How to persuade 16 year old to take better care of her teeth?

[Balaur]

Can it be done!? She has ASD for context but "high functioning". She is completely terrible at brushing her teeth - sometimes it can be a few days in between brushing. Nothing we have tried works: pleading, nagging, explaining she might lose teeth, buying her an electric toothbrush, asking her to set herself reminders. She's gone off for a weekend with friends and not taken a toothbrush at all Her diet is high in sugar and she also refuses to go to the dentist. Help! I feel we actually have limited options because of her age.

It's really difficult isn't it? DD is being assessed for ASD and teeth cleaning is probably our biggest trigger point.

I'm sure I read on the SN boards that you can get a tasteless toothpaste so it's not such a sensory overload. I keep meaning to order some and see if it helps at all.

we are trying the flavourless toothpaste with our ASD son with some success. Would a different toothbrush help? e.g manual if they have electric or vice versa? i think ultimately though they have to find out the hard way.......

show her a price list of various dental work that awaits her in her future

Can you start a tick list, and remove pocket money if certain necessities are not done? Teeth brushing and showering should be totally non-negotiable.

Get her some plaque disclosing tablets so she can see how filthy her teeth actually are.

Actually we've shown our DD the price lists and brought her plaque disclosing tablets and both seemed to have worked, well a little anyway

Is she able to tell you why she is resistant?

Thanks all! She is basically absolutely terrible at forming good habits. I don't believe it's the taste and she was the same with a manual toothbrush. She just says she "forgets". She also needs constant prompting to take her medication and to eat properly (she's a bit underweight and her periods have not started). It's just horrendous. I feel like all I do is nag her and I'm exhausted and resentful about it.

I could ask if flavourless toothpaste might help though I didn't know that was a thing. I do keep trying to provide solutions and things to help but nothing works arghhh

Perhaps she has issues with executive functioning?

What adaptations do you have in place for her currently?

Pinky what sort of things could she put in place for her DD? Asking as my DD struggles with this as well.

Does her breath smell. If so, tell her (kindly).

Also help her figure out how to make it part of her routine. For example maybe she always has a wee first thing… she could always always brush teeth straight after her morning wee. Or keep toothpaste in her pants drawer so she remembers when she puts pants on (this is how I learned to remember deodorant as a teen).

my DD (16) can be similar to this, she will usually brush them once a day, but even this is not enough. I have no advice really, but glad I know i am not the only one who struggles!