Help me smile again!
Donation protected
Hi,
My name is Melanie and I am 45 years old.
For those who don’t know me I am from the UK & married to a wonderful man named Jon, together we’ve had 2 beautiful daughters….Caitlyn who is nearly 24 and Eryn who’s 16.
As a child I was lucky as I was blessed with straight, even and white teeth.
As I got older my teeth remained the same and I was very proud of them.
My issues started when I was carrying Caitlyn and carried on to this day.
When pregnant I became calcium deficient and also anaemic.
On top of that smoking, caffeine and all things bad for my teeth had led to them being broken & stained, holes, chips and gum disease.
As life took over I put off regular visits and treatments I needed for a long time but I’ve always taken care of my teeth when it came to oral hygiene….. regardless of the damage.
In 2022 I decided enough was enough and I started the journey with my Dentist to get them all sorted, at this point I still had a full set of top and bottom teeth and understood from the initial appointment that I needed 2 extractions, 2 fillings and a good visit with the hygienist.
I am an NHS patient and the dentist at the time, although lovely, literally destroyed my top set of teeth.
Long story short she ended up causing more damage than what I started with!
She removed several teeth leaving roots embedded in my gums, made holes that she never filled, used a cement colour to rebuild the holes she’d made in my front teeth that didn’t match my natural colour (note my two front teeth were not actually broken or damaged before I saw her)
What she did has caused constant severe infections which has at times left my whole face swollen in agony…… and after all that she announced that she could no longer do the work needed (which as you can see by this point was much more than I originally went in for) so she referred me to a specialist who would sedate me and do everything in one go.
EVERYTHING???
She’s already done so much damage so what more needed doing??
I was told the waiting list would be 1 year, I begrudgingly agreed and left sore, in pain and bleeding…….as mentioned this was back in 2022.
Over the past 2 years whilst I’ve been waiting I have been on AntiBiotics 9 times due to constant infections in my gums and roots/pulps of my teeth so by April of this year I’d had enough, I had still not heard anything so I decided to chase it up.
The clinic I’d been referred to told me I had been taken off the waiting list months ago as my BMI was too high to be sedated (how embarrassing) yet no one had bothered to inform me!
I went back to my dentists to find out what was going on and what the next steps were?
They booked me in to see a new dentist who just so happened to be an oral surgeon at Banbury Horton Hospital and he offered me two choices.
1 he could refer me to the hospital which would be an 18 month waiting list OR 2 he was certain he could do the work at my surgery and I wouldn’t need sedating!
BRILLIANT, I made an appointment then and there to start the journey of fixing what was left of my upper teeth and getting a permanent denture fitted.
He told me by Xmas I would have a new smile and I’ve been clinging onto that thought with my whole being!
Between May and August of this year I had several appts with him, the majority of my top teeth were surgically removed, the decaying roots that had been left in my gums were removed and the infected flesh was cleaned out thoroughly and then stitched up, I had fillings in 3 of my 5 remaining upper teeth and then I had to recover, he told me to wait 3-6 months for my jaw to heal before moving onto the final stage.
October I went in for a check up to see how my mouth was healing and he was pleased with how I’d healed and said that he could start taking the moulds now for my new dentures, He also told me I would need 2 more fillings on my bottom teeth and a root canal on my top front tooth just to complete all the issues for good and have me smiling pain free for the new year.
My first mould was booked in for mid Nov (a few weeks away) so I wrote it in my diary and didn’t give it another thought.
For some reason I had a certain date in my head for said appt but when I opened my diary for another purpose I spotted my mistake and realised I’d missed my appt!
I immediately got in touch to plead my case and apologise for missing my appt but was told I had now been unregistered with them and all future appts had been cancelled.
It was a genuine mistake and although I’m aware of how important it is to keep an appt, I did not do this on purpose!
I am left with 5 teeth in my top jaw that are discoloured and damaged and as mentioned 2 fillings needed and a root canal, My mouth is so painful & I cannot sign up anywhere else as after extensive research no one in my area is taking on NHS patients, especially for my particular needs.
My only option is to go private but this is not something I can afford unless I save….. I am doing this but it will take me years as we all know the costs of private dentistry in the UK.
To have the work required and then permanent “dentures” here in the UK it will be between £2500 to £3000!
I have also provided a screen shot of a conversation I’ve had with one private surgery (out of 4) in Banbury quoting the price of 1 single tooth implant!
For me dental implants would be the dream but with a full set costing nearly £25000 here in the UK it will remain a dream!
A viable option and probably the route I will take is going to turkey for treatment, ive had a few consultations and they have all unknowingly told me the same thing in terms of treatment I need (which is what the NHS dentist also told me) so it’s just finding the right place.
So far the best option I’ve come across in Turkey is £6k, it’s still a massive amount but not as bad as UK prices!
I know it sounds strange but after all the trouble I’ve had with my teeth….to have them all removed and have “all on 6” implants placed would be a dream come true!!
A full set of straight, even, white teeth I can be proud of, eat whatever I want and smile again!!!
THIS IS MY END GOAL so I will keep looking until I find the right surgery for me.
I know I will need double of what I’m asking here but with what I am able to save aswell this amount will help hugely towards getting it done quicker.
My self confidence, personal body image and mental health is at an all time low and I feel so ashamed and embarrassed of how I look, I’ve gone from a size 16 to a size 24 in the space of 2 years.
The grief from my mum passing away has not helped but my depression is primarily down to my teeth……which caused my agoraphobia which then of course led to my weight gain.
Its a viscous circle.
I hide away in my house and have been doing so for years now waiting for my new smile……now that’s not going to happen and I feel utterly broken and a shell of who I used to be.
I am so embarrassed to ask people of this as there are so many others struggling with much worse issues right now.
I don’t imagine this “go fund me” will go anywhere but my mum always told me…..If you don’t try then you will never know!
Thankyou for reading my story, if you are unable to help financially a simple share of this page would be hugely appreciated.
I long for the day I can smile like this again! xx
Organizer
Melanie Sisson
Organizer