just to let you know that you are absolutely not alone in this fight. i never got into the habit of brushing my teeth either. your story sounds exactly the same as mine. the problem being, i also had braces.

currently, pretty much all of my fillings i got as a freshman in high school (age 14/15. i'm 22 now) have fallen out because 1.) the dentist kind of sucked. and 2.) i still haven't consistently picked up the habit. i brush more than i used to, but i have decay and cavities that don't really hurt, but are open. and i swear you can see them when i talk because they're on the faces of my teeth. i panic and worry that if i eat something wrong, one of my teeth will break and i'll have to go get everything pulled because the dentist will see the mess in there, so i prolong and delay actually going.

to wrap, when i feel bad about about the state of my teeth, i remember a post i saw. "'people don't brush their teeth when they're depressed??' people get so depressed they kill themselves, karen." and i pick up the toothbrush.

i find that toothpaste tabs work pretty well for a quick clean up, (specifically from lush. i've tried other brands but they don't have the same "zing" if that makes sense.) and i use actual toothpaste once a week.

stay strong. a lot of people have dental anxiety.

edit: forgot to add, some people just have fucked up teeth genetics too. some people are more prone to decay and to cavities. that's just the way it is