Toothbrushes for Oral Sensitivities
Oral hygiene impacts our health greatly and the number one way to maintain oral health is by brushing our teeth. This daily task is a sensory-rich experience and your child may be resistant to it. The smell of the toothpaste, the sound of the faucet, the temperature of the water, and the movement of the toothbrush inside our mouth can overload their sensory systems. Children with sensory processing disorder may resist brushing their teeth even more taking a lot of energy out of you. Learning what specifically your child doesn’t like or tolerate about tooth brushing can be an important first step to determine strategies to use.
Today we are discussing recommended toothbrushes for children with oral sensitivities. Toothbrushes come in many different sizes, colors, handles, and bristle firmness. There are electric toothbrushes and regular manual toothbrushes. To make the experience more fun for children, there are themed toothbrushes and ones that sing and light up. Depending on your child's sensory preferences, you may have to experiment on what toothbrush is most suitable.
Oral swabs are great for first introducing tooth brushing especially for children with a hypersensitive mouth. These are soft sponge tooth swaps that are easy to use and disposable. You just need to wet the end with water or kid-safe mouthwash and rub it across each tooth to remove food and debris.
This toothbrush is great for a baby's first tooth, but can also be used for kiddos who seek oral motor input. There is a cleansing and a massaging brush. The end is rubber providing firmness, however, is still gentle. This can provide proprioceptive input on your child’s gums, teeth, and mouth promoting regulation to efficiently carry out the task. It comes with a protective ring you can attach preventing pushing too far into the kid's mouth.
Electric toothbrushes are less physical work and provide vibrations. A vibrating toothbrush can either be calming or overwhelming to children. We recommend an electric toothbrush for children who don’t have a sensitive mouth. This toothbrush comes in many different themes which can be tailored to your child’s interest.
Any soft bristle toothbrush will be best for children with sensitive mouths. This specific toothbrush has a fun handle that is wider which can be easier to grasp for children. It also comes in many different colors.
Toothbrush with Flashing Timer
This toothbrush has a flashing timer to let your child know when to stop brushing. When it stops flashing, they can stop brushing. The timer provides a visual reminder to continue to brush. It also has a wider handle for easier grasp.
Hum Kids Colgate Smart Manual Toothbrush
An interactive toothbrush with soft bristles, music, games, and parent tracking. This soft bristle toothbrush comes with an app to teach your child where and how to brush their teeth. You are able to track their progress and the child can play games unlocking new levels as they improve their toothbrushing habits.
Not a toothbrush…
But another useful tool for children while brushing their teeth is a musical timer. It allows them to know how long to brush for optimal cleaning. This musical timer has 3 volume levels with a 20 second timer for handwashing and a 2 minute timer for brushing teeth. There is a green and red light indicating when to start and stop. Plus, the time has suction cups to easily attach to the wall or bathroom mirror.
Finding the right toothbrush can be trial and error. Start with a toothbrush with less amount of stimulation and progress as your child is able to increase their tolerance. Children with a sensitive mouth may benefit at first using the oral swabs while a child with a hypo-sensitve mouth may benefit from an electric toothbrush as the vibrations are soothing. We hope this helps you select a toothbrush to suit your child’s need to make the task more enjoyable for them and yourself!