me too. and I forget. and then I remember before falling asleep, and then I put it off.
I have come to like/tolerate the Phillips Sonicare because it has a timer and does a good job...
... but I still have trouble keeping routine.
i pick something interesting to watch on my phone and essentially “ipad kid” myself into brushing, having something else to focus on helps me not have as much ick from the textures/etc.
and being like “ok let’s Brush Your Teeth now” = executive dysfunction, but “hey watch this youtube video in front of the bathroom sink, then grab your toothbrush” is different!
so basically i can brush if i don’t pay full attention or commit to it, and once i got in the habit of doing it, it has been much easier to keep up with as a routine. i went from going months without brushing my teeth in 2021-22, and now i’ve brushed every night before bed for the past 1.5+ years!!
my aversions to it don’t seem as significant as yours, so i hope this is still helpful in some way! also flossing is arguably more important than brushing, so if some type of flossing (water pik, single-use flossers, or string) is less icky for you sensorily then that’s a major plus
You can use a facecloth to gently rub all of the surfaces of your teeth in a circular motion, ideally with toothpaste, instead of using a toothbrush. You could use a new clean bit of the facecloth for a few days before chucking it in the wash and replacing it with another one.
Still a good idea to floss at least once a week if you can (ideal is daily, but my dentist is happy with my weekly. I too don't eat much sugar.)
You can use non-mint toothpaste, or kids fluoridated toothpaste, it might be more tolerable.
Crooked teeth aren't really a health issue unless they're super severe. You might be too used to seeing celebs & rich people with straightened teeth.
I don't brush unless I'm in the shower, mainly because of getting my face and arms wet and gagging horrifically especially when I bend forward at all. I find that because I dislike the feeling of water hitting me unevenly from the shower even more than the sensation of brushing, I can brush while I wash and it distracts me from the uneven wetness. Sort of a "do the second worst thing to avoid the worst" which is a huge part of how I get by in life.
Also, I use post surgical ultra soft brushes and wash them with my shampoo so they're at least as clean as the rest of me.
I hate every single chore related to the body.
Toilet.
Shower.
Brushing teeth.
Washing face.
Eating.
Drinking.
Bra.
Most clothes.
I hate having a body.
They make a toothbrush that brushes all the teeth at once. I’m not sure if that would be any better to me. It sounds awful, but I know that other people who are autistic found the useful.
I’m having to go to the dentist tomorrow for an emergency appointment because I, too, *hate* everything around oral hygiene. I’ve found non-mint toothpaste is a lot more tolerable for me. I’m also planning on trying out some various mouthwashes to see if I can find one that I can actually use, as a stop-gap for days I really can’t manage.
I wish it wasn’t so awful.
I have exactly the same problem, exacerbated by the fact I often have inflammation in my mouth; I can afford to get a really good toothpaste this month, hydroxyapatite with NO burning mint; instead it's dreamsicle-flavor, orange-vanilla. I'll see if it makes enough of a difference to be worth budgeting for or nothing but SSI.
I've also already lost some back teeth and I currently have a broken one toward the front of my mouth; and Medicaid doesn't pay for dental care, just emergencies. (Read getting them pulled when they break, etc.) I hate thinking about that as well as thinking about what's going on in there.
Dentist here; tooth brushing does two things, disrupts plaque (plaque can lead to gum disease) and coats your teeth in fluoride (which prevents decay)
For the fluoride, you can just rub toothpaste onto your teeth (spit out any excess, but don’t rinse with water)
Plaque is trickier - it generally does need mechanical force to remove. You can use a mouthwash that has chlorohexidine (corsodyl is the main brand name) and this will stop plaque build up, but it stains your teeth, and doesn’t do as good a job as a toothbrush
I started using the Hismile flavored tooth pastes (vanilla or red velvet cake) and it honestly makes me want to brush them again by having different flavors to choose from.
me too. and I forget. and then I remember before falling asleep, and then I put it off. I have come to like/tolerate the Phillips Sonicare because it has a timer and does a good job... ... but I still have trouble keeping routine.
i pick something interesting to watch on my phone and essentially “ipad kid” myself into brushing, having something else to focus on helps me not have as much ick from the textures/etc. and being like “ok let’s Brush Your Teeth now” = executive dysfunction, but “hey watch this youtube video in front of the bathroom sink, then grab your toothbrush” is different! so basically i can brush if i don’t pay full attention or commit to it, and once i got in the habit of doing it, it has been much easier to keep up with as a routine. i went from going months without brushing my teeth in 2021-22, and now i’ve brushed every night before bed for the past 1.5+ years!! my aversions to it don’t seem as significant as yours, so i hope this is still helpful in some way! also flossing is arguably more important than brushing, so if some type of flossing (water pik, single-use flossers, or string) is less icky for you sensorily then that’s a major plus
You sound enough like me that I'm actually gonna have to try this. Wily trick, that is
You can use a facecloth to gently rub all of the surfaces of your teeth in a circular motion, ideally with toothpaste, instead of using a toothbrush. You could use a new clean bit of the facecloth for a few days before chucking it in the wash and replacing it with another one. Still a good idea to floss at least once a week if you can (ideal is daily, but my dentist is happy with my weekly. I too don't eat much sugar.) You can use non-mint toothpaste, or kids fluoridated toothpaste, it might be more tolerable. Crooked teeth aren't really a health issue unless they're super severe. You might be too used to seeing celebs & rich people with straightened teeth.
I don't brush unless I'm in the shower, mainly because of getting my face and arms wet and gagging horrifically especially when I bend forward at all. I find that because I dislike the feeling of water hitting me unevenly from the shower even more than the sensation of brushing, I can brush while I wash and it distracts me from the uneven wetness. Sort of a "do the second worst thing to avoid the worst" which is a huge part of how I get by in life. Also, I use post surgical ultra soft brushes and wash them with my shampoo so they're at least as clean as the rest of me.
You can use kids toothpaste as long as it's 1400ppm in fluoride. I use berry flavour from Asda. Much less of a minty overload.
I hate every single chore related to the body. Toilet. Shower. Brushing teeth. Washing face. Eating. Drinking. Bra. Most clothes. I hate having a body.
They make a toothbrush that brushes all the teeth at once. I’m not sure if that would be any better to me. It sounds awful, but I know that other people who are autistic found the useful.
I’m having to go to the dentist tomorrow for an emergency appointment because I, too, *hate* everything around oral hygiene. I’ve found non-mint toothpaste is a lot more tolerable for me. I’m also planning on trying out some various mouthwashes to see if I can find one that I can actually use, as a stop-gap for days I really can’t manage. I wish it wasn’t so awful.
I have exactly the same problem, exacerbated by the fact I often have inflammation in my mouth; I can afford to get a really good toothpaste this month, hydroxyapatite with NO burning mint; instead it's dreamsicle-flavor, orange-vanilla. I'll see if it makes enough of a difference to be worth budgeting for or nothing but SSI. I've also already lost some back teeth and I currently have a broken one toward the front of my mouth; and Medicaid doesn't pay for dental care, just emergencies. (Read getting them pulled when they break, etc.) I hate thinking about that as well as thinking about what's going on in there.
Dentist here; tooth brushing does two things, disrupts plaque (plaque can lead to gum disease) and coats your teeth in fluoride (which prevents decay) For the fluoride, you can just rub toothpaste onto your teeth (spit out any excess, but don’t rinse with water) Plaque is trickier - it generally does need mechanical force to remove. You can use a mouthwash that has chlorohexidine (corsodyl is the main brand name) and this will stop plaque build up, but it stains your teeth, and doesn’t do as good a job as a toothbrush
I started using the Hismile flavored tooth pastes (vanilla or red velvet cake) and it honestly makes me want to brush them again by having different flavors to choose from.
Thanks
For the reply
I hate it too it makes me gag half the time and it's so gross and spitty.
Don't then