Plastic toothbrushes
Overview
A plastic manual toothbrush is the most common type you'll find in stores, available in various colours and sizes, with some featuring characters from TV shows and games.
For some autistic children, plastic toothbrushes may be useful if:
Your child has sensitive teeth or gums
Some toothbrushes are designed for people with sensitive teeth and gums. The bristles are often softer than standard toothbrushes. They also have smaller heads, so are easier to manipulate in the mouth. Toothbrushes with softer bristles are sometimes better tolerated by children who do not like the sensation of tooth brushing. To find these, you can search for ‘soft toothbrush’ online.
Your child likes the movement of the toothbrush around the mouth (back and forth)
Electric toothbrushes require you to hold the toothbrush still and brush your child’s teeth one at a time. If your child likes the movement of back and forth then a manual toothbrush may be preferred.
Your child is sensory seeking and likes a firmer sensation of the toothbrush on their teeth and gums
Your child might prefer a firmer toothbrush. Medium toothbrushes are ideal. To find these, you can search for ‘medium toothbrush’ online. We would advise to avoid using a firm toothbrush if your child likes to brush aggressively, as this may result in injury to the gums.
Your child prefers quieter toothbrushes
An electric toothbrush may be too overwhelming if your child is sensitive to sound. Some children prefer manual toothbrushes because it is quieter.
Your family includes more than one child
Using the same types of toothbrushes for everyone can help simplify the routine and prevent the need to buy different toothbrush types. You could also save money by buying multipacks for the whole family.
Downloadable Resources
Here are some downloadable resources with tips on introducing a manual toothbrush, making brushing more comfortable, and developing motor skills.
How to guide a plastic toothbrush
Here’s a visual guide from Mini Mouth Care Matters on how to help your child use a manual toothbrush correctly. For the full guide click here or on the image.
Watch again
Jump straight to what parents and early years professionals have said about different toothbrushes and how you can adapt them.
