Wife won’t brush her teeth help
Hey everyone,
my wife (28) is trapped in a really cruel cycle right now and I am desperate for some outside the box ideas to help her.
She has severe ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Her main trigger is a debilitating, terrifying fear of choking and swallowing. It’s gotten to the point where she survives entirely on Ensure shakes just to stay alive. Lately, it's escalated horribly her brain has convinced her that anything in her mouth is a choking hazard, including toothpaste.
Because of this, she’s terrified to brush. When she forces herself to try, she has to spit every 5 seconds, which makes the whole thing an exhausting, triggering nightmare. She is crying every day because she wants to clean her teeth so badly, but the phobia completely paralyzes her.
Somehow, she has no cavities and no loose teeth.
But she has m tartar (calculus) buildup on all her teeth. Her gums are inflamed and receding. We’re pretty sure she has periodontal disease.
I honestly think the only reason her teeth haven't rotted out yet is because she doesn't eat solid food, so there’s no sugar or food particles sitting in her mouth feeding the bacteria. But we can't go to a normal dentist right now; having metal tools and water spraying in her mouth will send her into a massive psychological spiral.
We need to stop or slow down the gum recession at home until she can get into specialized therapy for the ARFID.
Does anyone have any tips?? She WANTS to brush she’s just too scared to do it. I’m thinking one of those Philips sonicare brushes will help since they wouldn’t produce a lot of foam?