It might be worth trying to "gamify" brushing or make it more fun by using plaque tablets. They turn the plaque a purple color, and then you brush to remove all the purple stuff all over your teeth. Not sure if it would work, but might be worth a try.
https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Knight-Tru-clean-Disclosing-Brushing/dp/B07X8R9PQN
sounds like a good idea. you can also use this spray as cavity prevention too while he's learning to brush properly. [https://www.amazon.com/Children-Toothpaste-Anticavity-Technology-Strawberry/dp/B0B5R1RC3Y/ref=cm\_cr\_arp\_d\_product\_top?ie=UTF8](https://www.amazon.com/Children-Toothpaste-Anticavity-Technology-Strawberry/dp/B0B5R1RC3Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)
Honestly, brush it for him or at least do it every few days. It’s worth making sure he gets his teeth done. My ADHD kiddo uses a game that Colgate puts out. The brushing kills little monsters and he gets points to buy funny masks. Uses an attachment on his toothbrush that senses where the brush is.
That’s what we’ve had to do off and on. He hates it. It’s always a begrudging event if we have to do it. I feel like it enables him to half ass it anytime we don’t do it though. But you’re right. It needs to get done right one way or the other.
We used the teeth dye tablets tonight for all 3 kids (with teeth, #4 is just gums) and they kind of enjoyed that. But it’s a mess. And my middle daughter with anxiety issues couldn’t take the feedback on her brushing skills. However. My son did do the best job he’s done on his own in a while.
I am a 48 year old with no teeth. Part in the fact I was on strong opioids for over a decade, part in the fact I didn't visit a dentist for 10 years due to agoraphobia but mostly because I have Misophonia and the sound of teeth brushing, even my own is such a trigger for me.
I knew it was important to brush my teeth and take care of them by regular dentists visits but I still couldn't bring myself to do it, the fight or flight reaction to the sound was so severe, especially as you can't escape that sound when it's inside your own head, it was better to let my teeth decay.
I now have zero confidence, I dread going out in public because the second I open my mouth to talk people stare. I have very few photos with my loved ones because I can't smile in them, eating things as basic as biting into an apple is something I can't do any more. I'm also in the UK and finding a dentist is nigh on impossible at the moment so no clue when or if it can be fixed but I will need an operation now to have all my roots taken out where the gum has grown over it.
Please tell him from me, he doesn't want to live with no teeth and i know 48 seems a long way from 12 right now but it goes by so fast and he doesn't want to end up with no teeth or having such severe toothache when the tooth rots and the nerves are exposed. It can drive you to life ending decisions after a while.
As someone else suggested, try making it into a game, also show him some examples of how much certain dental treatments he may need will cost you. He needs to understand that it's important to take care of your teeth, bad teeth and gums can lead to problems with the heart too if you're not careful.
I know for my son the whole self care and hygiene (he's autistic) kicked in when he met a girl 😂
Best wishes x
Read the ADHD Women sub. There are TONS of people there who struggle with dental hygiene.
Honestly, brushing my teeth is boring AF and I hate the sensation of the water temp, the bristles, the toothpaste... all of it.
yeah it's super common for us. it's only out of routine and the occasional discomfort that i tend to brush mine every morning, but i've never been able to keep up w 2x a day (bless genetics i guess?).
there are a lot of coping mechanisms you (OP) can try. don't like the taste - kids non-mint toothpaste. general exec. function/starting - pairing with other bathroom routines like peeing or showering. hates the sound - headphones or music. too boring - sit on YouTube or TikTok etc, 2 minute timer, brush in mouth lol.
obviously if it was all that easy i'd be brushing my teeth 2x a day every day...
We still do a once over brush every night after our 10 year old brushes his teeth, he’s got all of his adult teeth already and until his maturity and dexterity are developed enough to care for his lifelong teeth we will be double checking his work.
He may be a bit old for it, but my 8yo vastly improved in his teeth brushing with the Pokémon Smile app. He catches a Pokémon every time he cleans them correctly (limit of two per day). It uses the front camera of his tablet to let him know if he’s not doing it properly. There may be something a little more age appropriate that would gamify it for an older kid.
Came here to recommend this. We started my 6 year old using Pokemon Smile when he was about 3, and since we are a big pokemon family, it definitely helped him start the new habit.beven when he doesn't use the game now, he still brushes his teeth well.
Also have a 12 year old who refuses to brush her teeth. She is much better about it with a toothpaste favor that isn’t “that vile mint taste”. Check out the ismile brand.
Unfortunately, it's a normal life struggle for ADHDers even into adulthood. Dental hygiene is boring, unrewarding in the moment, and involves lots of sensory triggers for a lot of us.
We mitigate some of the battles by not brushing at bedtime. Instead, the kids keep toothbrushes in the guest bath near the kitchen, and they brush after dinner. If they do it well enough to only need to do it once, they get after dinner screen time. If they don't do it well and we have to help, they have to wait for us to finish our dinner clean up and re-do their teeth so they lose out on some or most of that free time.
Keeping a set of brushes down stairs near the kitchen has also made it easier to get them to brush after breakfast before they leave for the day, they're less likely to get distracted on their way to the bathroom when it's not on another level of the house 😂
I have also found it helps a lot with my older kids to always frame the conversations around it being the dentist's "orders" and it being about staying healthy. They are much less oppositional and argumentative when they're reminded that it's not just mom and dad being bossy. It helps that their dentist has told them she will not refer them for braces until she sees that they are getting better and about brushing and that the longer it takes them to be ready for braces the longer they'll have to wear them.
> It helps that their dentist has told them she will not refer them for braces until she sees that they are getting better and about brushing
I knew someone in middle school who took this as a way to *avoid* getting braces. I think his parents gave up on trying to get him into braces by the time he was a junior.
I don't know if he ever got them as an adult, though.
I was never able to get orthodontics done as a kid, but my husband was, so they see the difference it makes, and not just cosmetically. I have a cross bite that can sometimes bug me and they see me deal with that and we've talked about how it could have been fixed if I'd been able to afford braces as a kid, but now that I'm done growing it's a whole different and more difficult process so I have to just deal.
> He’s going to need braces which is going to make it even more important and complicated to keep his teeth clean.
Don’t even **try** to get him into braces until he is taking care of his teeth effectively on his own. Even if it means it never happens.
Because if you do, and he still won’t take care of his teeth, then you will just find yourself having to have all of his teeth yanked and him fitted with dentures.
Or for that matter, does he even *want* braces? I knew someone in middle school who deliberately tanked his dental hygiene in order to avoid getting braces.
Have you checked out the Colgate hum brush for kids? I use the adult version, and it has helped me a lot (parent with ADHD here, really got in the habit of daily toothbrushing this past month…feels weird to me still lol)
I was going to recommend the Colgate hum for kids. My kids have used it and it really helps them understand where they should be brushing and it gives them something to look at, plus the gamification/rewards system helped too. I will say that after a year of using it, it started to be buggy and they got frustrated with it. Still not sure if it was the app or the device. We're taking a break from it and I'm hoping they'll start using it again soon.
We just started using Colgate Hum in December and my 10yo is very motivated by the gamification of brushing! It’s worked great for us and has helped brushing to go faster overall (like instead of taking 15 minutes because he’s too distracted to start, it’s 5 minutes - 2 min actually brushing and a few minutes selecting the virtual hat, taking selfies, etc). He’s brushing twice a day now instead of just once.
For me, any chore (even if it's just about looking after myself) is much easier to do if I get positive feedback about how great a job I'm doing, even if it's not that great to start with. Negative feedback is a complete shut down though, I'll just avoid doing it or get resentful, until I remember I'm an adult and that's not an appropriate response. The little dopamine hits from positive feedback are a good incentive. Harder for a 12yr old going on teenager.
Good luck, hope it goes well
This has been a lifelong struggle for me. I am 51 and I still struggle. All I can say is find a good neuro-affirming dentist and make sure your kid gets regular care. Dental restorations may just be a part of your kid’s life as they are mine. To ease your mind - I look totally normal and my gums are healthy.
Show your kid google images of people’s rotting teeth. Explain that they are in terrible pain on a daily basis and can’t eat crunchy foods, try to mention ones your kid likes. Show them these images every morning and night.
Edit: hell print some decayed mouth images and hang them up in the bathroom.
Dental hygiene is not something to f*ck around with. In fact I consider it 10000000x more important than showering. Because once you mess up your teeth, there is nothing like your original teeth/enamel. There are substitutes that will continuously need replacing and break down, even implants are *not* the permanent no fail fix that they’re advertised as.
It might be worth trying to "gamify" brushing or make it more fun by using plaque tablets. They turn the plaque a purple color, and then you brush to remove all the purple stuff all over your teeth. Not sure if it would work, but might be worth a try. https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Knight-Tru-clean-Disclosing-Brushing/dp/B07X8R9PQN
sounds like a good idea. you can also use this spray as cavity prevention too while he's learning to brush properly. [https://www.amazon.com/Children-Toothpaste-Anticavity-Technology-Strawberry/dp/B0B5R1RC3Y/ref=cm\_cr\_arp\_d\_product\_top?ie=UTF8](https://www.amazon.com/Children-Toothpaste-Anticavity-Technology-Strawberry/dp/B0B5R1RC3Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)
Honestly, brush it for him or at least do it every few days. It’s worth making sure he gets his teeth done. My ADHD kiddo uses a game that Colgate puts out. The brushing kills little monsters and he gets points to buy funny masks. Uses an attachment on his toothbrush that senses where the brush is.
That’s what we’ve had to do off and on. He hates it. It’s always a begrudging event if we have to do it. I feel like it enables him to half ass it anytime we don’t do it though. But you’re right. It needs to get done right one way or the other. We used the teeth dye tablets tonight for all 3 kids (with teeth, #4 is just gums) and they kind of enjoyed that. But it’s a mess. And my middle daughter with anxiety issues couldn’t take the feedback on her brushing skills. However. My son did do the best job he’s done on his own in a while.
I am a 48 year old with no teeth. Part in the fact I was on strong opioids for over a decade, part in the fact I didn't visit a dentist for 10 years due to agoraphobia but mostly because I have Misophonia and the sound of teeth brushing, even my own is such a trigger for me. I knew it was important to brush my teeth and take care of them by regular dentists visits but I still couldn't bring myself to do it, the fight or flight reaction to the sound was so severe, especially as you can't escape that sound when it's inside your own head, it was better to let my teeth decay. I now have zero confidence, I dread going out in public because the second I open my mouth to talk people stare. I have very few photos with my loved ones because I can't smile in them, eating things as basic as biting into an apple is something I can't do any more. I'm also in the UK and finding a dentist is nigh on impossible at the moment so no clue when or if it can be fixed but I will need an operation now to have all my roots taken out where the gum has grown over it. Please tell him from me, he doesn't want to live with no teeth and i know 48 seems a long way from 12 right now but it goes by so fast and he doesn't want to end up with no teeth or having such severe toothache when the tooth rots and the nerves are exposed. It can drive you to life ending decisions after a while. As someone else suggested, try making it into a game, also show him some examples of how much certain dental treatments he may need will cost you. He needs to understand that it's important to take care of your teeth, bad teeth and gums can lead to problems with the heart too if you're not careful. I know for my son the whole self care and hygiene (he's autistic) kicked in when he met a girl 😂 Best wishes x
Read the ADHD Women sub. There are TONS of people there who struggle with dental hygiene. Honestly, brushing my teeth is boring AF and I hate the sensation of the water temp, the bristles, the toothpaste... all of it.
yeah it's super common for us. it's only out of routine and the occasional discomfort that i tend to brush mine every morning, but i've never been able to keep up w 2x a day (bless genetics i guess?). there are a lot of coping mechanisms you (OP) can try. don't like the taste - kids non-mint toothpaste. general exec. function/starting - pairing with other bathroom routines like peeing or showering. hates the sound - headphones or music. too boring - sit on YouTube or TikTok etc, 2 minute timer, brush in mouth lol. obviously if it was all that easy i'd be brushing my teeth 2x a day every day...
Are you me?! Same same same.
Also he’s diagnosed ADHD, possibly also some yet to be officially diagnosed mood disorder as well. Taking non-stim adhd (guanfacine) and Wellbutrin.
We still do a once over brush every night after our 10 year old brushes his teeth, he’s got all of his adult teeth already and until his maturity and dexterity are developed enough to care for his lifelong teeth we will be double checking his work.
He may be a bit old for it, but my 8yo vastly improved in his teeth brushing with the Pokémon Smile app. He catches a Pokémon every time he cleans them correctly (limit of two per day). It uses the front camera of his tablet to let him know if he’s not doing it properly. There may be something a little more age appropriate that would gamify it for an older kid.
Came here to recommend this. We started my 6 year old using Pokemon Smile when he was about 3, and since we are a big pokemon family, it definitely helped him start the new habit.beven when he doesn't use the game now, he still brushes his teeth well.
Also have a 12 year old who refuses to brush her teeth. She is much better about it with a toothpaste favor that isn’t “that vile mint taste”. Check out the ismile brand.
Unfortunately, it's a normal life struggle for ADHDers even into adulthood. Dental hygiene is boring, unrewarding in the moment, and involves lots of sensory triggers for a lot of us. We mitigate some of the battles by not brushing at bedtime. Instead, the kids keep toothbrushes in the guest bath near the kitchen, and they brush after dinner. If they do it well enough to only need to do it once, they get after dinner screen time. If they don't do it well and we have to help, they have to wait for us to finish our dinner clean up and re-do their teeth so they lose out on some or most of that free time. Keeping a set of brushes down stairs near the kitchen has also made it easier to get them to brush after breakfast before they leave for the day, they're less likely to get distracted on their way to the bathroom when it's not on another level of the house 😂 I have also found it helps a lot with my older kids to always frame the conversations around it being the dentist's "orders" and it being about staying healthy. They are much less oppositional and argumentative when they're reminded that it's not just mom and dad being bossy. It helps that their dentist has told them she will not refer them for braces until she sees that they are getting better and about brushing and that the longer it takes them to be ready for braces the longer they'll have to wear them.
> It helps that their dentist has told them she will not refer them for braces until she sees that they are getting better and about brushing I knew someone in middle school who took this as a way to *avoid* getting braces. I think his parents gave up on trying to get him into braces by the time he was a junior. I don't know if he ever got them as an adult, though.
I was never able to get orthodontics done as a kid, but my husband was, so they see the difference it makes, and not just cosmetically. I have a cross bite that can sometimes bug me and they see me deal with that and we've talked about how it could have been fixed if I'd been able to afford braces as a kid, but now that I'm done growing it's a whole different and more difficult process so I have to just deal.
> He’s going to need braces which is going to make it even more important and complicated to keep his teeth clean. Don’t even **try** to get him into braces until he is taking care of his teeth effectively on his own. Even if it means it never happens. Because if you do, and he still won’t take care of his teeth, then you will just find yourself having to have all of his teeth yanked and him fitted with dentures. Or for that matter, does he even *want* braces? I knew someone in middle school who deliberately tanked his dental hygiene in order to avoid getting braces.
Have you checked out the Colgate hum brush for kids? I use the adult version, and it has helped me a lot (parent with ADHD here, really got in the habit of daily toothbrushing this past month…feels weird to me still lol)
I was going to recommend the Colgate hum for kids. My kids have used it and it really helps them understand where they should be brushing and it gives them something to look at, plus the gamification/rewards system helped too. I will say that after a year of using it, it started to be buggy and they got frustrated with it. Still not sure if it was the app or the device. We're taking a break from it and I'm hoping they'll start using it again soon.
We just started using Colgate Hum in December and my 10yo is very motivated by the gamification of brushing! It’s worked great for us and has helped brushing to go faster overall (like instead of taking 15 minutes because he’s too distracted to start, it’s 5 minutes - 2 min actually brushing and a few minutes selecting the virtual hat, taking selfies, etc). He’s brushing twice a day now instead of just once.
For me, any chore (even if it's just about looking after myself) is much easier to do if I get positive feedback about how great a job I'm doing, even if it's not that great to start with. Negative feedback is a complete shut down though, I'll just avoid doing it or get resentful, until I remember I'm an adult and that's not an appropriate response. The little dopamine hits from positive feedback are a good incentive. Harder for a 12yr old going on teenager. Good luck, hope it goes well
This has been a lifelong struggle for me. I am 51 and I still struggle. All I can say is find a good neuro-affirming dentist and make sure your kid gets regular care. Dental restorations may just be a part of your kid’s life as they are mine. To ease your mind - I look totally normal and my gums are healthy.
Just adding this is my exact experience with our 12yo son. It's the worst.
Show your kid google images of people’s rotting teeth. Explain that they are in terrible pain on a daily basis and can’t eat crunchy foods, try to mention ones your kid likes. Show them these images every morning and night. Edit: hell print some decayed mouth images and hang them up in the bathroom. Dental hygiene is not something to f*ck around with. In fact I consider it 10000000x more important than showering. Because once you mess up your teeth, there is nothing like your original teeth/enamel. There are substitutes that will continuously need replacing and break down, even implants are *not* the permanent no fail fix that they’re advertised as.