If teeth brushing has become one of the hardest moments of the day in your house, you're not alone — and there's nothing wrong with your child. This 30-minute course shares six practical sensory strategies to help you support your child to feel more comfortable with toothbrushing, at their own pace.
Teeth brushing is one of the most sensory-intense activities in a child's day. The mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of the body — densely packed with nerve endings — and brushing brings together strong tastes, strong smells, vibration, the sound of bristles or an electric toothbrush, bright bathroom lighting, the feel of water, and an adult standing very close. For some children, all of that combined is genuinely a lot.
In this course, Occupational Therapist Jessica Kirton walks through what's actually happening for a child who finds teeth brushing hard, and shares six evidence-based strategies you can introduce gradually — covering oral motor preparation, massage and vibration, proprioceptive activities before brushing, adapting the bathroom environment, choosing toothbrushes and toothpastes that suit your child, and a specific brushing technique that many families find helpful.
Each strategy is paired with the underlying sensory principle in plain language, so you'll understand why it might help — and feel confident adapting it for your child. The aim isn't to "make" your child brush their teeth; it's to gently build the conditions for brushing to feel less overwhelming, in small steps that work for your family.
Across the course, Jessica covers:
This course is designed for parents and carers of children who find teeth brushing hard — whether your child has a diagnosis (autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences) or no formal diagnosis at all.
If you've been worrying about dental health, comments from health professionals, or feeling judged at toothbrushing time — please know that many sensory-different children find brushing genuinely hard, and that gradual, gentle approaches are more sustainable than forcing the issue.
📥 Course notes & glossary are downloadable and yours to keep.
📄 Certificate of Attendance available once you've completed the short check at the end.
🕒 Take your time — building comfort with toothbrushing is gradual work. Any small step is genuine progress.
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How to use this course
Meet the course leader, Jess Kirton
Welcome
What we are going to cover in this course
What we are not going to cover in this course
Why is brushing your teeth important
What is sensory modulation
Oral tactile over-responsivity
Gustatory over responsivity
Olfactory Over-Responsivity
Auditory over-responsivity
What to do
How to do it
Theory behind the strategy
What to do
How to do it
Theory behind the strategy
What to do
How to do it
Theory behind the strategy
Amazing course
Amazing course
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