MY SON IS 7 AND HE DOES ALSO BRUSH HIS TEETH JUST WITH WATER HE WILL GAG IF TOOTHPASTE IS ON HIS TOOTHBRUSH  

Sensory issue & food sound like a big factor.... so I apologize now...
of he will eat popcorn, it scrubs their teeth i thought it was a bit far fetched until we endured a tough stretch financially, all snacks were popcorn. Next time we took the kids to their dentist she asked me what we were doing different because their teeth were considerably cleaner :)
I actually let my son watch a race car video complete with roaring noise and he would let me scrub his teeth with a washcloth.
With older son (11) that deals with asperger's I borrowed form my nemesis..."Halo" I told him the flood is like the germs that make the cavities, and the tooth brush is Master chief... this is after he complained about getting fillings. It also depends on age, and other things. I wish you the best..
if being totally goofy gets the job done, and instills repetition and clean teeth, be as goofy as you can be!
Coffee_mom  

I would love to know about that mouth wash, our little girl will not brush her teeth because the toothpaste does not taste of strawberries.  

I haven't thought about our stuggles of the tooth brush and hair brush in awhile. The things we used and still do and don't even think about it is. Stickers and pictures of us doing the same things. We put funny faces on his tooth brush and hair brush to turn them into nice things. We have pictures of family members doing the same things such as morning routins and daily activities. Not just the one's that live here but outside family members, so he gets the idea. We go threw alot of products but the job gets done.   

I would suggest trying to figure out what it is about he brushing that is making him avoid it. Some children with autism have very keen sensory awareness and can feel sensations way more than you you I can. At times, for some of them, it can cause pain or the flavor of the toothpaste could be intensified. Any number of things could contribute. I agree with getting rid of the current toothpaste tube. Try one with his favorite character or see if he will pick a toothpaste out. You could also try an incentive for him for brushing his teeth. Use a picture board to show him the steps in brushing his teeth, but place the reward as one of the steps. When doing this, use very little toothpaste at first or none at first so that he gets to the reward without a fight. Once he gets used to the routine with the reward, then add the toothpaste.  

Use flavored toothpase, which will tempt him to brush his teeth.  

The first thing I would do is get rid of the toothpaste container. I would buy a bunch of different brands and put a sample of each in a bowl, or a container that my son doesn't have a problem with. Then I would ask him to try a bit of each. I wouldn't tell him what it is. When he picks out the one he likes then I would explain that it is toothpaste, and go from there. Slowly introduce the toothpaste container and have him taste it so he knows it is the same as the brand he liked etc... If you are having a hard time getting him to try something because of the smell or look of it, then I would suggest using a first then process. First you try this then you get this. Give him something he likes for trying something he doesn't like.

Sometimes you have to set these experiments up. Give him a lot of time to process what you are going to do. Deprive him of his favorite snack for a few days, so that he really wants it. That way when you do have him do some taste testing he is more willing to try the toothpaste, because he wants his treat (e.g. a treat could be time on he computer or a movie). Find what motivates him and utilize that.

Good luck, I have been there and I know how frustrating it is.   

There is also a toothpaste for infants which doesn't have much of a taste... its the only one my son will use!!  

I had to try many different toothpastes and finally found one that my son would use. If I try to change brands he refuses to use it.  

Meralt...I am glad you posted about eating.. My son isnt eating at all. I am going to try some of your games and see where we go with it... Do you find he just wants to play with it now? that is my worry so I have never played any food games because I was scared of this... But I think eating may have to come first and I may have to pick my battles.. Right now I just try and get him to smell it which can still be a hard thing... So frustrating  

Oh Amy, good thinking, i did not event think about that, because right now he use the regular toothpaste, which is kind of sour. Soo maybe I change his toothpaste so that it is fruity flavor. I will let you know how things go and thank you much  

when my son Thomas was starting school, I had many problems with him. through the help of the school and his teachers brushing his teeth, washing his hands, and even toileting issues became fun. Right now, the only problem I still have is his hair getting washed. I have to wash it myself and show him that I am not going to hurt him. He now is getting used to having me wash his hair he wants to try it himself. Try making it a game, than slowly show him that it won't hurt whatever it is, he might like the response and want to try it himslef.  

I was having the same problem with my son. The flavor is to strong or he doesnt like the texture, so I bought him some Colgate for kids, strawberry flavor. Joey now brushes his teeth with no problems.  

Thanks for the advice you two.  

Can you make a game of some type out of it -- something sensory he likes? It may take awhile, but it would be worth starting. For instance, when we wanted our daughter to eat different foods, we would play with the foods for hours, for about 6 months and by the end she had a big list of things she would eat. We would make pictures out of spaghetti by sticking it to a wall mirror, threw around chicken and at the end of the game we'd make sillies and rub it on our lips just to get her used to the texture, made song out of eating watermelon and got all messy scooping it out and eating it with our hands. Maybe have some fun with toothpaste and slowly desensitize him to it. Trick is to not feel pressured that he has to do it -- don't pressure yourself either. It won't kill him for now to have just some water on the brush -- explain to the school it is a goal you are working on. If you seem really cool and not nervous about it, they'll be okay with it, too... That's a big one -- you don't feel nervous and others will go with your vibes...  

There is a mouth wash for kids which was actually suggested to be by a dentist for my son, he also won't touch toothpaste...I can't remember the name, but I'll look it up and get back to you. It would at least be a start.