Toothbrushing hacks?

[miriamzz]

Our dentist told us to watch our kid to make sure he brushes his teeth well, but he is constantly moving, getting distracted, messing around in the bathroom, which makes it hard for us to stay in there with him. What works for your kid to help them focus on brushing their teeth?

[Ember_Rose]

What worked for us was I let my kid pick out a special toothbrush that lights up and blinks for 90 seconds. This seems to be a good motivator for him. He will even turn off the lights in the bathroom and watch himself brushing because it's his own light show. I know they also make toothpaste that changes color after a certain amount of time (we haven't tried that though). Both seem to be good options if your kid is motivated by that sorta dopamine boost. But obviously each kid is different.

[miriamzz]

Also to note, our kid is 9.

[Profenergeticcoyote]

ours is 8 and the light up toothbrush in Star Wars theme sort of works. Didn’t know about the toothpaste that changes colors, will keep that in mind.

Our son also seems to mind less brushing in the shower. He showers in the evening so it doesn’t work for mornings but we go with it.

Reminders of why it’s important. Not fear mongering exactly but a pointed, “it’s important to me that you brush well so bacteria doesn’t stay and cause cavities that will require fillings. I know you don’t like the sensation but cavity fillings mean needles and drills in your mouth and toothbrushing well avoids that.” We get flossing cooperation based on this message 2 per week. It’s a battle otherwise that we can’t win. If he has some thing stuck he feels, he’ll do it voluntarily.

Following for other suggestions 🙂

[FanTheFlames]

After trying a kabillion things, the most sustainable external motivation has been these free interactive/camera brushing apps. BrushingHero is in the AppStore and GooglePlay. BrushUp is in the AppStore, but you have to side load the apk for Android. Test them first. Sometimes they work better on tablets than phones. Also, the BrushUp song can be annoying for grownups

iOS/iPadOS:

BrushingHero: apps.apple.com/us/app/brush...

BrushUp: apps.apple.com/us/app/brush...

Android:

BrushingHero: play.google.com/store/apps/...

BrushUp: apkpure.com/brush-up/com.gt...

[LisethHIS]

Hi, miriamzz,

Thank you for reaching out to the CHADD National Resource Center on ADHD! Here are a few tips that might help:

*Let your child choose their own toothbrush, preferably one that’s fun with music or lights.

*Choose a toothpaste that has a mild scent, so it's not overwhelming.

*Put a timer

*Most importantly, try to keep the brushing routine consistent each day.

We hope these ideas help! Here is an article on dental visits and tips- chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-ne... If there is anything else you need, please let me know.

Best,

Liseth

Health Information Specialist

CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD chadd.org

[Lillianmcmcl]

Try the Hum toothbrush by Colgate. It has an app so you have to use a phone or tablet, but it makes brushing like a game. My daughter liked it for a while but she hates anything that feels like control or being told what to do. [PDA autism] So now we use Made By Dentists rechargeable cheetah toothbrush. My daughter loves cats, being fast, and strawberry toothpaste. We brush together much of the time and this helps her complete the task without getting distracted. The toothbrush also has a 2 minute timer. Best of luck!

[Mamamichl]

make brushing fun. There are lots of apps and games and smart tooth brushes out there. There is even a few tooth brushes that are mouth guard style that you move back and forth and give UV lights. Brush your teeth together helps too. Body doubling has always been beneficial. Peer pressure in a positive way if possible.

[FanTheFlames]

Along with the brushing together… I have an electric toothbrush and if the kids agree to brush their teeth, I put it in my mouth then let the kids turn it on and I act super surprised and tickled. They love it.

[ZZamiga]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! My kid dances around, practices his karate kicks, and makes silly faces in the mirror when he's brushing. He also tends to pace around the bathroom even though it's pretty small. I think a lot of good ideas have already been shared, but I'll also add that I've been trying to work on self-talk with my son. I give him short statements to say to himself in common, daily situations, like brushing his teeth. I tell him, "say to yourself: I'm brushing my teeth. I'm focusing on brushing my teeth. Put all my movement into my toothbrush" It seems to help, and I find that I overhear him saying these things to himself. He also has a timer that he sets for 2 minutes. We've also watched short, fun toothbrushing videos and he follows along with what's happening in the video.