i’ve been there! i went at least a decade without brushing my teeth regularly, and definitely without a professional cleaning. once you get things fixed up, stick with it! find a way to brush twice a day and floss at least once a day. it’s worth it!

disclaimer: i had to have eleven fillings and a root canal the first time i went in. it was as rough as it sounds, but i picked a dentist who would put me under general anesthesia. that was a huge help for me in the beginning. now i can sit through a single cleaning/filling, but not more than that.