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.