Looking for the perfect toothbrush for an autistic child? Sadly, I don’t think there’s a magical toothbrush that will make teeth brushing the highlight of your child’s day. But, there are toothbrush options to make toothbrushing more pleasant for both you and your autistic kid. Let’s look at 15 toothbrushes that just may end the brushing battles.
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Best Manual Toothbrush for an Autistic Child
Below you’ll find the best manual toothbrushes to clean your autistic child’s teeth.
1. Dr. Brown’s Silicone Finger Toothbrush
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I get this because we struggled for years trying to brush my boy’s teeth.
As I’ve learned, it’s important to start where your child is at. This means thinking about helping your child take their next step, no matter how small.
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If your autistic child struggles and nothing else works, consider giving them a manual finger toothbrush like Dr. Brown’s Silicone Finger Toothbrush.
Start without toothpaste to take the first step to help your child develop the skill of good dental hygiene.
2. Collis Curve Soft Three-Sided Toothbrush
The Collis Curve Toothbrush is different from regular toothbrushes in its 3-sided design bristle head.
This manual toothbrush was created for those with cognitive differences such as autism and sensory processing challenges. Additionally, softer bristles are designed for those with sensitive gums.
Pair this with the NoHoo Foam Toothpaste (Flouride-Free) for sensory-sensitive oral care.
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3. Colgate Hum Smart Manual Toothbrush for Kids
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The Colgate Hum Smart Manual Toothbrush is pretty genius. It includes extra soft bristles as well as a thumb grip to support smaller hands.
But that’s not the best part, for a complete dental care experience, Colgate Hum pairs with the Colgate Hum Tooth Brushing app that tracks your child’s habits. It’s a completely gamified system to increase your child’s motivation through the genius of gaming!
(Hint… interest drives dopamine and dopamine is a neurotransmitter commonly low in autistic and ADHD brains. Increasing dopamine through gaming is a genius way to ensure a thorough brushing!!)
4. Brilliant Special Soft Toothbrush
The Brilliant Special Soft Toothbrush is a manual toothbrush that differs from a regular brush in many ways.
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- Super soft and fine bristles are designed specifically for the most gentle brushing.
- Bristlehead is a 360-degree design for those with unique challenges
- autism, cerebral palsy, cancer
This is a unique toothbrush option for kids with higher support needs or anyone with oral sensitivities. Bonus, purchasing a Brilliant Special Soft Toothbrush supports a Black-Owned small business.
5. RADIUS Kidz Toothbrush
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The RADIUS Kidz Toothbrush is a manual toothbrush that’s unique from a conventional toothbrush in a few interesting ways.
- Ergonomically correct design is specific for smaller hands.
- The oversized bristle head ensures the surfaces of the teeth are brushed.
- It’s made for kids 6 and up, but is super compact.
- 45-degree angle for a thorough cleaning
It’s easy to ensure that all the kids are happy with multiple color options.
Dental Tip for Autism:
Pair your toothbrush with Tanner’s Vanilla Ice Cream toothpaste (sweetened with Xylitol) and you’re likely to make any child’s day.
Or, if you’re concerned about fluoride exposure, try Dr. Sheffield’s Chocolate flavored fluoride-free toothpaste.
6. Frida Baby Triple-Angle Tooth Hugger
The Frida Baby Triple-Angle Tooth Hugger is one of the beginner 3-sided toothbrushes designed for those with a small oral cavity.
It’s the right size for smaller mouths and a great way to help your child gently develop good oral hygiene. The unique design helps clean back teeth easily.
The toddler size may be the best toothbrush even for older kids who need to take small steps to feel comfortable brushing their teeth.
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7. NovaBee U-Shaped Toothbrush for Children
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This NovaBee U-Shaped Toothbrush is a highly-rated silicone brush made with a unique U-shape. It’s designed to help kids ages 2-7 (depending on the size of your child’s mouth) develop their brushing habits.
The wide shape and small silicone bristles make it easier for your child to brush all their teeth.
This way you don’t have to worry about them spending enough time brushing.
8. Extra Soft Nano Toothbrush
This inexpensive Extra Soft Nano manual toothbrush is a great option for older kids and teens who struggle with gum sensitivity.
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9. Bamboo Toothbrush
This set of Bamboozled bamboo toothbrushes is adorable, BPA-free, and comes with bristles infused with charcoal.
Some parents of autistic kids comment that bamboo toothbrushes have been a hit because of the charcoal infusion. Charcoal is a natural product that’s highly absorbent to absorb stains and food.
If your child is not ready for toothpaste just yet, bamboo toothbrushes may be a perfect fit.
Best Electric Toothbrushes
The following electric toothbrushes are highly recommended in many autistic-led parenting groups.
10. Kids U-Shaped Electric Toothbrush
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This Kids’ U-Shaped Electric Toothbrush has a unique design and is unlike any toothbrush I’ve ever seen.
The U-shape is perfect for young children to develop their tooth-brushing habit as it requires very little fine motor skills. They simply place it in their mouth and move it slightly back and forth. The design, soft bristles, and vibration mode do the work for your child.
This type of toothbrush design is highly rated in autistic-led parenting groups. It’s a great fit for young kids who are ready to start brushing their own teeth. Further, it’s a great option for any children who need extra support.
Additionally, it comes with two additional “traditional toothbrush heads” as they develop their brushing skills.
11. Quip Kids Electronic Toothbrush
One mom in an online autistic group swears by the Quip Kids powered toothbrush as the only toothbrush that worked for her son.
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It comes in multiple colors and has a 2-minute timer with 30-second pulses to help your autistic child mentally conceptualize the countdown.
Additionally, it’s a quieter electric toothbrush that can greatly reduce sensory overwhelm for sound-sensitive autistic kids.
Dental Tip for Autism:
Many autistic adults who grew up hating getting their teeth brushed recommend brushing with warm water as a more comfortable way to clean teeth.
12. Philips Sonicare for Kids
The Philips Sonicare for Kids electric toothbrush is highly recommended for both autistic and neurotypical kids. It comes with a graduated timer that slowly increases to 2 minutes of brushing time to not overwhelm kids.
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13. Burst Electric Toothbrush
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One AHFAS community member raved about Burst Electric Toothbrush. This is one of the few electric toothbrushes for kids that has bristles made out of charcoal. Charcoal is an amazing natural hygiene product.
The Burst Electric Toothbrush has a wide silicone handle grip perfect for small hands.
14. Oralfree Water Dental Flosser
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A water flosser is another great idea for kids with sensitive mouths or orthodontic patients. This Oralfree Water Dental Flosser is reasonably priced for us budget-conscious moms.
Tip for WaterPik Use and Sensory Needs:
- Use warm water to reduce sensory overload and
- Set the water flosser on its lowest setting to reduce the intensity
15. Oral-B Kids Battery Toothbrush
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The Oral-B Kids Battery Toothbrush has been pretty reliable in our home. It comes in multiple themes including Marvel and Disney Princesses. Further, it’s budget-friendly and comes in soft and extra-soft brush bristles.
Why Do Autistic Kids Hate Brushing Their Teeth?
Autistic children, like many neurotypical children, may have trouble brushing their teeth. And the truth is, there are quite a few reasons behind the toothbrushing issue.
- Sensory issues
- Fine motor and dexterity issues
- Small oral cavity (mouth) leads to gagging
Sensory Processing Disorder and Tooth Brushing
Many autistic children struggle with issues related to sensory processing disorder. This means that the sensory input their brains receive can be extremely powerful all at one time.
This can lead to sensory overload which can lead to meltdowns in children who don’t have the sensory and emotional regulation tools to navigate such stimulation.
For an autistic child with oral sensory difficulties inserting anything into the child’s mouth can lead to gagging, choking, and several other frightening physical responses.
Interestingly enough, a child who typically tends to be an oral sensory seeker (chewing on objects is often a sign), may still have challenges with the daily routine of brushing their teeth.
In the end, it’s important to look for the root issue behind the teeth brushing challenge so you can help your autistic child move forward.
Fine Motor Challenges
It’s common for autistic children to have gross and fine motor delays and difficulties. This can lead to problems with some of the most common habits and behaviors including:
- speaking,
- chewing,
- and brushing their teeth
If your child has general fine motor challenges, it’s likely contributing to the tooth-brushing debacle.
Small Mouth
If your child has a small mouth, a tongue tie, or other oral motor difficulties, this can lead to gagging when trying to clean all of the tooth surfaces.
In the end, no matter the issue, the right toothbrush can be the most effective tool to support proper dental hygiene.
Strategies to Help Autistic Kids Brush Teeth
Here are a few strategies that moms of autistic kids recommend. I’ve collected these ideas from moms in A Heart for All Students private community, as well as other autistic-led online communities.
I hope some of these ideas help you support your autistic child to grow in their oral health hygiene routine.
1. Use a Toothbrushing App
Often neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia) are strong visual learners. Using visual aids isn’t just for learning academic material in your homeschool or in a classroom.
While technology and mobile devices can sometimes cause problems, we can use screen-based visual supports for our kids’ good.
The easiest way to encourage a child to develop healthy dental habits is by making it fun and meaningful to them. Increase dopamine, the reward center of the brain, by gamifying the toothbrushing experience.
The Colgate Hum Kids App gamifies brushing your teeth and can be found on both Google and Apple platforms. Fun games motivate kids to brush their teeth and develop proper dental habits.
2. Use Powerful Imagery
Make sure to help your child understand the value of good oral hygiene by teaching them about what happens when we don’t brush our teeth.
In our home, it took one look at gross, disgusting, non-brushed teeth (I went to drastic measures) to motivate my little man to keep up the brushing.
3. YouTube Dental Hygiene Videos:
There are tons of dental hygiene videos all over Youtube that can create internal motivation so that you don’t have to fight your child on brushing their teeth.
Here’s one my son and I liked.
In this quick dental hygiene video, Dr. Bionic motivates kids to brush their teeth in a fun way. My kid watched it once and was ready to brush his teeth immediately afterward.
In The Dr. Bionics Show: What if We Stopped Brushing Our Teeth?, Dr. Bionics goes through the history of toothbrushing, talks about important dental concepts such as cavities and tooth decay, and then encourages healthy habits through fun animation.
Learning Tip for YouTube:
Note that the narrator has a strong accent. However, his rate of speech is perfect to give children time for language processing.
Not too fast as is common on many of the popular Youtube Kids Shows.
Additionally, the narrator expands his vocabulary to help children grow theirs.
This is excellent for children with speech, language, and auditory processing challenges.
4. Dental Play Practice
There’s nothing better than giving a child a sense of independence and agency. This is especially important for autistic children who spend the majority of their lives in non-affirming traditional systems of education.
Playing with a toothbrush and toothpaste can make a huge difference. Hand a toothbrush to your autistic child and have them brush a doll’s teeth, for example.
Or there are some amazing Dental Toys available for just this purpose. The Melissa and Doug Dental Play Kit is a great educational tool that will help your child develop comfort with toothbrushing.
Questions to Ask Your Child
When your autistic or neurotypical child hates brushing their teeth, there’s a reason.
Getting to the root issue behind teeth brushing avoidance makes all the difference and can help you choose the right toothbrush for your autistic child. Here are some questions to ask your child.
- Does the toothpaste taste bad?
- Are the smells overwhelming?
- The foamy sensation of the toothpaste?
- Is the toothbrush too big?
- Are brush bristles too hard and scratchy?
Discuss these with your child if you can. If your child is non-speaking, use their communication skills (behavior is communication), as well as some form of AAC to help them better communicate with you.
Recap: Best Toothbrush for an Autistic Child
All kids have varying needs throughout their developing years.
However, sensory processing challenges, anxiety, and other issues may make brushing their teeth a frightening and stressful experience for some autistic children and teens.
In the end, a simple switch of the toothbrush could be the game changer they need to take their small step forward. Always offer verbal praise and encouragement no matter how small a step your child takes.
So, Friend, what do you think? Is there a toothbrush you’d like to try with your autistic child?
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About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…
My poor boy had so many issues and dentists treated us horribly for how bad his teeth were. If only we had so many options 7-8-9 years ago! The charcoal bristles would have been amazing for him!