I am 24 and disabled by mental health issues. I went \~22 years with no cavities or oral issues, besides braces as a young teen, and one tooth removed due to mild crowding around the same time.

Over the past year or so, my ability to function has deteriorated a lot, and this led to my oral hygiene becoming nearly non-existent. I'd brush my teeth maybe 2-3 times a week. I started having severe sensitivity to cold and sweet, and I'd wake up at night sometimes with terrible toothaches which would incapacitate me for hours. I saw a dentist in March/April and they said I had 9 cavities. I had fillings done, as well as a fitting for a mouthguard because I grind my teeth bad at night.

My teeth were still a bit sensitive after the fillings, but they said that was normal and would go away within a month or so. It got a bit better over time like they said. I've tried really hard to do better with brushing my teeth, and I've increased the frequency, but I know it's still not enough. I'd say it's about once daily or every other day.

In the past month or so it's been getting bad again. Painful toothaches waking me at night, unable to drink anything cold. My gumline is coloured dark greyish, which happened the first time too, which they said was just staining. I can also see what looks to be a darker and more defined spot on one tooth, which I can only guess to be a cavity. And the previous cavities were mainly between teeth or at/under the gumline, so if I can see one, my (uneducated) guess would be that there are more I can't see.

The other issue is that I have a massive fear of the dentist. As in, even regular checkups and cleanings need to be done under sedation. And not "pop an ativan" sedation, but IV sedation with minimal consciousness. So that being said, I know I have to get this checked, and I'll be booking an appointment for them to (non-invasively) check if it's cavities, and if they say I need more work done then I'll obviously do that too.

But I don't want this to be an endless cycle. It hurts, it causes me anxiety, it costs a lot (even with insurance). So I guess I'm just looking for any suggestions, tips, ideas, anything that I can do to improve my oral hygiene even a little bit. I know the answer is "brush your teeth and floss more" but I'm working on that, and if there's something I can easily do that is even minimally helpful, I'll at least try it. I'm feeling so hopeless and guilty. Anything helps.