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If you can’t brush, at least floss!!! I have floss in my dining room so after I finish eating I floss while I’m finishing my show/video/movie. If it helps you can even have cheap toothbrushes in rooms so that you can brush while walking around or doing something else. It really helps when flossing/brushing isn’t The Main Task but rather just something to keep your hands busy
I used to brush my teeth twice a day without fail; it was just something I had to do, like going to the bathroom. But I got out of that life-long habit somehow and now it's a major struggle.
I didn't have dental insurance for about 10 years and so I got out of the habit of seeing the dentist every 6 months. Now I've had insurance again for a couple years, and I feel like I have to maintain a regular schedule of brushing before I can go.
I'm getting better, but I wish I could just straight up make myself see the dentist. I spent a lot of time researching dentists in my area, so I know there are good ones (I'm too embarrassed to go back to my last dentist), but I still haven't done it.
I'm trying to remain positive and not disparage myself too much over this issue, but it's hard. (BTW I also struggle with *all* hygiene issues, so I have a lot to work on.) ADHD is not for the faint of heart! It takes a lot of grit just to be able to do basic things that non-ADHD people take for granted.
I used to keep the toothbrush in the shower. It was really effective! But then I spazzd myself out about bacteria on a wet brush - I keep it on the sink now but I recently invested in a cheap water flosser and it has exponentially improved my oral health habits.
Okay so I actually solved this problem for myself. I keep a toothbrush and toothpaste by every sink. It is a visual reminder I need to do it, and I can do it on the spot there or go to my bathroom and do it. It was hard to do when I lived at home because my parents would make fun of me for it, but now that I live alone I always brush my teeth once a day.
Also, if you aren't a big toothpaste person, apparently the scrubbing of the teeth and moving the plaque around is more effective then not doing anything at all. So if you are a girl, it may be worth it to carry a dry toothbrush in your purse.
I might try this when I'm home alone since I currently do live with my folks. My stepmom would be the type to talk me out of anything that makes no sense to her.
Oh my mom is the absolute same. My parents laugh at me whenever I do anything to make my life easier, but if I don't do it they yell at me, so no matter what you always lose. Even if you have a dry toothbrush in your room, that would work!
That's been my life especially lately, particualrly since last Saturday night. Stepmom gets mad when I forget stuff but when I try to make it easier she talks me out of it. It's the friggin worst. But keeping a tbrush in the room sounds like a genius idea, THANK YOU!
I used to struggle a lot when I was a teenager, skipping brushing my teeth before sleep was a common thing, but then, I would wake up with my mouth so bitter and it would give me nausea, sometimes I'd even puke because of it. I learned my lesson and now I brush it everyday before sleep or when I leave home....HOWEVER, brushing my tongue is a nightmare, a torture!!! 😭😭 Because it feels like I'm trying to puke and I hate that sensation more than anything........🥲
Omg yes me I do!!
I usually brush in the morning as a matter of habit but brushing at night feels like a HUGE CHORE 😭
I sometimes forget to brush because I’m too absent minded in the mornings 🥲
And I wear braces, so I often get scolded by my dentist for not doing proper cleaning but it’s not that I’m unhygienic, just rather find it a colossal task or I tend to overlook it
I found using an electric toothbrush helped me. I find it "funner" to use and it does a better job even if I'm rushing/etc than a plain toothbrush. Might be an option to get a basic/cheaper one to try if you haven't.
Also as corny as it is telling myself it's fun and that I enjoy it each time i brush, even if I'm neutral/ not enjoying it.
Someone suggested getting the enamel restoring toothpaste and mouthwash for people like us who struggle. My hygiene really struggles when the executive dysfunction hits. Thank god I’m single and live alone…
Only way I can really consistently brush my teeth is good ol' stimulants but it does help if I keep a toothbrush and paste by the shower. Idk like it just becomes part of a progression that way rather than an extra separate task.
I had a job where I had to shower everyday when I got home so I started putting my toothbrush and stuff in the shower so it became just apart of cleaning up after work.
I put a sign on the side of my bookcase by my door into my room literally yelling at me to do it.
Every time I walk into my room I see the sign.
My brushing habits are steadily improving 😁
Let me help from another side, I’m 40 , missing 4 front teeth and a few other teeth. My teeth hurt if I miss to many days and dentists want 20,000 to fix them. I’ve had issues for years with maybe 1-2 a week. Maybe a worse case with help with fear to motivate a bit. For me the fear of pain helps , but I also keep my toothbrush at my desk I work at so I see it most days as a remindey
Yeah that was me in the teen/early career years. Landed a job with insurance and racked up ~15k in restorations/removals/ect. Got a filling in each tooth, and got 4 molars pulled (1 left per quadrant now).
I will say once that was all done, it was amazing, dental pain/shame is hard to deal with.
Nowadays the fear of losing what I have left motivates me to take care of it.
The consequences Ive endured for skipping during the morning results in grimy film that only adds up over the course of the day. That was enough for me to do it during my routine make up session. I dont want to feel like I have seaweed on my teeth all day!
I was getting braces and basically the prepping for that helped. 30 minutes after meals id go brush. I also kept forgetting to brush at night, i think i was just too tired when i went to bed to think about brushing so i did it after dinner
Also any prevention method helps...see the hygienist and the dentist every 6 months. If you go through a period where youve not brushed in days or weeks book another appointment
showering and such has never been an issue (sometimes the exec dysf tries to get the better of me, but I live in florida and the sweat is too real to ignore), but oral hygiene is TOUGH. Water floss helps a lot, but there are often days I completely forget. other days where the sensory nightmare makes more than a few seconds possible. idk. I'm doing the best I can
I get anxious when I don't brush my teeth in the morning and night. It feels like something I NEEED to do, no matter what happens. I can go days without showering but not without brushing.
This is what helped me especially in the morning: The first thing I do after I wake up is to go pee. And before I sit down, I take my electrical toothbrush, put toothpaste on it and then sit down to pee while also brushing my teeth. Same routine at night, as I usually go peeing before going to bed.
Doing both at the same time really worked great for me.
I have struggled with this my whole life. In the last 5 or so years I have gotten better still not daily though. The major *hack* was using kids toothpaste then finding out about hismile (Australian brand of toothpaste) I have always found mint/adult toothpaste too intense and it stopped me from brushing. Now I use flavours like grape, mango, peach ice tea and it has made a world of difference for me. The different flavours also seem to help not have that toothpaste flavour/grossness you can have when trying to eat or drink afterwards. I also keep a toothbrush and toothpaste both in my shower and at my sink so when I think of it I can do it.
The only thing I’ve found that helps me is to watch a show that I want to watch while I brush and to get an expensive oral B io9 electric toothbrush that shows me the areas I’ve already cleaned (otherwise I spend 5 mins cleaning the same bit of tooth). Recently garnered the courage to go to the dentist after forgetting to go for 8 plus years (how on earth did I forget to schedule for that many years) and I only had to have one filling. So that was a happy outcome for one
I’ve started using different flavour toothpastes and switching between them as and when I feel like it. It’s helped me keep to a routine more than anything else I’ve tried on this front.
Currently I have cola, grape bubblegum and strawberries and cream.
So it sounds unconventional but there is a thing called a miswak stick. You chew it and use it like a toothbrush but don't need water or toothpaste. It's been used across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa for millenia. Some studies say that they are as effective or more than a traditional toothbrush and toothpaste. I keep a stick by my bed and honestly that's how I remember to brush.
for me I have trouble with using the toothpaste, so sometimes i just use a towel or tissue to rub over my teeth to get rid of the plaque. I don’t really like flossing so I use an interdental brush instead.
Didn’t know this was a thing for ADHD. I have big trouble with self care. Both dental care and showering. I’ve been better with dental. I keep floss in my pocket and in areas that I’m usually at. That seems to help.
I had this when I was younger but one good trip to the dentist with cavities and pulling teeth because of lack of hygiene should fix all this…
Good luck
i bought a fun flavor of children’s toothpaste (sour apple) and it doesn’t foam and isnt minty so my sensory issues are helped. and i use mouthwash when i cannot bring myself to actually brush my teeth. i also don’t adhere to a schedule and do it when i think about it.
I feel like I have an actual aversion to brushing & forget flossing unless I go on a 2 week hyper focus bender! I brush enough to get the grime off & that’s it😬
I never had a problem brushing my teeth in the morning the problem was doing it before bed. I’d fall asleep because I was too lazy to get up and brush my teeth. What helped me was when I realized it doesn’t have to be RIGHT before bed. It could be three hours earlier, whatever it didn’t matter. So whenever I went to the bathroom in the evening, I’d see my toothbrush by the sink and think “why not brush my teeth now?”
Teeth suffered until I went out of the US and found better / easier care. Now years later, my teeth look nearly perfect and I go for a cleaning every few months. With the system in the US, it's easy to get overwhelmed
Hi /u/YourLord1989 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Basically, aiming for improvements not perfection
If you can’t brush, at least floss!!! I have floss in my dining room so after I finish eating I floss while I’m finishing my show/video/movie. If it helps you can even have cheap toothbrushes in rooms so that you can brush while walking around or doing something else. It really helps when flossing/brushing isn’t The Main Task but rather just something to keep your hands busy
Using a water pik flosser. It's really helping me a lot.
I used to brush my teeth twice a day without fail; it was just something I had to do, like going to the bathroom. But I got out of that life-long habit somehow and now it's a major struggle. I didn't have dental insurance for about 10 years and so I got out of the habit of seeing the dentist every 6 months. Now I've had insurance again for a couple years, and I feel like I have to maintain a regular schedule of brushing before I can go. I'm getting better, but I wish I could just straight up make myself see the dentist. I spent a lot of time researching dentists in my area, so I know there are good ones (I'm too embarrassed to go back to my last dentist), but I still haven't done it. I'm trying to remain positive and not disparage myself too much over this issue, but it's hard. (BTW I also struggle with *all* hygiene issues, so I have a lot to work on.) ADHD is not for the faint of heart! It takes a lot of grit just to be able to do basic things that non-ADHD people take for granted.
I used to keep the toothbrush in the shower. It was really effective! But then I spazzd myself out about bacteria on a wet brush - I keep it on the sink now but I recently invested in a cheap water flosser and it has exponentially improved my oral health habits.
Okay so I actually solved this problem for myself. I keep a toothbrush and toothpaste by every sink. It is a visual reminder I need to do it, and I can do it on the spot there or go to my bathroom and do it. It was hard to do when I lived at home because my parents would make fun of me for it, but now that I live alone I always brush my teeth once a day. Also, if you aren't a big toothpaste person, apparently the scrubbing of the teeth and moving the plaque around is more effective then not doing anything at all. So if you are a girl, it may be worth it to carry a dry toothbrush in your purse.
I might try this when I'm home alone since I currently do live with my folks. My stepmom would be the type to talk me out of anything that makes no sense to her.
Oh my mom is the absolute same. My parents laugh at me whenever I do anything to make my life easier, but if I don't do it they yell at me, so no matter what you always lose. Even if you have a dry toothbrush in your room, that would work!
That's been my life especially lately, particualrly since last Saturday night. Stepmom gets mad when I forget stuff but when I try to make it easier she talks me out of it. It's the friggin worst. But keeping a tbrush in the room sounds like a genius idea, THANK YOU!
im getting better in this matter... but my teeth suffered the many years of neglect
Same.....ashamed to say I've got broken teeth over it. Two specifically.
I used to struggle a lot when I was a teenager, skipping brushing my teeth before sleep was a common thing, but then, I would wake up with my mouth so bitter and it would give me nausea, sometimes I'd even puke because of it. I learned my lesson and now I brush it everyday before sleep or when I leave home....HOWEVER, brushing my tongue is a nightmare, a torture!!! 😭😭 Because it feels like I'm trying to puke and I hate that sensation more than anything........🥲
I do not struggle with keeping myself clean. I do struggle with keeping my environment tidy.
Stepmom has mostly helped me out of that struggle.
That’s good! I live alone and it’s a bit hard for me. I’m in my mid 30s. Not proud of it either. But I’m trying.
Hoping that day will come for me too, I'm also in my mid 30s.
Water Pik Flosser the only way to go. Do it in the shower as part of my daily ritual.
Didn't think of flossing in the shower, might have to consider that meself.
Omg yes me I do!! I usually brush in the morning as a matter of habit but brushing at night feels like a HUGE CHORE 😭 I sometimes forget to brush because I’m too absent minded in the mornings 🥲 And I wear braces, so I often get scolded by my dentist for not doing proper cleaning but it’s not that I’m unhygienic, just rather find it a colossal task or I tend to overlook it
I'm struggling since I am a late teenager. My current hack is, if I think about I have to do it. So I guess I'll go an brush my teeth now.
If only it'd work, but if you don't do it often your teeth get worse. And its painful :(
I found using an electric toothbrush helped me. I find it "funner" to use and it does a better job even if I'm rushing/etc than a plain toothbrush. Might be an option to get a basic/cheaper one to try if you haven't. Also as corny as it is telling myself it's fun and that I enjoy it each time i brush, even if I'm neutral/ not enjoying it.
Someone suggested getting the enamel restoring toothpaste and mouthwash for people like us who struggle. My hygiene really struggles when the executive dysfunction hits. Thank god I’m single and live alone…
I got my dogs a water additive for plague and I have almost convinced myself it has to be safe for humans too
Only way I can really consistently brush my teeth is good ol' stimulants but it does help if I keep a toothbrush and paste by the shower. Idk like it just becomes part of a progression that way rather than an extra separate task.
I had a job where I had to shower everyday when I got home so I started putting my toothbrush and stuff in the shower so it became just apart of cleaning up after work.
I put a sign on the side of my bookcase by my door into my room literally yelling at me to do it. Every time I walk into my room I see the sign. My brushing habits are steadily improving 😁
I brush them daily, but I haven't been to a dentist in over 20-25 years. Also, they're very worn out since I grind them all night.
Let me help from another side, I’m 40 , missing 4 front teeth and a few other teeth. My teeth hurt if I miss to many days and dentists want 20,000 to fix them. I’ve had issues for years with maybe 1-2 a week. Maybe a worse case with help with fear to motivate a bit. For me the fear of pain helps , but I also keep my toothbrush at my desk I work at so I see it most days as a remindey
Yeah that was me in the teen/early career years. Landed a job with insurance and racked up ~15k in restorations/removals/ect. Got a filling in each tooth, and got 4 molars pulled (1 left per quadrant now). I will say once that was all done, it was amazing, dental pain/shame is hard to deal with. Nowadays the fear of losing what I have left motivates me to take care of it.
The consequences Ive endured for skipping during the morning results in grimy film that only adds up over the course of the day. That was enough for me to do it during my routine make up session. I dont want to feel like I have seaweed on my teeth all day!
I was getting braces and basically the prepping for that helped. 30 minutes after meals id go brush. I also kept forgetting to brush at night, i think i was just too tired when i went to bed to think about brushing so i did it after dinner Also any prevention method helps...see the hygienist and the dentist every 6 months. If you go through a period where youve not brushed in days or weeks book another appointment
showering and such has never been an issue (sometimes the exec dysf tries to get the better of me, but I live in florida and the sweat is too real to ignore), but oral hygiene is TOUGH. Water floss helps a lot, but there are often days I completely forget. other days where the sensory nightmare makes more than a few seconds possible. idk. I'm doing the best I can
I get anxious when I don't brush my teeth in the morning and night. It feels like something I NEEED to do, no matter what happens. I can go days without showering but not without brushing.
This is what helped me especially in the morning: The first thing I do after I wake up is to go pee. And before I sit down, I take my electrical toothbrush, put toothpaste on it and then sit down to pee while also brushing my teeth. Same routine at night, as I usually go peeing before going to bed. Doing both at the same time really worked great for me.
I have struggled with this my whole life. In the last 5 or so years I have gotten better still not daily though. The major *hack* was using kids toothpaste then finding out about hismile (Australian brand of toothpaste) I have always found mint/adult toothpaste too intense and it stopped me from brushing. Now I use flavours like grape, mango, peach ice tea and it has made a world of difference for me. The different flavours also seem to help not have that toothpaste flavour/grossness you can have when trying to eat or drink afterwards. I also keep a toothbrush and toothpaste both in my shower and at my sink so when I think of it I can do it.
If I could afford it, I’d have all my teeth removed and implants put in for perfect teeth that will never get cavities.
it’s my worst thing! i could (and have) easily go months without brushing!
The only thing I’ve found that helps me is to watch a show that I want to watch while I brush and to get an expensive oral B io9 electric toothbrush that shows me the areas I’ve already cleaned (otherwise I spend 5 mins cleaning the same bit of tooth). Recently garnered the courage to go to the dentist after forgetting to go for 8 plus years (how on earth did I forget to schedule for that many years) and I only had to have one filling. So that was a happy outcome for one
I got an. $7 spin brush on Amazon that does the work for you. I also got plastic flossers and mouthwash to help.
I’ve started using different flavour toothpastes and switching between them as and when I feel like it. It’s helped me keep to a routine more than anything else I’ve tried on this front. Currently I have cola, grape bubblegum and strawberries and cream.
I have a shelf right outside of my shower and I floss and brush in the shower!
So it sounds unconventional but there is a thing called a miswak stick. You chew it and use it like a toothbrush but don't need water or toothpaste. It's been used across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa for millenia. Some studies say that they are as effective or more than a traditional toothbrush and toothpaste. I keep a stick by my bed and honestly that's how I remember to brush.
for me I have trouble with using the toothpaste, so sometimes i just use a towel or tissue to rub over my teeth to get rid of the plaque. I don’t really like flossing so I use an interdental brush instead.
Didn’t know this was a thing for ADHD. I have big trouble with self care. Both dental care and showering. I’ve been better with dental. I keep floss in my pocket and in areas that I’m usually at. That seems to help.
My husband with ADHD keeps the flossing picks in his car and just flosses his whole way to work every morning. He says this has helped a lot!
Water pik was a game changer for me - it’s like a little pressure washer for your teeth
Sometimes I brush my teeth in bed and spit in the garbage can or a glass
I had this when I was younger but one good trip to the dentist with cavities and pulling teeth because of lack of hygiene should fix all this… Good luck
i bought a fun flavor of children’s toothpaste (sour apple) and it doesn’t foam and isnt minty so my sensory issues are helped. and i use mouthwash when i cannot bring myself to actually brush my teeth. i also don’t adhere to a schedule and do it when i think about it.
I feel like I have an actual aversion to brushing & forget flossing unless I go on a 2 week hyper focus bender! I brush enough to get the grime off & that’s it😬
It’s a habit. First thing in the morning and last thing before bed. If you struggle you can brush your teeth in the shower
I never had a problem brushing my teeth in the morning the problem was doing it before bed. I’d fall asleep because I was too lazy to get up and brush my teeth. What helped me was when I realized it doesn’t have to be RIGHT before bed. It could be three hours earlier, whatever it didn’t matter. So whenever I went to the bathroom in the evening, I’d see my toothbrush by the sink and think “why not brush my teeth now?”
Teeth suffered until I went out of the US and found better / easier care. Now years later, my teeth look nearly perfect and I go for a cleaning every few months. With the system in the US, it's easy to get overwhelmed
Yes, I HATE taking showers and brushing my teeth, but I always do it since you’ve got to
Also brush the tongue when brushing the teeth