This has been a very long and stressful journey for me. I never had any oral health problems my entire life. I had good oral habits and took care of myself. However, about 6 years ago I was leaving a bad relationship and was evicted from my apartment. Homeless, I found out that I was pregnant! For 9 whole months me and my daughter slept on the floor in my mothers apartment an hour away from where I work. My oldest son was living with my dad, in order to finish the school year and have a normal day to day. After the 9 months my grandmother helped me find an apartment for my children and I, while I commuted back and forth to work. During this time, I didn’t see a dentist, I had trouble sleeping, I was depressed, and I was not taking care of myself. I avoided leaving the house, and ate away my sadness. I knew that my teeth were looking bad, but I didn’t even want to look in the mirror. After I was financially stable again I started seeing a dentist regularly in order to fill in the cavities. I spent out of pocket over 4000 to fill the cavities, get root canals and crowns. Then there was an infection that spread on the right side of my mouth. The decay keeps getting worse because I was maxed out financially, and ruined my good credit with loans. I work very hard, and make sure my children are taken care of. However, the cost of my current dental work would be over 13,000. I would lose my job if I can’t get my teeth fixed. I work directly with people, at the moment I’m still wearing a mask to cover my broken smile. A pretty face, but when I open my mouth people assume I’m a drug user. It hurts my self esteem and confidence. I can’t believe that I have spent thousands already and my teeth still look so terrible, even though I brush twice a day. I have no other options at the moment unless someone helps me pay for it. I do not come from a rich family, we have learned to work hard and earn everything that we have. However, the longer that I wait, the worse that it gets. I don’t know how much longer I can wear a mask. My credit score was greatly effected by care credit loans, covid, and inability to pay bills on time. I’m struggling to buy food for our family, let alone any extra expenses. I even started delivering groceries for extra money but it is putting wear and tear on my vehicle, and with the rising gas prices I wonder if it’s worth it. I’m a good person, a mom who tries her best. But, I don’t feel my best with teeth that are deteriorating. Due to enamel loss, medication, poor healthcare coverage, this is the spot that I am I’m currently. I really need a helping hand.

Thank you for taking time to read this. I am in desperate need of financial assistance to pay for my dental treatment. In 2005, I was involved in a serious car accident. I was given Oxycontin to treat the severe pain from the damage caused to my body. I took my medication every day as prescribed. Unbeknownst to me, I had become dependent on and addicted to opioids. About 15 months later, my doctor stopped refilling my prescription and. I began to feel the horrific nausea, anxiety, insomnia and diarrhea of what I now know was cold turkey opioid withdrawal. My vulnerability and desperation slowly lead me to becoming addicted to heroin. Within a year, I went from having a full and beautiful life to living on the streets, having lost everything. I began dating an older man who was extremely abusive and controlled my entire life. The pain, violence, and abuse that I experienced on the streets was unimaginable. This continued for 10 years until an accidental overdose saved my life.

Going to rehab was my saving grace. I was able to medically detox in a safe and secure environment. I was diagnosed with PTSD from the trauma I experienced during my addiction and began working through that in therapy. For years, I fought very hard to turn my life around. I returned to college and began working with those still suffering on the streets. As my healing progressed, there has always been one thing that standing in my way, making it impossible for me to leave my past behind me, and that is my broken smile. The damage done to my teeth through addiction is devastating. It has become a permanent scar of my past struggles and poor choices. Every time I look in the mirror, I’m haunted by the pain of my past all over again. For me, there is so much shame and embarrassment surrounding my teeth which has affected my life in so many ways. Besides being unable to properly chew food which is extremely uncomfortable as it is, my mouth is also in continuous pain…often times the pain is so great that it becomes debilitating. I am constantly being looked at and judged by the world around me. I can’t talk without covering my mouth which has made it impossible to connect with people, causing me to have the worst social anxiety. I have been turned away from countless job opportunities due to the appearance of my teeth and the negative stigma attached to it. I often hear people saying things like “she’d be so pretty if her teeth weren’t so ****ed up”. Hearing stuff like that hurts so bad. To be honest, I never realized what an important role teeth played in experiencing life and interacting with the world until I lost them. I feel so disconnected from the world and it’s such a lonely feeling. My dental issues have completely robed me of my confidence and self-esteem.

Being able to afford my dental treatment would mean the world to me. It would change the whole trajectory of my life. This dental treatment would give me the confidence to leave the past behind me and the strength to reclaim my life. It would give me the strength to take my power back and find my voice again, create new relationships and find a place where I belong within my community. And then there’s the little things that would mean so much to me like being able to smile again…. so hard that my cheeks hurt. And laugh again… so hard that I can’t breathe. It would break me out of my shell after so many years of isolation. This dental treatment would allow me to create a life that I’m proud of and become the person I’ve always wanted to be. Most importantly, it would allow me to leave the pain of my past behind me for good and experience self-love again. I have always thought that asking for help was a sign of weakness and it wasn’t until I was in recovery that I learned that it’s in fact a sign of strength. So, with all my strength, I am asking for your help. Please help me get my smile back. Life really isn’t worth living when your time is spent hiding from the world. Thank you in advance for your contribution. You have no idea how much it means to me to have your support.

Here is my link https://paypal.me/HSimons991?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

You will notice that a grant and DIS have already lowered the cost greatly! My balance is now at $19,875. Please contact me if you have any questions.

How does one start all over? The pandemic took its toll in different ways, for different people. It also helped bring about positive changes and renewed outlooks on life. In my case, I used to work as a caregiver, and  I really enjoyed helping people in that capacity, for many years. Then the pandemic hit, and my last patient was sent to a nursing home. After that, I was unemployed for nearly a year and a half, giving me some time to re-think the future. As much as I love care-giving, the reality is it’s a very low paying job, as many important jobs in society are, not to mention that I’m 67, and feeling ready for something else. I had worked as an independent contractor mostly, so I didn’t have a 401-K or anything. I started collecting social security at age 65 because I needed it, and it’s under 1k per month. Needless to say, it’s not enough to live on.  

And in the last year, to make things more ‘fun’, some veneers broke on my front teeth, leaving me without my dazzling smile! After weighing a lot of options on what I could do to turn my life around financially (the idea of being broke as a ‘senior‘ is pretty scary), I have decided to become a life agent/financial planner, as that is something that can be done at any age, and now, with the whole Covid thing being ongoing, it has become totally normal to do business online via Zoom, etc.

I’m excited about this new path, but like with anything, you don’t always know how long something will take, or the cost involved, in total. I have gone into credit card debt to pay for my agent schooling/license as well as the insurance I must have AS an agent, and now another cost coming up to work with an agency that, after much searching, I have decided to join. My budget is non-existent at this point! My biggest fear right now is me not wanting to smile too much because of my broken teeth, it‘s awkward and uncomfortable….I have learned to smile without showing teeth, pretty weird actually, but I know people take away a first impression when they see you, and if they see my messed up teeth, I wonder how that will go over, as I’m just in that stage right now of getting started.

I don’t know the exact cost of getting this work done, but it would be around 7500 for 3 of my teeth that need to be fixed, after researching it. I live in Los Angeles and nothing here is ‘cheap’. Having my smile restored would be a major boost to my self esteem, and just being able to freely smile again without concern, would be amazing! I would be unbelievably grateful if I were to receive help for this, it would change so much for me, confidence-wise, and moving forward on a new career path! I thank you for considering my dilemma, and I hope that whoever is reading this is doing well in their own life. Many blessings to you!……Olivia                                                  paypal.me/reinventingmyself31

Hello and thank for taking time to read my story and why I am in so need of help right now!  My name is Wes, 44 years old, and I am a cancer survivor!  About 6 years ago I was diagnosed with cancer, stage 2 diffuse large B cell lymphoma, and received 6 rounds of chemotherapy.  The treatments left my salivary glands damaged so now as a result I have chronic dry mouth.  This has caused significant damage to mostly my lower back teeth and 2 weeks ago had 2 infected teeth surgically removed.  At the time of this I had insurance from last job but the insurance ran out and now everything is out of pocket!  I started a new job but no insurance for another 90 days.  I still need 3 more lower teeth taken out and than I would need a removable partial put in.  All total costs I was given in my treatment plan came to $2,996.28 which is what I need!  Even through cancer treatments I never had to ask for help, this all new to me, and as a religious/godly man I always have helped…never been on the asking side so it kills me to have to ask for help.  Between regular bills, rent, utilities, food, etc., and just started a new job, my funds are depleted.  I will post my link for the donations and any help is appreciated!  Got bless and thanks for being a blessing!

paypal.me/wesleymechanic

https://gofund.me/e35d5434

Hello. Im a 60 year old woman. I am retired from the Post office after 30 years of service. I work part-time as an IHSS Caregiver to supplement my income. When i was 30 i had to have a dental bridge put in due to severe bone loss after an orthodontist moved my teeth too fast when i was in my twenties. Now here i am 30 years later my bridge is loose and falling apart. I have also lost my bottom front tooth. My only option is dental implants for upper and lower. I have dental insurance but it will not cover the cost of the implants. I am looking at about 40 thousand dollars for the surgery. Anyway any one can help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance. 😊

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/judy5050

Hello my name is Dianna, I’m 60. This time last year I was in the hospital from Covid in a 63 day coma on life support. The Dr’s told my Family it didn’t look good as to me making it out. But I serve an awesome God who is not ready for me yet. The reason I need funding the hospital misplaced/lost my dentures. Its still an ongoing battle to make them responsible…but I’m going out and about more but I can’t go out to lunch..dinners etc with my family because I have no teeth, I live on disability income which is not much and I cannot afford new dentures, and my state insurance will not cover them. I use to have very beautiful white teeth 9 yrs ago the Dr’s found a spot on my pancreas which ended up in a very scaring surgery, and I lost half my pancreas, now I’m insulin dependent diabetic. But all the medication caused serious damage to my beautiful teeth and I had to have them pulled, such a depressing time. But I can get a decent set of dentures for around $3000, I have to have a special plate on the bottom because of bone loss. But here I am this is my story and I’d appreciate any help. Thank you and God’s Blessings

Hello, this is the 1st time I’ve tried this so kinda bare with me a lil please since I’m not entirely sure I’m doing it right. I just found out about this site & gotta say I think it’s super cool that there are people out there willing to help others like this & I want to say thank you in advance.
I’m not used to asking for help & am usually the one people come to when they need somebody but I let my situation go way too long & am now in a tough spot with not many options to fix it. I added a picture so you can see the difference & how much damage was done by me ignoring what needed done & not taking care of myself anymore but my teeth & dental hygiene in general used to be so important to me & I worked very hard to maintain them. I brushed & flossed twice a day, every day, & even kept a backup dental kit in my car just in case & seen my dentist regularly for checkups & cleanings & made sure any issues were addressed as soon as possible. I was always so proud that I didn’t even have my 1st cavity until I was 22yr old so it’s beyond embarrassing that my teeth look the way they do now but I went into a downward spiral after a car accident that wasn’t my fault took everything from me. The injuries I sustained prevented me from being able to return to the life I led before & I lost my business I worked so hard to build & my lively hood, the damage to my face & mouth left me with no confidence for quite some time & I struggled with severe depression & was in & out of the hospital for years because of it & was battling a full-blown drug addiction not long after my 1st suicide attempt. I just didn’t care about anything for a very long time & lived only for self pity & destruction until about a year & a half ago when if not for my moms intuition & gut feeling, my 2nd suicide attempt would have been successful. That was my turning point, seeing what I had been doing to my mom & loved ones & what they had been going through because of my selfishness pushed me to get the help I needed starting with a 6mo stay at an inpatient facility where I was forced to face everything I had been trying to run away from or forget & learned so much about myself that it gave me real hope & a new outlook. Ive came so far from where I was & have a good job, my own place, a good support system & work on myself & my recovery every day but my confidence is still where I struggle the most & now that I’m completely aware of just how bad they are my teeth are the biggest reason for that so I’m focusing on getting them fixed & reaching out for help.

My PayPal info is: paypal.me/namesaretaken