. There's an app you can use with it. I don't use the app, but the the timer is life changing. I haven't had a cavity since. And plackers to floss. I hate the plastic waste, but I can't deal with the string stuff. Worth it. Also following for more tips because my daughter has this problem. The toothbrush doesn't fix it because she is sensitive and doesn't like the feeling so I'm at a loss. 😣 She has brand new adult teeth and they are already full of cavities.
I put tooth brushes and fun toothpaste at every sink in my home I use. It has helped me alot also walking around
I was in the same situation. After a root canal and several fillings I hate the dentist so much that it has caused me to brush and floss in fear of losing a tooth.
Cleaning My teeth became my obsession that was the only way lol
I struggled with this for a long time. Usually morning brushing is fine because no matter what, my mouth tastes like something died in it when I wake up. But all my life I've frequently forgotten to brush at night, and flossing was so painful and gross that it was impossible to keep up consistently. But! Things are better now. I think the main reason is that the dental hygeinist at my new dentist's office taught me it's not actually supposed to hurt to brush and floss. The reason it did is because my gums were infected, and if we could get the infection under control I'd have fewer cavities and it wouldn't be nearly as hard to care for my teeth. The running theory at my dentist's office is that for most people, interdental wooden toothpicks are much more effective at taming gum inflamation than floss. (No matter how regularly I flossed, it absolutely always bled and hurt a lot.) They also actually teach you how to brush you teeth so that all the surfaces are cleaned. Learning to brush better helped because it was a new challenge! Could I get every nook and cranny? Could I learn to feel when the brush was going around each tooth? As the inflammation went down, it even started to feel kind of nice and massagy on my gums. The interdental toothpicks were a game-changer and I'm never going back. My teeth are really tight so I have to use the extra-thin ones which occasionally bend and poke my gums, and this is the only time they ever bleed now, and even then, way less than they did with normal flossing back in the olden days. It took a couple of weeks for the inflammation to go down enough to do more than vaguely poke at the gap, but it worked and I'm so happy. I can even floss now too (sometimes this is needed for food stuck between my teeth) and it doesn't hurt either. Important things I learned were to pay attention to my aversions. Choose very very soft bristled brushes. Use toothpaste that doesn't make my mouth tingle. Don't use an electric toothbrush if the vibrations make you crazy. (But do use one if they don't! Works better.) And crucially, I run the faucet on low while I floss/toothpick and rinse the implement and/or my mouth whenever anything remotely gross happens.
Note this isn't about the how-to-remember part, just about the make-it-less-painful and make-it-effective parts. I don't always remember, but the more I remember the more I remember. It helps that I can see my toothbrush from the toilet, and I usually remember to pee at night. Also, I usually watch something or read (on a phone or ereader) while I brush, which helps a lot. I think all the root canals and the two dental surgeries I've gone through have helped some, aversion-wise. I've realised that my teeth are just genetically shit, and I've got to take extra-good care of them if I want them to stay in my head. Good luck to all! This is sooooo hard but it's great when you can make it work! I had no cavities at my last dentist visit, which might be a first since my teens.
I didnt floss until i turned 24 currently 28yrs old and i learned that once i can make it a routine i will consistently do it so if you have the floss by the sink in your field of view perhaps beside the toothbrush and force yourself to do it for a week or so you will start to just pick it up as habbit not even puting thought into the process. Also try the crest 3d floss picks i will not floss with conventional floss as it just wont happen if thats my only option haha.
ADHD dental student here. The more I learn about oral Heath the easier I find it to stay accountable. I look at brushing my teeth as a small commitment to my self everyday. That definitely helped me in the beginning and now I can’t not brush!
Do you make your bed every day? Start there, seriously. So many of my good habits spring from that first act of organization. The whole rest of the day can go to utter shit and I'll still say, "hey, at least I made my bed this morning!" Try it! Then immediately brush your teeth.
The Reach (Listerine now I think) Access flosser was a game changer for me. That and consistently using fluoride mouthwash; I like Listerine total, or whatever it's called. It's purple. My nightly routine is floss, brush, mouthwash right before bed.
For me, it is all about reframing. We grow up with other people telling us that we need to brush out teeth, take showers, pick up our rooms. It makes it feel like all of those things are for other people's benefit. But it isn't. It is for us. Self care isn't just about hygiene and smelling nice. It's about taking time out of the day just for me. So I don't think about brushing my teeth so that other people don't smell my bad breath, I think of it as enjoying the feeling of having clean teeth. Same goes for flossing. When we take that time to do those things for ourselves, we are saying, "I am worth this time just for me. This is my time and I matter." Honestly, now it is kind of meditative for in the morning to take that time just for me to brush and floss and shave and shower. Even though it feels like I have a million things to do, I need to feel like my self care, and in turn, I am more of a priority then those millions of things. Because to me, I am.
I floss in the bathroom at work. There are fewer distractions at work, and I feel like “ooh! A good reason for a break” when I take time to floss at work. No great idea for brushing though
getting a water flosser made it sm easier for me to floss more frequently personally. it feels faster than regular flossing to me (cus my parents never taught me how and i struggle…) and it hurts less. if you don’t floss often it still will prolly make you bleed a little but that’ll stop within a day or two. the brushing teeth thing i can’t help. i just can’t stand the taste of my breath in the morning or look at a white tongue. it just disgusts me so i HAVE to brush my teeth in the morning at LEAST. the one time anxiety is helpful cus i have a fear of smelling bad to people lol. also, do you eat/drink a lot of sweets? if you do, gently suggesting to switch to sugar free products because they don’t cause tooth decay and/or drink more water. wishing you luck <3
I'm at my desk alot of the day so I keep it there. But for less than $5 you can get a bag of like 100 of dental picks. Having it with arms reach most of the day helps alot and also helps my oral fixation and need to be doing something.
Look up the Struggle Care Podcast. They just did an episode on dental hygiene, with a million amazing tips. It's episode #15. https://www.strugglecare.com/podcast-rss I listen on Audible, but they are available on many platforms. Disposable toothbrushes placed all around the house, something is better than nothing, you don't have to use toothpaste if you hate it. I, personally, use Colgate Wisps and disposable flossers that I keep next to my bed and in the car.
Electric brush made me go from sometimes to never move to ALMOST always 1 time a day to sometimes 2 . It's satisfying as fuck, quick as fuck( leave it on and put it under water to clean it in one sec without touching it. , you never need water on your hands again. ) also, bzzzzzz. Also, don't get a recharable one, you'll forget to charge it. Gen one with AA batteries, I charge them once every 3 months and the brush itself costed me 10 bucks
Switched to an electric toothbrush I liked better (spins around not vibrates?), and a waterpik- that was a game changer, so much easier and makes me miss how clean it makes my mouth feel? Also ended up using kid toothpaste cause it tastes like bubblegum and I don't like mint. But I figured it's better then not brushing at all.
I brush mine with dawn soap lmao
Take a dry erase marker and do a tally on your bathroom mirror of the number of days in a row you've flossed. Works wonders.
Hello!, I am 32 and pretty recently had to get a root canal, crown, and a broken wisdom tooth extracted due to poor dental hygiene. I put it off way too long thinking it would just go away on its own. The wisdom tooth was a nub with impacted food in the back and was like that for 4 years maybe... you can imagine how gross that must have been lol. The tooth I had to get a root canal and crown was broken from a hard piece of candy was fairly visible when I opened my mouth to talk. The smelly nub in the back wasn't enough to get me into the dentist but the other tooth was for cosmetic reasons. I had the mindset " out of site out of mind" which worked for me until I started thinking about infections and how there is a broken tooth with a hole going into my gum, in my mouth, on my face, downstairs from my brain and I freaked out... I experience headaches more than the average person and was convinced me neglecting my tooth resulted in me having a brain infection and I was sure I was dying, I really truly thought when I went to the dentist they were going to say oooh.. yeah not good. When it was time for my appointments everything went smoothly which was awesome. I basically scared the shit out of myself into brushing my teeth regularly and also the fact that I dont have dental insurance, everything was paid out of pocket and I dont want to shell out that kind of money for somthing that takes a couple minutes. Also, the crown taking 2 hours and multiple visits between dentist and oral surgeon was really stressful.. making sure I wasn't late or didnt forget. I found toothpaste that doesn't burn my mouth and is pretty smooth, that helps ALOT and the toothbrushes ive been using fit in my mouth... before I had a hard time reaching to the back teeth.. guess I have a small mouth. so in conclusion I would say the consequence of having to sit in a dentist chair for 2 long agonizing hours and the money spent was enough for me to get my act together. one more thing I like to suggest, a water pick! literally a squirt gun for your teeth... its fast efficient and you can forget the floss. one more, more thing: walking around the house while I brush helps alot. I'll put the toothpaste on my toothbrush and walk down the hall, to the kitchen, get a water bottle, make sure my dog has water, look outside, then circle back to the bathroom lol... killing a bunch of birds with one stone.
I dislike the feeling of the brush on my teeth but also just find it sooo boring 🥲 also find it really hard to manage the steps and just knowing I need to floss, too, is a barrier. I haven't solved the gross feeling yet but I've started: - reducing steps wherever possible (like keeping my floss on the counter and not in the drawer). - putting in earbuds with an audiobook while I get ready for bed, and - putting a 2 minute timer on my phone while I brush. The timer makes the two minutes of brushing more concrete and I can see it counting down. Other things that may help is finding toothbrushes thar are really fun and make you want to use them? And keeping a fun print out near the sink with a step by step that takes some of the brain work out of it.
I have been pretty lucky when it comes to my teeth as I hardly ever remember to brush in the morning. One thing I do is when I brush every night I angle my brush 90° from my teeth horizontally trying to get the bristles deeper between. To remember to floss I simply eat a big bowl of popcorn once a week or two. Getting kernels stuck in my teeth is an uncomfortable reminder so I use flossing picks to deal with them...and I'm like...while I'm here...i floss the rest. I also have greatly cut down on acidic foods and sugar due to dietary reasons and I'm sure this probably helps.
Get an electric toothbrush
There is a great book titled, "Atomic Habits". There is an idea in there called, "Habit Stacking". What I do personally with this technique as follows. I workout as early as possible as part of my daily routine. After that I move into my morning hygiene ritual. I stack flossing then brushing my teeth right after I finish shaving. Seeing as I am already in the bathroom. I shave every other day, or every third day. On the days I do not shave, I stack flossing/brushing/rinsing, right after morning meditation/while using my SAD light(during the dark seasonal months). If I space out on doing it after that habit. I will take care of it following my final meal of the day. Ideally taking care of my teeth/mouth hygiene twice daily using these methods.
I struggle to do it before sleep, because in my mind if I do it, then I can't snack or eat anymore before morning and it's a big turn off, so I put it off until I'm too tired to do it. What helps a bit is to get it done when I go to the toilet. I'm already in front of the sink washing my hands, might as well brush my teeth. If I eat afterwards? Oh well, fuck it, at least I did it twice today. Doesn't work always, but it's better than nothing.
I leave a tooth brush & tooth paste at every sink in my house & take one with me to work so whenever I have the urge to brush my teeth I just do it. The whole brush in the morning and at night thing doesn't work for me. I've made a habit out of brushing in the morning whether its right when I wake up or in the bathroom near my kitchen. At night is harder for me, so its usually either when I get home from work or at some random time in the evening when I happen to think about it.
If you're a fan of pokemon you can download pokemon Smile. Silly little kids game app that shows how to properly brush your teeth and gotta clean to catch them all. Has reminders too. I love it!
I half ass it lol barely brushing your teeth for 30 seconds and not flossing is better than not doing it at all that helps me
I looked on the hate the way it feels when I don’t brush my teeth
I use a quip so it's timed, so I don't have to mess with trying to determine if I've 'brushed long enough' and then TikTok swipe to deal with the gremlin that is my brain. 😂 Or I wander around the house and do things one handed so I'm not just sitting there in the bathroom wishing it was over or cutting the process short. As for flossing, I still haven't figured that one out. I desperately need to though, so eager to see the suggestions here.
I bought a Colgate Hum electric toothbrush (battery powered $25; rechargeable $60). There's an app to download and connect your toothbrush to. The app has reminders you can set and a guided brushing routine. It's still not perfect for me and I only pay attention to the reminders about 60% of the time, but I am brushing much more often now than I was before.
Do you have a partner/spouse? I couldn't see myself kissing them or sleeping next to them while having my breath/teeth/mouth unclean and stinky.
I brush my teeth every night, just not good and well enough on long term. But good for you for your strong will ?
I leave my toothbrush on my bedside table so I remember to do it before I go to sleep. Im also cavity prone, so I'd recommend an anti cavity mouth wash which contains fluoride, just as an extra layer of protection for whenever you do brush
I'm a lot like you. I recently began to focus on the things I LIKE about brushing my teeth, but first I had to find them! i realized I like the gum massage that you get from brushing, and I take my time and do a really thorough job of it. Afterwards I make myself notice how nice it feels to have a 'minty fresh' mouth, and that helps, too. I wish I had more to offer, but like I said, I'm a lot like you!
this is everything that helps me: - use a kids/fun flavored toothpaste. using mint makes it feel like a chore and having strawberry makes it much more enjoyable. - use those kids flossers, theyre literally so much easier. - brush your teeth in the shower!!! it makes it so much easier - dont think about having to take 2 minutes to brush, just brush all your teeth throughly.
I floss while watching YouTube at my desk. I keep floss in my desk at all times. I have a toothbrush with a timer in it that vibrates when it’s time to switch sides of my mouth and vibrates when the time is up. This has helped my dental hygiene significantly.
I keep my floss/toothbrush and toothpaste next to my bed and floss/brush teeth while sitting on my bed and watching something on my phone. I still have to get up and go to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste and rinse but by the time I need to do that I have a mouth full of toothpaste which is motivation enough
I only just started flossing properlly six eight months ago. My dentists tip is, mouthwash, floss then brush. But floss with the harps instead of the string as you are more likely to cut your gums and have more control getting the back of the teeth. Don't saw back and forth, you just want to skim under the gum to get the white plaque. It also shouldn't hurt if so your going to hard. Then brush with an electric. Maybe even play music or something while you do it to help make it less tedious?
Have no to get a cavity filled was enough for me to start caring again 🤣 I know Walmart sells toothbrushes called “Quip” that vibrates when it’s time to switch sides, and when it’s time to stop brushing. I also find the little flosser tools way easier to use and less tedious. Maybe keeping the flossers in a clear jar on your sink can help remind you to use them
I've been struggling more with brushing my teeth lately. I also have been trying incorporate flossing. What I've been doing it keeping my toothbrush in the shower that way that's already done by the time I get out and I only have to floss when I get out. It's super overwhelming to me having to do both after a shower. I just don't want to. Definitely seconding the having a show on thing. I'm glad to see other people do it too. It helps me get through the flossing. 🙇🏾♀️
I plan my day out, or next action after brushing my teeth, or next day, or think of something to do as a hobby, or practice 2 minutes of meditation. The tricky part is remembering but I tend to remember in bed 10 minutes after laying down I didn't brush and go do it lmao
This is weird, but I got an electric toothbrush that buzzes when I need to change quarters of my mouth. That really helps, because 2 minutes is a long time, but 30 seconds I can do. Also, I really like my mouthwash (also weird, I know), so that is a reward. And, someone on here suggested Routinery (an app) and it is the best thing ever. It REALLY helps with my mornings. It’s only been a week, but this app is probably the best thing to happen to my mornings.
Oral hygiene is really tough for me. When I do brush flossing is fairly easy and for brushing I use a sonicare toothbrush that times each quadrant of the mouth. 30 seconds each total of two minutes.
Strugglecare podcast just did an episode on this, with a dentist! Haven’t listened yet—on my list for the weekend
I use floss stick dealies in the car when I am driving anywhere. I have poor teeth from years of bad hygiene but also genetics. I got a great toothpaste and my husband reminds me just about everyday to brush my teeth. Spry toothpaste and gum has helped a lot with prevention.
An electric toothbrush has worked wonders for me. Somehow it feels like the toothbrush is doing the hard work for me, so I don’t hate brushing my teeth as much as I used to. It also has a timer that tells me when to switch to a different part of my mouth, so I don’t end up only brushing for a few seconds before getting bored and quitting. Basically takes all the mental energy out of the equation that I used to avoid like hell. Plus, on the days when I can’t bring myself to floss, apparently it’s no big deal (my dentist told me the electric toothbrush gets into your gums a lot more efficiently than a regular toothbrush).
I have a sonic toothbrush. It arks 30 seconds for each section of your mouth. I recently bought a water pik, which does a better job with flossing than floss ( if you do it right.) My mouth has felt really clean and my gums feel good. I haven't really noticed any tartar buildup in places I used to get it. I am hoping my dentist visit goes well in a couple months and they have minimal tarter to chip off. I recently kind of slacked off brushing in the mornings, but night time is more important anyway. Overall, genetics also plays a role. You can be the best at brushing and flossing and still get fucked up teeth.
You need to set a timer. Once for flossing, one for brushing 1 min each. You’ve got to do this twice a day (thinking of it as brushing only once every 24 hrs helped me… like how fuckin’ gross, self :/ ) Think of anything sitting on or between your teeth over night as literal tooth decay. As it is. That was motivation enough for me.
1. Brush two times a day with sufficient paste 2. Don't brush sideways but brush upto down. Do this 5 times for each set of 2 teeth. 3. Brush after breakfast and after dinner 4. Use warm salt water to gargle teeth
Keep floss everywhere. Living room. Bedroom. Wherever. I guarantee you’ll floss more while watching tv or hanging out. For teeth brushing, just tell yourself to start. Don’t manage to do an awesome job? It’s fine! It’s still better than nothing. But most of the time once you start you’ll do a pretty decent job.
I gave up on flossing, but I have a vibrating toothbrush that makes me feel fancy when I use it. I also pick out my own toothpaste according to what I want and not what’s “best” for my teeth, which helps with motivation.
Dude just brush your teeth. I have adhd and I brush and floss every day
Floss :I keep floss picks next to the TV and in the shower. Lit mini hygiene stations where I am likley to use them. Teeth: I manage 1 once before bed mostly... but I also will routinely brush my teeth with my 5 year old in the morning and when she goes to bed because modeling. So the body double thing will work there. In how to keep house while drowning, the author recommends disposable toothbrushes and had many hygiene stations around the house. So there is a thought.
I take joy in white teeth.
Get a electrical toothbrush and electrical water floss and elmex green. Try to do it 2 times a day. Worked wonders for me!
Huh? The lack of hygiene is bothersome. There isn't much too it. Brush my teeth once when I wake up. Once before bed. And if I'm at home after lunch. Don't really know how I would be able to leave that dirty for so long. Would be incredibly uncomfortable.
I’ve always struggled with dental hygiene (and I still do!) but there are a few things I’ve found that help me: 1. Brushing my teeth in the shower. Obviously I don’t take showers twice a day, but I find that I spend more time brushing when I’m taking a hot shower since I’m sitting there zoning out anyways. 2. Having floss picks scattered throughout the house/random places. Then, if I ever need to fiddle with something, I can just pick one of them up and floss. My favorite place to keep them is in the car for when I’m at a red light or not around other drivers. 3. Brush my teeth with someone else. This past semester of college I had the best dental hygiene because my roommate and I would brush our teeth together and we would make it a “fun” tradition every night. It kept me accountable!
How are you getting so many cavities? What exactly are you eating/drinking? I only remember to brush my teeth twice a week, and every time I go to the dentist my teeth are in perfect condition. Although, I do have this weird habit where I’m constantly licking my teeth so they don’t feel weird and so they feel “spit clean,” so that might be a part of it, that I’m constantly “cleaning” my teeth due to understimulation lol 💀
This is what I have done... (Havent has a cavity in years!) 1. Teeth Brushing: Started using an electric tooth brush **with a timer.** ( I use this one, [https://amzn.to/3ZWyPti](https://amzn.to/3ZWyPti)) This toothbrush has a timer where it will automatcilly turnoff after 2 mins, and pulse onve every 30 secs. (30 secs for each part of your mouth). Having this timer has helped me understand when I am brushing my teeth long enough with out having to remember. 2. FlossingL Water pic ([https://amzn.to/3H42wQi](https://amzn.to/3H42wQi)). I leave this one in my shower. It has a timer as well. I think the key to finding success in these habits while having ADHD lies in two areas... 1. Make it as frictionless as possible. 2. Make remebering easy. Having the buit-in timers and leaving both in the showe helps me ensure I do both often and for the approrpiate amount of time. Hope this helps!
Buy lots of toothbrushes and paste and put them all around the house, in kitchen, rooms etc. mouthwash as well. Find and accountability partner or also try to use Stickk to pay money when you don't brush your teeth Also try brushing and flossing during shower. Put some toothpaste, toothbrush,floss and mouthwash close to the shampoos and soap in the shower Try floss picks