Emily's Emergency Dental Work

We are reaching out to friends and family because we are in need of help. 

Emily needs serious and immediate work done on her teeth.  A number of years ago, several teeth needed to be pulled as a result of subpar dental work and no funds to deal with specific dental issues as they arose.

Since then, Emily's teeth have been shifting dramatically in what is known as "loss of vertical dimension of occlusion," or "bite collapse." We were told in no uncertain terms by a series of dentists, orthodontists, periodontists and prosthodontists, that Emily's dental situation requires immediate attention or the remaining teeth and supporting bone would be unable to withstand even normal biting forces, and begin to tip sideways, resulting in over-closure of the jaws (collapsed bite). In other words, the collapse of Emily's teeth and mouth.
We tried going to both USC and UCLA Dental Programs for reduced-rate work, but were told that the work needed on Emily's mouth was too complex for their capabilities. We didn’t let that stop us and instead found a team of doctors who, working in unison, have come up with a comprehensive and effective plan of action.

Last year, we were able to get the initial work underway--including x-rays, imaging, periodontal work, crowns, root-canals, and molds—but after investing many thousands of dollars, our personal funds ran out before the necessary work could be completed. Now the current shifting of Emily’s teeth is beginning to undo the work that’s already been done.

Emily is in physical pain as the entire structure of her mouth has already shifted to the point where it is actually altering the shape of her face and jaw. This is terrifying to say the least, but it is also extremely dangerous as it will quickly lead to damage, pain and dysfunction to the jaw joints; shortening of the muscles of the jaw (which can accelerate the destruction); tooth fractures and additional tooth loss; aggravation of periodontal disease (secondary occlusal trauma); shortening of the lower face height and sagging of the corners of the mouth (both of which have already begun in Emily's case);  and severe and painful problems chewing.

At the moment, we are looking at an extremely short window in which to prevent and/or reverse these serious issues. 

As of today, we have used up every resource and option known and available to us, so we're reaching out to you in the hope that you may be able to help. Any amount will go a long way toward getting Emily out of pain and to a safe place.

Our immediate goal is to get Emily's teeth to a place where they would be able to support the braces necessary to stop the extreme shifting and bite collapse she is experiencing, as well as getting her the braces themselves to move Emily's teeth back to where they're supposed to be. 

Below is the breakdown of the work that still needs to be done. 
In addition to the costs outlined above, braces will then cost another $8,000 (which is how we arrived at the total amount needed right now of $17,000). Even though there is more work to be done after that, we are, at this point, just hoping to get Emily's mouth through the braces stage as that is the most crucial and pressing. 

We really appreciate your support in this. Every bit helps. Thank you.