A close friend of mine had horrible dental hygiene, rarely brushing, drank soda and beer as his water, and only went to the dentist after developing intolerable pain something like a decade into this mode.

When he came to work the day after his dentist visit, he said the dentist told him "this is what we call mountain dew mouth" when examining his teeth.

If you don't eat stuff that makes plaque thrive, the consequences of ignoring it are less severe.