#hygiene problems

[42-clocks]

you know how there are barber shops/hairdressers that hire ppl w Tourette’s or autism or other disabilities and specialize in care for similar folks? yeah can I please have that but for dentists

most of my dentists haven’t even been super rude to me or anything but I’d really like a dentist who also has ADHD and understands that sometimes I haven’t brushed my teeth in a month and will just clean my teeth without saying anything about it

[n3hmof1sh]

Venty

I should

I should shower

Im so disgusting

3 weeks..

Or has it been 4..

I dont know i dont know i dont know

I just cant

I hate it

Its disgusting its awful nothing good ever happens in the shower

But I feel so filthy...

It's 3 am right now

I cant take one now

I'll have to feel filthy for the rest of the night

Im gonna cry

I've just been in bed for 6 weeks doing nothing

My sisters keep commenting on my hair

Stop it I hate how long my hair is too

I hate it i was supposed to get it cut

But i told you what i wanted and you just insulted me and laughed

I dont feel safe being in a car with you

This is why I hate summer holidays.

[goblinbathwater]

So I have a broken tooth and it's been broken for a few years but recently it broke even more and now half of it is moving around cuz it's broken but still kinda attached and part of me just wants to tear the bit out but I'm also super scared of the dentist and I feel like if I tear it out I'm committed to going there but also it's moving a lot and it's probably going to fall on its own but I'm freaking out a little bit

[sillylilneurodivergent]

I finally brushed my teeth for the second time this month!!!^_^

[69constellationsinatrenchcoat]

Sometimes accessibility is using an electric toothbrush

One of the best things I did for my chronic pain and ADHD was buy an electric toothbrush with a timer and an app.

This is gonna sound nuts but hear me out.

I've been repeatedly cracking jokes to my dentist, physio and therapist that that my life would be so much easier if I didn't have to stand up for two minutes while brushing twice a day (and end up skipping it because my body hurts too much - followed by getting anxious about not brushing), and my therapist had a stroke of genius (I wish I'd thought of this) and said "well, why don't you try an electric toothbrush?"

I have a crippling fear of the dentist (something about having vampire fangs and various impactions from 9-14 years, braces for 4 years, having eight might be more teeth pulled and ongoing jaw pain from early teens will do that to a bitch - also seriously? does anyone like the dentist? shout out if you do but I cannot relate) and he knows that I get overly anxious and obsessive about brushing my teeth well to avoid the dentist and fillings as much as possible. So, I listened and used my disability funding. It took a lot of back and forth to justify spending that much on a toothbrush, and I wouldn't had I not had the funding

But wowow, has it changed sm. It's easier to sit down to brush my teeth when I'm not having to put so much effort into it and my teeth feel cleaner. I'm doing a better job for the same amount of time and effort - anyone with chronic pain and fatigue understands how precious those things are... and the best bit? The app it turns the whole fiasco into a game (as long as sending notifications to remind to replace my toothbrush head and to brush). I look forward to cleaning my teeth to see if I can do better than I did yesterday. It's insane that something so simple as having a "brushing score" can hack the ADHD braincell into wanting to do it.

I dissed the app so much "why does a toothbrush ever need to be Bluetooth" I said, and now I laugh and smile to myself knowing it seriously helps.

...plus, my teeth got whiter? maybe that's the consistency from wanting to, or maybe it's the brushing, or some combination there of, but I'm not complaining!

I'm using the same amount of time and less effort, and getting a better outcome.

Sometimes accessibility doesn't look like ramps and mobility aids (though that's SO important too!), sometimes it's making things easier by finding routes that streamline your everyday routine, and being kind to yourself and allowing yourself the grace to let change, remembering that yesterday or last year's 100% may not be today's :)

Love you all 💕

[desultory-suggestions]

If you are someone who struggles with dental hygiene due to mental health issues or neurodiversity and you just can't seem to change your routine or motivate yourself, I highly recommend investing in the right tools for you. Often advice starts with "Just form a habit! Just set a reminder!" but these things are not always enough to help when there are external stressors that cause avoidance.

An electric toothbrush and small portable waterpik have been amazing for me. I hate flossing, I find it tedious, and painful, and I avoid it. A waterpik on the other hand is fast, easy, and extremely effective. I also didn't realize how tedious I found brushing until I got an affordable electric brush. It helps do the majority of the work for me, feels nice, and has a timer to help me brush for the right amount of time. I hated mouthwash because it always burns my tongue, so I switched to alcohol-free mouthwash that doesn't.

These small changes have vastly changed my relationship to dental hygiene. If you can't get yourself to the bathroom, keep your brush by the bed. If you hate mint toothpaste use kids toothpaste with a more gentle flavor. If you need to have a brush on the go carry Colgate Wisps. Stop trying to force yourself to fit into an uncomfortable system, instead try to build one that fits your needs.

[canisalbus]

i imagine Modern Vasco and Machete quitting their jobs and eventually owning and running a bakery so they could make sweet rolls for each other and cakes like it's their birthday/anniversary everyday

.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

ADHD & Sleep

Future ADHD

[complete-clownery]

Doodles I made durring math and history classes

The girlies, the girlies

I really love drawing Rouge as the wine aunt with the drinking problems

[curiositysavesthecat]

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[dumplingprincessextraordinaire]

This is exactly how I love my showers and baths

[vote-gaara]

Lol you are going to keep hearing from me , my bad. When he was much younger, I'm willing to bet he just didn't wash his hair. Well in general he doesn't have good hygiene. Cause like... No one taught him that shit. He did those things occasionally because he clues into what his siblings were doing.

Shout out to @autismgaara

*Grabs fist fulls of hair*

*Screams*

(I'm clinging to my will power by my fingernails to not elaborate)

I AGREE (?!)

Send me what you think Gaara's most disgusting habits are and I can only say if I agree or disagree

[n3hmof1sh]

There was this one time I didn't shower for like two whole months

Or was it 6??

I think 6

Yeah i didn't shower for like six months

Me who doesnt shower or do any basic human needs unless forced to: Im so good at living

[ineedfairypee]

The cycle is never ending

[butmakeitgayblog]

ADHD here, please tell me, teach me, write instruction to how brush and floss your teeth three times a day.

Please.

Do you set alarm clocks? Do you have apps that reminds you? T_T

And no, wisdom teeth ARE NOT easy.

I gotchu

👇👇👇👇

Nope no apps or alarms. It's all less about a schedule, and more just working it into your eating routine. Making flossing and brushing part of your eating process is the easiest way rather than just relying on memory or "oop it's 1pm, gotta brush!" when you may not even eat lunch until 2, you get me?

Here's my process:

1. Brush before you eat breakfast. If you feel a bit nauseous in the mornings, try and sip some water to settle it down, but whatever you do, do not eat or drink anything other than water before your first brush. Why?

Eating softens the enamel! Acidic drinks (coffee, juice, etc) softens the enamel! If you eat/drink and then brush, you are quite literally brushing away your teefie's lil coat of armor!

2. Brush yo damn tongue. I know it sucks. I know you'll gag. It's hell. Do it anyway. I'm suffering with you ✊

3. Don't just go crazy everywhere in there. If you're zigzagging around your mouth like it's Mario kart, you're missing spots. I brush in sections to guarentee coverage. Top right molars - front, bottom, back, back edge. Bottom right molars - front, top, back, back edge. Etc. In total, six sections each brushed exactly the same.

I'm fully aware written down it sounds OCD levels of bullshit, but I promise, it's the same 2-3 minutes spent brushing as usual, just organized and effective rather than pure chaos and a prayer of plaque removal 🥴

Also, don't brush too hard. If your bristles are bent and smooshed, ease up my god you're brushing away the enamel by force 😳

4. After you brush and spit - Do. Not. Rinse.

Don't.

Put the water down.

If at most you have to refresh the tongue from feeling weirdly coated, take a tiny sip of water and gurgle only on the back of the tongue and spit.

I say this because the longer the toothpaste stays on your teeth, the better. You want that flouride and whatnot doing its thing on your enamel and gum line as long as possible, so give it as much time as you can and let your mouth naturally clean it out. It will.

5. Floss after every meal. Every one. It will become a habit and you'll start to hate the feeling of not flossing after. Floss after snacks!!! If it's solid food, floss. Period. Flossers can and will become your best friend because they are so convenient. I love them, I just keep a few in the zipper part of my wallet and whenever I'm out, I can (and do) floss on the go.

Side note, there is a right and wrong way to floss. So, be mindful of that.

6. Other than morning time, brush after meals when you can, HOWEVER!!!! WAIT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES (see part 1.) In those 20 minutes after you finish eating, drink water and thoroughly swish it around your mouth to help dilute the acid sitting on your teeth. Floss during this time as well to get the crud out from between your teeth so it's not just sitting there. If you're out in public or at a job where you can't brush after lunch, brush as soon as you get home. Literally take off your shoes, hang up your coat, kiss your pet (or spouse or... idk houseplant) hello, and then go brush.

8. After your final brushing of the day, eat or drink nothing else but water. Nothing.

Look at me

Nothing else ಠ_ಠ

If you do want to eat or drink again, gonna have to wait 20 min and brush again 🤷‍♀️

So you see, it's less about a schedule and more just working the act of brushing and flossing into your normal eating routine. Make the two synonymous. Make it part of your meal process. Eat. Floss. Rinse with water. Wait, then brush.

Important*****

For those who have days when they cannot mentally or physically make themselves brush, listen to me. I understand. It's ok. Believe me, I do know more than I ever say on here. But don't do nothing. If that is you, keep a small bottle of listerine next to your bed/chair so you can swish and spit. Buy a bag of flossers and keep those near you to at least floss. Buy those little one use brusher sticks/a clean rag and toothpaste and use those. If that's the best you can do, there's no shame in that. I promise your future self will be so, so grateful for these little things, because even a little is better than nothing. And in the end you deserve to have your mouth feel fresh, even when you yourself don't have the spoons to do much else.

[variousbones]

What do you do with the plaque that comes off your teeth onto the floss?????

PLEASE comment any suggestions bc I’d rather boil alive than wrap wet plaque-covered floss around my fingers, but how I do things now makes it take 5ever so I don’t do it as often as I should and it makes me so anxious because I already have so many tooth problems