Autism & Toothbrushing: Zev’s Oral Aversion Story

For Zev and his family, brushing his teeth wasn’t always a simple part of the morning or bedtime routine.

Zev is autistic and experienced a severe oral aversion. He had a G-tube for about 14 years, and his mom says feeding was a major struggle. Toothbrushing and trips to the dentist were difficult, too.

“Before Willo, brushing Zev’s teeth was a challenge,” his mom says.

Today, that experience looks very different.

Watch Zev and his mom share their story

From struggling with toothbrushing to looking forward to it

For some autistic children, toothbrushing can be challenging for reasons that go far beyond remembering to brush for two minutes. Sensory sensitivities, oral aversion, the feeling of toothbrush bristles or toothpaste, and having someone else brush their teeth can all affect the experience.

That was part of Zev’s experience for years.

Now, his mom describes him as “super independent” with his brushing. He uses Willo to brush his teeth, and even more remarkably to his family, he looks forward to doing it.

For a child who experienced severe oral aversion and a family that spent years navigating difficult toothbrushing, that change has been significant.

His mom noticed a difference in his teeth, too

Independence wasn’t the only change Zev’s mom noticed.

“His teeth have never looked better,” she says. “They’re cleaner since using the Willo toothbrush.”

She describes the difference as “night and day,” including what it feels like to take Zev to the dentist now.

At a recent dental visit, Zev’s mom says the dental team immediately noticed his teeth.

“They’re like, ‘Wow, he barely has any plaque on his teeth. They look amazing. How long have you been using this toothbrush?’”

Her answer: just a few months.

Zev’s experience is his own, but the moment was especially meaningful for a family that had spent years dealing with difficult toothbrushing and stressful dental visits.

A different approach to toothbrushing for autistic kids with oral aversion

Every autistic child is different, and there isn’t one toothbrush or brushing routine that will work for every child. Oral aversion and sensory sensitivities can also vary significantly from child to child.

For some families, changing how brushing happens can make a meaningful difference.

Willo uses an automatic brushing system rather than relying on a child to manually move a traditional toothbrush around every surface of their teeth. AutoFlo+ also automatically dispenses liquid toothpaste and rinses during the brushing cycle.

For Zev, finding a brushing approach that worked for him meant more independence with his daily routine and more confidence for his mom that brushing was getting done.

You can learn more about AutoFlo+.

“One less thing I have to worry about every single day.”

That’s how Zev’s mom describes what the change has meant for her.

It’s a simple sentence, but after years of feeding challenges, severe oral aversion, difficult toothbrushing, and stressful trips to the dentist, it carries a lot of weight.

Zev brushes his teeth more independently. He looks forward to brushing. His mom sees cleaner teeth. And at a recent dental visit, his dental team noticed the difference, too.

For their family, toothbrushing has gone from a daily challenge to one less thing to worry about.