My son is 14 and has always struggled to brush his teeth. He still needs reminders and my husband and I had to brush his teeth twice a day until he was 10. After that, he got too strong and my husband and I were getting physically injured. It was awful.

He got braces in February. He was, for once, really good about brushing his teeth which is why we got him braces. Since getting them on he has all but stopped brushing his teeth and he has been told several times by his orthodontist that he needs to up his oral hygiene game, or else she's going to take off his braces. He says he brushes his teeth and doesn't know why he has so much plaque. We're lucky if he brushes his teeth once every few days.

I've even tried to get him to at least rinse with anti-cavity mouthwash and he won't. We have tried every toothpaste and gimmick on the planet. He just hates oral hygiene. It's not the taste of the toothpaste, or the bristles on the tooth brush, he just hates everything about it.

He will not go to the dentist anymore and will physically fight us now if we need to go. Getting him to the orthodontist is a struggle. At this point, I'm like, you know what? If you want to have plaque and tartar and everything, go ahead! Let your teeth rot.

I told the orthodontist that we're going to book him to get his braces off. My son does not care. He has several areas of concern according to her, which I take to mean cavities and/or gum disease.

I'm just not sure what else we can do at this point. The idea of rotten teeth, cavities, inflamed gums etc doesn't phase him. He truly just does not care, yet this is the same kid who obsesses over his clothes and shoes, and has to have his hair just right. He refused to wear glasses so we got him contacts, yet he doesn't care that he has bad breath and that you can see the plaque/tartar on his teeth.

I don't know what to do. His friends think it's gross but funny. They will say things like, "Ew. Brush your teeth. You stink" but he just laughs and they carry on. He never does it. He thinks it's funny to breathe on people. His one friend calls him "diaper breath". I've even said things like, "Go brush your teeth. People around you are noticing and telling you you stink. Brush your teeth." His friends will also be like, "Listen to your mom and brush your teeth." But nope... He will not do it.

At this rate he's going to have rotten teeth by the time he graduates high school. I don't know what to do.

To answer questions:

We've taken away everything as a consequence. No games, no tablet, no friends. We've grounded him. We've taken away his freedoms like getting a ride to school and having a phone. He does not care.

We tried occupational therapy and a child therapist. We tried a child psychologist as well. He just does not care. We've talked to him about how rotting teeth hurt and can cause serious health issues, like abscesses and infection. He does not care. He's seen rotten teeth and read about how not brushing your teeth affects your health. He is not one bit bothered. His attitude is, "They'll knock me out and then pull my teeth and I'll get dentures. Big deal."

Yes, he is neurotypical. He has no sensory issues. The only reason he doesn't want to brush his teeth is because he doesn't see the point, and the consequences of tooth decay have no effect on him (yet).