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outdatedsymphony

5 months ago

A post for people who struggle with dental care <3

*made by somebody who also struggles with dental care

A few things to preface:

I am not a dentist! If you have any concerns about your oral health please reach out to a dentist or doctor!

You aren’t gross or bad for having trouble with dental care- it can be really difficult! Oral health (or any health) is not a moral indicator.

People have different opinions about fluoride- I’m of the opinion that fluoride is beneficial/necessary so this post will be made with that in mind. (I’ve linked a source below)

I am not affiliated with any companies, any brands I mention or link are simply the ones I use or have found online (:

Okay now to recommendations! (:

Mouth wash

I find that alcohol-free mouth wash is a way better sensory experience for me and has honestly been a huge game changer! If this is you too, look for products that say “alcohol-free” and check that they that still have fluoride! (:

Many people find mint to be unbearable! If that’s the case, don’t feel bad about trying other flavours, even if those are flavours marketed towards kids.

If you’re unsure of which flavour you might like, I sometimes see small travel sized mouth washes at drug stores, so if you wanted to try one out before committing to spending more money those could be a good option!

I use: Listerine brand antiseptic alcohol free mouth wash. I personally really like there green tea flavour, but they have other flavours as well. (I’ve linked the one I use below)

Tooth brushes

Electric tooth brushes can be very useful for people who may struggle with finding the effort and motivation to brush their teeth, and/or people who may struggle with dexterity, mobility, or doing a thorough brushing for any reason.

Some people might find the vibrations and noise of electric toothbrushes to be too overstimulating.

Electric toothbrushes also tend to have a larger handle which can help people who may need large handles to be able to hold things! You can also find some large handle-hand held toothbrushes online. Large handle toothbrushes might be marketed towards elderly people. (I’ve linked one below)

Whether an electric or handheld toothbrush is best for you, one thing that might be helpful to look for is soft bristles.

Soft bristles are useful to people who have sensitive gums! Sensitive gums may be caused by different health conditions and they are also common with people who haven’t brushed their teeth in a long time. In anecdotal experience, most autistic people I know (including myself) have sensitive gums. Soft bristled brushes may be marketed towards children and/or elderly. If you think they might help, please don’t let that stop you from trying them out!

(You know all those jokes about bleeding gums? Gum sensitivity can seriously deter people from brushing, you aren’t being “too sensitive” and you aren’t alone! There are alternatives)

I use: handheld Oral B brand soft bristled brush and Oral B brand sensitive gum care electric toothbrush. (Oral B website Linked below, you can also find these on Amazon).

Toothpaste

Mint can be an overwhelming flavour for many people (myself included). Sometimes, mild-non mint flavours will be marketed towards children. Just double check to make sure your toothpaste has fluoride as toothpastes for very young kids often won’t contain fluoride.

Foamy toothpaste can also be overwhelming! If this is the case for you, look for gel toothpastes.

Similar to mouthwash, you can try to find travel size toothpastes to see which flavours work for you!

I use: brand hismile toothpaste. (Linked below) It is a gel toothpaste with really nice flavours! I’ve tried mango and coconut and I like them both. This has been a big game changer for me in terms of motivation for brushing my teeth and I find I’m able to brush them for the whole 2 minutes! (:

What to do when mouthwash and brushing teeth just isn’t feasible

If you absolutely can’t brush your teeth or use mouthwash, I saw a dentist on tik tok recommend simply swishing with water! This can help get rid of things stuck in your teeth and help prevent build up. A lot of people have an ‘all or nothing’ mentality when it comes to dental care, but remember that even a ‘small’ action taken is still an action taken!

Advice on following a schedule

Being autistic, I can sometimes get really caught up in following ‘rules’ I was taught as a kid. One of those rules is to brush your teeth once in the morning before breakfast and once before bed after dinner. Having trouble with brushing teeth due to both mental and physical health issues while also trying to follow this rule meant that there were often times that I couldn’t brush my teeth at the times I was ‘supposed to’ but I also actively did not brush my teeth when it wasn’t those times, even when I could.

For some people, following a strict schedule might be really useful or necessary! If this is you, it might be useful to set an alarm on your phone to remind you and help get you into the habit of doing it at the same time every day.

For other people (like me) you might find it useful to make a habit of brushing your teeth when you remember and when you’re able to do so rather than adhering to a strict schedule. Even if that’s mid day, or midnight, even if it’s right before you eat. (:

You might also find it helpful to task-stack. For instance if you shower every day in the morning, it might be easier to brush your teeth every time you shower. Likewise, if you take medication every day, it might be helpful to brush your teeth when you take medication. For some people It can be easier to add to an already existing habit than to create a whole new one.

Whether you follow a schedule or not, you might also find it useful to have a chart to check off once you’ve brushed your teeth! These might be marketed towards children. (I’ve linked one below) Theres nothing wrong with having “childish” charts if they help you! If that’s not your vibe, you can also find some simple designs in the form of dry erase boards. (I’ve linked one below as well).

*last notes: please let me know if using the #/cripplepunk isn’t appropriate and I will remove it from the post!

Feel free to add onto this post with further advice or products that help you! (: