Dental Hygiene - I feel completely disgusting

Hi all,

I’m writing this mainly to get the words out, because I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and its making me feel gross.

I’ve had ADHD & anxiety all my life, and was later diagnosed with depression and finally autism in my early 20s. Now I’m 25 and my mind is constantly running a mile per minute, so I have a hard time getting into routines and having them stick. Pair that with my parents never pushing hygiene as essential, and you have my very sore lack of brushing my teeth.

On top of it, I have intense sensory issues with strong flavors, and mint is a hard no. I’ve tried every flavor of toothpaste from kids stuff to cinnamon to special needs toothpaste designed to be unflavored. If its not the flavor, the foaming grosses me out so bad. Watching other people brush their teeth on tv or smelling the mint at a friends house makes me nauseous. All the while, my teeth are rotting and I feel embarrassed and disgusting about myself.

I’ve had my wisdom teeth out about two years ago along with an infected molar and.. didn’t learn my lesson. Along with a root canal last year. I blame it on dentists with not great bedside manner that triggered my flight response and some bad dental trauma from childhood. Now, I just had a tooth break and I have to go in tomorrow. Its had a root canal in the past, but I never got a crown because of money. I know I’m probably going to lose the tooth which is the price I’ll pay, but I am desperate for a solution. I know pretty much every tooth is probably going to have some degree of cavity or need further work. I don’t want to lose all my teeth, I don’t want to have dentures by 35, and I really REALLY don’t want to keep putting myself through procedures to not follow it with the work I know I need to be doing.

So, I’m asking -nay, kindly begging- for your tips and solutions. For the toothpaste thing, I really don’t know what else to try that won’t trigger my sensory issues or gag reflex, but I’m open to literally any suggestions. I also really need to force myself into the routine of brushing, but with how bad my teeth have been lately, I’ve been so scared of not breaking any that they feel too fragile and it makes me not want to brush them. But, this one broke anyway, so my brain and its excuses are a little off there. Any suggestions on forcing myself into a routine that sticks are greatly appreciated. And thank you for letting me air my dirty laundry.