Hello everyone, my name is Karen and I have very bad teeth. Sounds like the introduction at an AA meeting, unfortunately it's sad, but true. To those with great teeth, count your lucky stars. And for those of us who have horrible teeth, we all have a back story and I dare say, it's not something we planned, nor wanted. However, I'm glad you found this blog because I intend for it to help all of us who need extensive dental work. So please, read on...
My story...
My story is probably a familiar one to many women out there, in that my teeth started going downhill shortly after I had children. It was surprising to me to say the least, since I had always taken really good care of them. I mean I was even a daily flosser! However, I digress, I never had great teeth to begin with, they were horribly crooked until I got my braces and they seemed to always fail me at my six month checkups, no matter how diligent I was in their care. To this day, I really don't understand why my teeth are so bad, I can only attach theories as to the why. I blame it in part to genetics, since my grandmother had dentures in her 30's and also, some medications that I've been on may have been a partial culprit. Also, I've been the victim of some pretty shoddy dental work overseas and even some done Stateside, by some not so great dentists. And, due to the nature of the dental insurance I had in my teens and 20's, it just didn't cover a lot of regular procedures and as a result, I suffered compromised care. Like when I'd really need a crown, I'd get a huge filling instead, or when I got a root canal, I'd ended up with a huge filling again instead of a crown on top of the afflicted tooth, so I just had a broken mess sitting there in my mouth. Problem is, those huge fillings are so big, that eventually they just breakdown over time and the teeth literally start crumbling after about five to10 years after they are filled. And, when you have several teeth fall victim to huge fillings, it's not a very pretty end result to your smile years later. Plus, my teeth really started getting even worse, right after my divorce and being a single mom with a very limited income, I simply could not afford to get them fixed at all. And, unfortunately for me, I was scammed by a dentist who took all my money and would not give me my implant after I had paid for it. What happened was they ran a little late getting the implant in and called me to reschedule my fitting. They told me they would call me back when the tooth was in. Well, they called a few weeks later and I didn't have the money then, so I asked them give me another week to get the money from my paycheck, so they said OK. Well, the next week I came into the office, but they would not even try to fit the tooth. They said it wouldn't fit and would not even try . I have a suspicion they either lost the tooth or never had it in the first place - why not at least try to fit the tooth in? I begged them to please try, but they wouldn't. In fact, they blamed me and told me that had I waited too long and my teeth had surely shifted, so they said they'd have to redo it all over again. This time however, I'd have to pay for it all out-of-pocket without insurance, since my insurance had already paid for that tooth, they would not again. I though it right ballsy that they did this, since they were the ones who put off the initial fitting. Why even schedule an appointment in the first placer if they weren't going to fit the tooth? Just should have told me not to even bother coming in. Knowing my financial problems and that I was going through a divorce, the nerve of what they did left me speechless, but what could I do? So, I was left with a hole right up front in my mouth and a screw hanging down - this is where everything started going from bad to worse. Well long story short, the little problems snowballed into larger problems and to fix these bigger problems just became way too cost prohibitive.
Anyway, so this leads me to where I am today, searching for the solution. And, I have been searching for the solution to fixing my teeth for years now. Why years? Well, because every solution that I've found ends up with an exorbitant cost, that I just can't afford. Seriously, besides millionaires, I don't know how anyone out there can afford to get their teeth fixed. If you have this kind of money, aren't you already doing the upkeep in the first place? Or, are these people only getting this done for vanity sakes and fixing teeth that really aren't that bad, but they want them to look like their favorite star or something? No, it's those of us who can't afford the upkeep in the first place, who end up having the big problems who need help. Once you've let things go for so long, you are looking at astronomical costs to get extensive dental work done. It's a very helpless feeling to have such a horrible problem that affects you 24 hours a day and yet, you cannot afford to do anything about it. I've heard many heartbreaking tales of woe from people just like me. However those that could afford it tell me stories which involve them putting second mortgages on their homes or selling a prize possession, just to get their teeth fixed. One lady even confessed to me that she had to literally prostitute herself to get her teeth fixed. She went from having no teeth, to having a beautiful smile, but she traded it for her dignity. It really should not be this costly to get something fixed that everyone has and needs. Call me idealistic, but there's got to be a better way.
The costs:
I'm looking at dental implants right now, as well as dentures. I feel like I'm too young for dentures, but they would look better than what I've got going on in my mouth right now, so I'm willing to go that route if need be. Plus, if you've done your research on implant costs vs. dentures, then you already know we are talking a huge difference in price between the two. I've been quoted 50K and up for dental implants. Yes, you saw that right - $50,000! I was in shock, needless to say. Here, I'm thinking probably $5-10,000 at most (which I still can't afford), but I nearly dropped to the floor right off my the dental chair when I heard that.
Being a single mother for the past seven years, with 3 children, well, 50K - that's just not happening, let alone the $5,000. The fiances just aren't there and I seriously don't see how there are there for most people, especially in the crappy economy we've had for the past several years. Really, are dentist getting a flock patients who are able to pay these outrageous prices? And, I do mean outrageous, because just set aside the cosmetic issue for right now, because teeth are something you need, yet the costs to fix them is prohibitive. You need them to chew so you can eat, you need them to be there so you can close your mouth properly and not get constant headaches, Plus, there's the infection issues and a whole myriad of other horrible things that can happen to your health if you neglect to get your teeth fixed for years. So how come breast implants are so much cheaper? These aren't needed unless you've had a mastectomy or where born disfigured, but we know that even the women who get them for purely for cosmetic purposes aren't paying 50K to get them done. However teeth, which we all need are the most costly of all the cosmetic procedures to get done.
Now onto dentures... I've gotten quotes from as little as $250 to $10,000. Now you have to wonder with such a variance of prices out there, what are you getting for the low end price vs.the high end. I think a lot of it has to do with the metals they use and of course, in this day and age, gold is going to be very expensive. You also have to remember that the actual dentures themselves are not the only costs involved when you get them. You also have to count in the teeth you're going to have to have pulled before they can even put your dentures in. I hear that many docs do this for as low as $25 a tooth, but if you have several teeth left which need to be pulled, the costs can add up rather quickly.
The Costs of Bad Teeth
OK, so now onto the reality of bad teeth and how they not only cost big money to fix, but they cost you a lot in only ways, too. I don't know about you, but my awful teeth have caused me so much agony, humiliation and pain, that I've even thought of suicide a few times because of my teeth. So technically my bad teeth could have cost me my life. I'm in constant pain and my face swells from time to time because of infection, so I can get seriously ill from this. In the news, they've also said that infections in the teeth can cause heart problems, so I think a lot of us are scared to because bad teeth are a huge health risk that only the rich can seem to afford to take care of. It's just downright insane. I can't chew right or close my mouth. I'm constantly getting food stuck in my throat. It's just a nightmare to eat - the curse of being poor!
Also, I'm a single women and I'd really like to date, but because of my teeth, I don't. Who wants a women with bad teeth? I would embarrass not only myself, but him if he was seen with me. I'd also like a better job, so I won't be so poor, but as is, I'm forced to work at home and barely survive financially because I am so embarrassed my teeth. No one will hire a person for a decent paying job whose teeth are a horrible mess, so I feel that having bad teeth cost me a better job and financial stability. Plus, I've lost friends. Partly because I won't go out anymore, but the depression this has caused me, has pretty much turned me into a shut-in. Simply put, I'm too embarrassed to go anywhere or for anyone to see me with my teeth like they are, so I just sit at home and cry most nights. So not only has having bad teeth robbed me of my health and a good job, it's robbed me of having any sort of a real life with friends and romance. It's really a depressing existence.
Research and options...
Now, I've done a lot of research on the net about how to fix my teeth,and while I am not coming up empty handed, I'm not finding a whole lot of hope out there for people like me. I will however share some of the things I have found out here.
Dental Schools and Universities
First, there are dental schools and some universities who will do some dental work for free or at a reduced rate. So if you have one of these universities in your area, it might be a good thing to check out.
Help Abroad
Many people are traveling to other countries and getting dental work done at a fraction of the cost you can get it done here in the States. I've heard many people taking trips to Mexico, Latin America, Thailand and some Eastern European nations. Many of these places seem to cater to Americans and the British and they speak English. I even found one place that said they'd pay for your plane ticket there and put you up in a hotel. All this sounds really wonderful however, remember it's not free or even cheap. You are still going to pay thousands of dollars and you will also have to pay for the costs to get there and international airfares can be quite expensive. You will also more than likely need a place to stay while there and seeing how you could be there for several days, even weeks you have to add this to the costs. And in these countries, the dentists are not regulated by the US, so you are risking your health. Make sure you check things out thoroughly before going this route.
Financing - Loans
Now there are also financing options for dental work. If you are like me you won't be able to get a loan anyway or make the monthly payments on tens of thousands of dollars, so it's not an option for me either, but for some of you out there, know that there are some dental loans available.
Contests and Reality Shows
Another thing I've seen about are contests and makeover shows, but these are so few and far between that they seem to only benefit a handful of people a year and I don't know about you, but I ain't that lucky! If I was, I wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. I've entered every one of the contests I have found, to no avail.
My case is extreme though. I have very few teeth left. The ones that are left, are rotted and chipped, so I pretty much need a complete mouth overhaul. This is not cheap, nor easy as I'm finding out. You'd think in this day and age, we'd have more options available to us at affordable prices, but we don't, we just don't and it's a darn shame.
When I first started researching dental options, I thought I was the only one out there at my young age in my 30's, with this problem, but I've come to find out there thousands, probably millions of us suffering with horrible teeth and not enough money to fix them.
This blog's purpose:
Helping those of us with bad teeth find affordable solutions to getting them fixed
For me, this blog will be where I will share everything I find out to help all of us who are suffering from bad teeth. Hopefully, others will join in and tell their stories and offer their advice, too. We all need to help one another and I truly believe that doing this will help me and others find a way to get the help we all so desperately need.
If I had the money, I would help everyone I could, because this is a horrible thing to live with and it stares you straight in the face every day when you look in the mirror. Your are also reminded of you horrible teeth every time you try to eat and chew your food. You are reminded every time you choke because you can't probably chew your food. You are reminded with every picture someone takes, every time you bit your lip cause your bite is of, every time your face swells due to infection. You are reminded every day while you are getting ready looking in the mirror and crying because you are helpless to do anything about it.You are reminded every time you can't eat something because it's too tough to chew. And man, what I would give to eat a spare rib right now or just to be able to bite into a juicy burger. God, that little thing right there would make me so happy that I'd jump for joy at this point!
Hopefully by bringing some awareness of this subject, we can have a voice and a little understanding. Also, just maybe the dental community will come up with some ideas on how to make dental work more affordable for the millions of us out there who desperately need extensive dental work done. I encourage doctors, dentists, insurance salespeople or anybody to post here and give us your opinions on this subject and what we can do to help ourselves. Maybe some of you dentists out there can give us some options or alternatives for those of us with bad teeth who can't afford the 50K implants.
The End Is Just The Beginning...
In closing, I will continue to dig and dig and put up any info that I find that I think may help us "dentally challenged" people out there - or should I say, the "smile challenged" because that would be more accurate. I just don't smile anymore, because my horrible teeth make for a scary smile, so I'd say I'm smile challenged. And, I'm sure you all out there with this problem can relate.
Please leave comments to my blog if you are in the same predicament or if you were there and have gotten help. Please share your story and tell us how you fared through it all. Let us know what you went through and how you overcame. I'd love to hear your stories and hopefully I we can help each other. Also those still suffering please post. We are going to try to help each other get the care we so desperately need. I'm bound and determined to find a way to fix my own teeth and to help others also. Hopefully one day, in the not too distant future, I will find a way. And when I do I''l post a before and after pic to show you and I will still do my darnedest to give hope to others and help them also.
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