This is a helpful post with some tips from a great dentist about how to brush your teeth when you have sensory issues. This can be quite a struggle for many people, but brushing your teeth is obviously important. Also a heads up if you do use xylitol gum be careful storing it because it is highly toxic to pets.
Adding to this: My dentist used to paint stuff on my teeth that was (I believe) good for the enamel. The stuff tasted terrible and felt worse — think chalk dust, but a paste and on your teeth. I finally mentioned this and was allowed to rinse with a certain type of mouthwash for a certain amount of time during visits instead.
They’re not bad people, they just don’t speak your language.
Side note: Xylitol is very toxic to dogs – be careful if you have both in the house.
There is non alcoholic mouthwash so no “burn”.
A waterpik can do some of the stuff that flossing can do, so if flossing bothers you it’s a alternative to at least get a little in-between the teeth. I hate wrapping floss around my fingers and putting them in my mouth so I get flossers that have floss already stretched out. I use it until the floss breaks. I floss a lot more now.
If you can stand toothpaste (there are different flavors if you don’t like the standard flavors) after you brush or you can rub toothpaste onto your teeth and leave it on don’t rinse it off (only do this with fluoride toothpaste, not whitening). This is like a mini fluoride treatment your dentist give you.