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Tooth Plaque and Decay

MrsTys1026

Hi,

Looking for some advice on my daughters oral hygiene. She is 8yrs old Autistic with PDA. She really struggles with brushing her teeth, she had a wobbly tooth on one side of her mouth and wouldn’t brush that area for months, I have tried every toothpaste, specialist tooth brush, mouthwash and tooth water flossed available to no avail, the plaque is so built up on that side of her mouth I’m worried she will end up in severe pain with tooth decay. I can’t even get her through the doors at the dentist either. 

I’m so worried it keeps me awake some nights as I feel like a terrible parent. Any advice greatly appreciated. Thank you.

  • Storybots had a good episode on 'why do I have to brush my teeth'. I think it's on netflix, but you might be able to get clips from youtube. Things like that helped my kids with the 'why' part. (I also explained that toothache really hurts, having a huge pain in your head, so I said I really don't want her to have to feel that, that's why I ask her to brush, as I want to protect her from the pain),

    Then there is sensory, so it might be she doesn't like the flavour of toothpaste, there are a lot of alternatives -if you search the forum for 'toothpaste', there was a thread with a ton of suggestions you could get your daughter to pick one together. My daughter (8) had a big turn around when I got her an un-flavoured one, she says it's really helped and got excited to have her special one. Choosing her own toothbrush can help too.

    Lastly, the fun aspect -my daughter likes pokémon, there is an app called pokémon smile, where you catch them for brushing teeth. I'm sure there are other similar apps if she isn't into that, but my daughter recently went back to it, and it helps with time (it counts down), and it has a visual guide on where to brush too.

    Hopefully you'll find something that works for you.

  • Hello  

    Thank you for sharing this with the Community. I am sorry to hear that your are struggling with your oral care for your daughter. You may find it useful to have a look at our information on ways in which you may be able to support your daughter to a dentist visit: 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/going-to-the-dentist/parents

    You may also find it useful to have a look at the following information on demand avoidance: 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/demand-avoidance

    I hope this helps,

    ChloeMod

  • in reply to profdanger

    Thank you for your reply, our Dentist is an amazing guy and I know he would be so kind and patient with my Daughter, the problem is I can’t get her to go in, she has a huge meltdown and it’s unbearable to witness. I really am trying my best I just can’t seem to find something that can help. 

  • Just out of curiosity, since I know this is a thing in the USA, but are there any dentists in your area that specialize with children? That was a life saver for our daughter with Autism. They made the experience fun and exciting, distracted her with television during the process, and rewarded her with a prize at the end, so now she doesn’t fear the dentist.

    You’re not a terrible parent, you’re doing the best you can.