Tips & Strategies to Help Children with Poor Tolerance for Tooth Brushing
04.26.2015
Tooth brushing prevents gum disease, tooth decay, and reduces the risk of dental problems, but it also provides oral stimulation and sensory input which are beneficial in the development of a child's oral skills. So, what do you do if your child has a poor tolerance for tooth brushing? I can relate!
My now seven year old hated tooth brushing, most significantly he had difficulty tolerating the texture and taste of tooth paste. Over the years we have bought every tooth paste available, including a variety of flavors, textures, colors, scents, and even non-flavored types. In the end it took trying new brands and flavors to find the one that he would tolerate. We used a variety of other strategies, such as a light up Star Wars tooth brush and playing a "Fight the Germ Cavities" game to make tooth brushing a fun and endurable experience.
This blog will focus on tips and strategies to use when selecting a tooth brush and paste, tips to use before tooth brushing, and tooth brushing techniques. Not all are appropriate for every child, family, or home setting. Some tips are not suitable for children of all ages and/or developmental levels. Only use those strategies that apply to your situation.
The following information can be found in our Sensory Challenge Educational Series for Home. Poor tolerance for tooth brushing is part of our Daily Living Skills Section. Other topics in this section include: Difficulty with Bathing, Difficulty with Sleep, Poor Tolerance for Nail Care, Poor Tolerance for Hair Care, and Poor Tolerance for Dressing.
Does Your Child refuse to allow a toothbrush into his/her mouth? Do they gag or show other physical reactions to tooth brushing? Here are some tips and strategies to help make tooth brushing a fun and tolerable experience.
Selecting a Toothbrush and Tooth Paste Your Child may Tolerate:
- You may need to experiment with toothbrushes of different sizes, bristle firmness, handles, and colors before you find the one the suits your child.
- A battery or electric toothbrush that has a slight vibration may be preferred by your child.
- Try a toothbrush that sings!
- Try a toothbrush that lights up. My son loves the stars wars themed toothbrush that lights up for the duration of tooth brushing.
- Consider the taste of the toothpaste. Try altering the brand, use less, or start without using any toothpaste.
- If a toothbrush is not at all accepted, you may need to start by helping him/ her wipe their teeth clean using a damp washcloth.
Recommended Tooth Brushes:
- Oral Swabs
- NUK Toothbrush
- Infa-Dent Finger Toothbrush
- Electric Toothbrush
- Suction Toothbrush
- Soft Child’s Bristle Toothbrush
Preparation Before Tooth Brushing:
- Provide deep touch beginning with the child’s arms and legs, and progressing towards the face and mouth.
- Tap the child’s gums firmly from center to each side on the upper and lower gums.
- Attempt to desensitize your child’s face, lips, and inner mouth for the tooth brushing. While your child is looking into the mirror or at your face, use a soft washcloth to firmly rub his/her cheekbones, borders of the nose, cheeks, chin, and lips. Do this using firm pressure and in a predictable manner. Do this in the same order each day. Finally, place a portion of a damp, slightly warm washcloth into his/her mouth. Encourage him/her to bite down on it while you gently tug on it as tolerated.
Tooth Brushing Techniques:
To help your child understand the duration of the tooth brushing try one of the following:
- Sing a familiar short song throughout the process. When the song is over, the tooth brushing ends.
- Use a sand timer to indicate when tooth brushing will end.
- Try a Timer App! There is are lots of free Apps you can download for a smart phone or tablet. There is a free Oral-B Disney App that has a timer with characters.
- Count to a specified number each time they brush. Once that number is reached, tooth brushing is over.
- Experiment with different water temperatures when brushing his/her teeth. Warm, rather than cold water may be better tolerated.
- Experiment with different ways to complete the actual brushing.
- Allow your child to hold the toothbrush while you gently guide his/her hand as tolerated.
- Use a Mirror - He/ she may allow you to help brush if you stand behind your child while he is looking into the mirror.
- Make tooth brushing a game - Attack of the cavities! Make brushing away the "germ bugs" a fun game.
- Make tooth brushing part of your child's daily routine.
- Try brushing teeth while in the bathtub.
- Your child may not tolerate any help and insist on brushing independently (yet briefly). While this may result in his/her teeth not being thoroughly clean, your child’s skill should gradually improve.
You can download these tips and strategies in a 2 PAGE printable PDF here! Poor tolerance to tooth brushing is only one of the seventeen topics included in our Sensory Challenge Educational Series for Home.
Sensory Challenge Educational Series for Home
Is the child in your life presenting with challenging behavior and or delays in functional skills? Are these difficulties compromising the child’s ability to learn, cooperate with daily routines, get along with others, and/or function at home? Is the child experiencing deficits in sensory processing?
Are you looking for easy to read handouts that you can provide to the adults in the child’s life that will improve your ability to consult and offer strategies? If so, our Sensory Challenge Educational Series for Home will help!
Who are These Handouts For?
These hand outs are designed to be used by:
1. The Occupational Therapist while consulting with the adults in the child’s life. Each hand out targets a particular sensory or sensory based behavioral challenge, or
2. Parents/Caregivers while consulting with an Occupational Therapist or other professional who has explained and is monitoring the use of these strategies.
Layout of Handouts:
Each handout is divided into two sections based upon what the adult is observing:
1. Does Your Child?
- This section will help parents, teachers, or other caregivers pin point the common characteristics of specific sensory challenges.
- This section offers educational information about the characteristics of children with the specified sensory challenge(s).
2. Try This!
- This section offers a variety of environmental modifications, suggestions for how to respond to certain behavior, as well as strategies to teach the child to use to regulate their own behavior.
- This section offers a variety of simple suggestions and strategies to help your child develop functional skills and cooperate.
Sensory Challenge Educational Series for Home is comprised of six categories and seventeen topics. The series covers a wide range of sensory challenges and effective management strategies for use at home and in the community. These informational resources and handouts are written in an understandable and comprehensive manner targeting many consequences of difficulties with sensory processing.
This entire resource is 45 Pages in length! Use these handouts to help children manage the following Sensory Challenge Areas:
Section 1: Tactile
1. Over-Reacts to Touch
2. Under-Reacts to Touch
Section 2: Auditory
1. Over-Reacts to Sounds
2. Under-Reacts to Sounds
Section3: Vestibular
1. Over-Reacts or Avoids Movement
2. Seeks Excessive Movement
Section 4: Daily Living Skills
1. Difficulty with Bathing
2. Difficulty with Sleep
3. Poor Tolerance for Nail Care
4. Poor Tolerance for Hair Care
5. Poor Tolerance for Tooth Brushing
6. Poor Tolerance for Dressing
Section 5: Community Skills
1. Getting a Hair Cut
Section 6: Attention & Challenging Behavior
1. Calming a Restless or Over-Aroused Child
2. Poor Focus/Inattention
3. Poor Ability to Play with Toys
4. Poor Transitioning Between Tasks/Activities
To access our entire Sensory Challenge Educational Series for Home and print this handout on tips and strategies for a child who has poor tolerance for tooth brushing click here.
Are you looking for easy to read handouts that you can provide to the teachers in the child’s life that will improve your ability to consult and offer strategies? Read all about our Sensory Challenge Educational Series for School.
Keeping with our mission to provide valuable tools to therapists, educators, special needs teachers, and parents/caregivers, we are pleased to offer you more sensory regulation strategies. Read our Sensory Star Program here. The Sensory Star Program aligns with our Sensory Education Series for Home and School. These practical and effective tools can be used in conjunction with the above strategies to help with self-regulation.
PICK A TOOL FROM OUR TREE OF RESOURCES TO HELP WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB THERE IS…HELPING CHILDREN GROW!
Related Topics: Early Intervention , Free Resources , Self-Help/Life Skills, Sensory Processing/Self-Regulation, Tools to Grow at Home
