🧠 The Toothbrush Tug-of-War: ADHD, Executive Function, and Dental Care

This is an article I co-created with AI and also reposted it on my NeuroLost.com project where I created a brain heart logo to raise awareness and help to inspire living as a neurodivergent person.

For many, brushing their teeth is a mindless, automatic task. But for a person who is neurodivergent, particularly someone with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), this simple daily necessity can feel like climbing a mountain.

The challenge isn't about being lazy; it's rooted in a struggle with Executive Function. These are the cognitive skills that help us plan, focus, remember instructions, manage time, and switch tasks.

When it comes to brushing twice a day, every day, ADHD symptoms create significant friction:

• Forgetfulness: Out of sight, out of mind. The task vanishes from working memory.
• Time Blindness: Two minutes of brushing feels interminable, leading to rushing or giving up.
• Initiation: Mustering the mental energy (or activation) to start the task is a major hurdle, especially when feeling drained.
• Sensory Issues: The strong mint taste, the foaminess of toothpaste, or the noise/vibration of a toothbrush can be genuinely overwhelming.

Fortunately, there are many practical, ADHD-friendly strategies to lower this barrier and make dental hygiene a consistent part of life.

✨ Strategies for Success: Making Brushing Stick

The goal is to reduce the friction points and leverage the neurodivergent brain's need for novelty, visual cues, and instant feedback.

1. Outsource the Memory

• Visual Cues & Proximity: Keep your toothbrush and toothpaste literally right next to the sink or in your direct line of sight. If you don't see it, you won't remember it.
• Anchor the Habit: Use habit stacking—always brush immediately after a high-frequency task, like getting your last sip of coffee or taking your medication. The "anchor" task triggers the next one.
• Non-Stop Reminders: Use digital alarms (with fun names like "Shiny Teeth Time!") or put brightly colored sticky notes on the bathroom mirror.

2. Lower the Energy Barrier

• Use the Right Tools: Electric toothbrushes are a game-changer. The vibration provides a satisfying sensory input, they have built-in two-minute timers, and the process is less about technique and more about holding the thing.
• Embrace Water Flossers: String flossing is a multi-step nightmare for many. A Waterpik or similar water flosser can feel less tedious and even oddly satisfying due to the high-pressure water sensation.
• No-Rinse Options: On a particularly low-energy day, having mouthwash or fluoride-containing chewable tablets/gum as an "acceptable minimum" can prevent a zero-brushing day.

3. Make it Stimulating and Fun

• Sensory Control: If strong mint is a sensory issue, try a kid's bubblegum or fruit-flavored toothpaste. Find a flavor you genuinely enjoy.
• SEMMY's PERSONAL choice is actually one of the most expensive toothpastes that are out there on this planet - they have not only a big truely different variety of flavors, the price sets the "stakes" higher for brushing the teeth. The fun part is: this toothpaste whitens your teeth using a special formular using your saliva to whiten your teeth in a non-aggressive manner.
• The company is called Curaprox and the selection of toothpaste is called "BE YOU". Note: I was not paid to mention them.

• Body Doubling & Accountability: If you live with someone, brush your teeth together. For those who live alone, join a virtual body doubling session online and make brushing one of your goals.
• SEMMY's PERSONAL reason is actually obvious: working as an actor with stained teeth or bad teeth is not possible. While for me, Semmy, my teeth are not actually that much visible even if I laugh I gained significant better looking teeth using this toothpaste from Curaprox.
• Also a very effective and fun way is "Use a Playlist:" Search for a two-minute song you love, or a YouTube video to watch while you brush. The distraction helps time fly, and the end of the song is your cue to stop.

A Note of Grace

If you're neurodivergent and struggling with this, please know that you are not alone, and it's not a moral failure. Dental hygiene is a genuinely challenging task for a brain that fights against routine and long-term planning.

Start small. Try one new tool or one new strategy this week. Any brushing is better than no brushing. Be patient with your brain, celebrate the small victories, and remember to find a dentist who understands and offers a nonjudgmental, supportive approach. Your efforts deserve recognition!