The anonymity of the internet has its ups and downs. For example, you could skip brushing your teeth for a year and then go on reddit and ask for advice! A guy (I assume it’s a guy?) wrote: “Haven’t brushed my teeth in ages, want to start again. Do I just go straight back in? It’s been a long time (probably close to a year??) since I’ve last brushed my teeth, and I’ve finally gotten in the headspace to want to start caring for myself again. My question is, do I just go straight back in? I tried (?) to brush a couple of months ago with a regular plastic brush and mint toothpaste and it made my gums bleed and my whole mouth ache. Do I just ride out the pain until I’m used to it? Use kids’ toothpaste or softer bristled brushes?” Among the many responses, one came from a dentist: “Dentist here. I would recommend using anti-bacterial mouthwash first to control the gum inflammation. Take ibuprofen for gum ache. Start brushing with extra-soft bristle toothbrush. Even if you are not doing much to the current tartar build-up, you would still be controlling growth of bacteria. Standard 2 minutes is fine. But be consistent, twice a day or 30 minutes after every meal. Toothpaste would help with odor and add some fluoride barrier to any current demineralized areas (hopefully). GO TO A DENTIST NEXT! They can diagnose you and prescribe the treatment depending on your gum condition and teeth condition.”