Hello. So I come from a low income family and I didn’t really get to go to the dentist much and dental health wasn’t really stressed so I never worried about it. Anyway, at 20 I finally went to the dentist and I need a lot of work done. I need 11 fillings, and 6 root canals. I have an appointment next week to get things started. I went to the dentist at the beginning of the month and ever since then I’ve stepped up my regimen. I brush in the morning and after every meal and then again at night floss mouthwash medicated toothpaste. Obviously I know that this isn’t gonna undo years of damage but it’s a start and I plan on keeping it up.

I was wondering should I abstain completely from sweets/juices/snacks? Or can I still eat/drink them in moderation? Whenever I have something sweet I wait 30 minutes and I brush afterwards. I typically wait until meal time and I’ll have a cup of juice (I try to make sure the PH is close 3.7 so it’s not extremely erosive. I also drink through a straw so it’s not touching my teeth directly) and then I rinse with water chew xylitol gum until I can brush and do all that good stuff. Same thing goes for snacks but I haven’t been eating them because I’ve been terrified.

Thanks in advance!