For some children, toothbrushing can be one of the most difficult parts of the daily routine.
What feels like a simple toothbrush to an adult can feel uncomfortable, overwhelming, or even painful to a child with sensory processing differences.
Understanding what is causing the distress can help you find strategies that make toothbrushing more manageable for your child and the whole family.
This post contains affiliate links.
Why Toothbrushing Can Be So Difficult
The first step is figuring out how your child responds to sensory input around the mouth. Some children are sensory seekers, while others experience sensory defensiveness.
Sensory seekers: These children may constantly seek movement, have difficulty calming down, mouth non-food objects, grind their teeth, or struggle to stand still long enough to brush.
Sensory-sensitive children: For these children, having a toothbrush in their mouth may feel extremely unpleasant or overwhelming. They may also have difficulty managing textures or moving food around in their mouths.
Tips for Sensory-Seeking Kids
Children who seek sensory input may benefit from adding more sensory feedback and movement to the toothbrushing routine.
- Try a vibrating toothbrush: A vibrating toothbrush can provide additional sensory input that may make brushing easier for some children.
- Choose a wider toothbrush: A different toothbrush design may provide more sensory feedback.
- Sing a song: Choose a song that lasts about as long as the brushing routine to give your child a predictable beginning and end.
- Allow movement: Some children may do better when they can move around while brushing instead of being expected to stand still.
- Use a timer: A timer can help your child understand when brushing will be finished.
Tips for Sensory-Sensitive Kids
If your child is sensitive to sensations around the mouth, it may help to gradually build tolerance instead of immediately expecting them to tolerate a toothbrush. The original source recommends progressing through several steps to introduce touch and oral sensations.
1. Start With Firm, Calming Touch
Begin with firm, calming pressure to the back of your child’s head. Once your child tolerates this input, gradually introduce similar pressure to other areas of the head and face.
2. Gradually Move Toward the Mouth
As your child becomes comfortable, work toward firm, consistent pressure around the forehead, cheeks, area below the ears, lips, and cheekbones. The goal is to introduce these sensations gradually rather than overwhelming your child.
3. Introduce a Warm Washcloth
Once your child tolerates touch around the face, introduce a warm washcloth around the lips. This provides a gentler way to begin introducing sensations around the mouth.
4. Make Oral Sensory Practice Playful
When your child becomes comfortable with the washcloth on their lips, gradually introduce it inside the mouth. You can turn this into a game by pretending your child is a pet who licks, chews, or bites the washcloth.
5. Introduce the Toothbrush Slowly
Once your child can tolerate the washcloth touching the front and sides of their teeth, introduce the toothbrush. Go slowly and expect to repeat the process many times. The source recommends initially leaving out toothpaste so your child can focus on becoming comfortable with the toothbrush itself.
Make Toothbrushing Positive
Toothbrushing may take time to become comfortable for a child with sensory sensitivities. Keep the experience playful, predictable, and low-pressure. Small steps count, even if your child can tolerate only a little more than they could before.
Choose the Right Toothbrushing Tools
There are many different toothbrushes and other tools that may help make toothbrushing easier. An occupational therapist, speech therapist, or dentist can help you determine which equipment and techniques may be appropriate for your child’s individual needs.
Avoid Forcing the Toothbrush
When a child is already overwhelmed, forcing the toothbrush into their mouth can make the experience even more stressful. Instead, focus on gradual progress and building tolerance over time. Your child may need to practice the same step repeatedly before they are ready to move forward.
When to Seek Professional Support
If sensory challenges make toothbrushing especially difficult, talk with your child’s occupational therapist, speech therapist, and dentist. They can help you identify sensory or oral-motor concerns and recommend appropriate strategies and equipment.
The Bottom Line
Toothbrushing can feel very different to a child with sensory processing differences than it does to an adult. Instead of viewing resistance as simply refusing to brush, consider what your child’s sensory system may be communicating. By starting with sensations your child can tolerate, gradually introducing the toothbrush, and keeping the experience positive, you can help make toothbrushing a more manageable part of your child’s daily routine.
I wish I would’ve known that my son was SPD and had these tips when we first got started. By the recommendation of his dentist, we had to hold him down to brush his teeth. It was horrible for both me and him. But I can honestly say, now he loves it. And of course, knowing he is SPD now, we use the vibrating toothbrush.
Ugh. That’s awful. While we didn’t know what was going on early, we knew that brushing was going to be a battle. Our pediatric dentist told us to just let him chew on the brush — it’s incredibly effective in helping get their teeth clean and letting them have the control over the brushing.