Help restore Alex's smile
About Me/My Story:
Hello. My name is Alex, and I am a 22 year old male, from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Shortly after graduating from high school in 2016, I fell into a deep depression, which caused me to stop paying attention to my own physical and mental well being. I made no medical visits, be it doctor or dentist unless I absolutely had to. This was by far the darkest period of my young life so far, as I had a lot of anxiety about my future.
Fast forward two years to 2018. I was enjoying a bagel from the bagel shop I worked for at the time, when in the middle of eating, I discovered I had broken one of my two front teeth on the top side of my mouth. This was obviously cause for alarm, and I scheduled an appointment at the dentist.
My teeth have always been "bad" since I was a child (lots of cavities and fillings when I was younger), and I have a family history of dental issues (both my mother and my paternal grandfather had dentures before the age of 30), so I figured this could be serious. When I went to the dentist, they did an x-ray, and found that, at the time, twenty two of my twenty eight adult teeth were severely decayed, and would likely require extraction (removal).
This came as a very big shock to me, and for a few months I was in denial. "This can't happen to me" and "I'm way too young for this type of problem" were the kind of thoughts that crossed my mind. As the next few months passed, however, I realized that this is a serious problem and I need to start assessing my options. I did some extensive research on the internet on options for replacing my teeth once they've been extracted, taking into account that whatever I decide on, will have to last me the rest of my life. I researched options from traditional dentures, to implant supported dentures, to full dental implants.
In early 2019, I visited a clinic in Edina, MN called ClearChoice Dental Implants. They took a CT Scan of my face and jaw, and came up with a completely custom treatment plan for me that would give me a brand new set of teeth. The only downside to this treatment plan, is that almost none of it would be covered by my health insurance, as the insurance company determines it to be a cosmetic procedure.
For the past two years, I haven't been able to eat properly, I've dealt with dental pain and infection, I haven't felt comfortable smiling in front of others, and I have fallen back into the pits of anxiety and depression, unsure of how to handle this potentially life-threatening situation I'm in without breaking my bank.
Fast forward another year and a half to 2020, and most of the teeth in my mouth have severely decayed and broken to the point of being nearly unusable. It is becoming more and more of an urgent issue in my life.
The Treatment Plan:
The folks at ClearChoice offered me a treatment plan where they would remove my decayed/rotting teeth, and replace them with a full set of dental implants. This would offer me a second chance at living the life that a normal 22 year old lives. It would be a process of 2-3 appointments.
The first appointment would be the main surgery, where I would be put under, my teeth would be removed, and 6-8 implants would be placed into my jaw where my teeth used to be. I would then spend the next 2-3 months recovering with a set of "temporary teeth" designed by ClearChoice's in-house lab.
The next appointment would occur once I've fully recovered from the first, and the process of osseointegration has allowed the implants to fuse into my jawbone. At this appointment, I would receive my new, "permanent" teeth, and they would be secured onto the implants by the doctor.
The third and final appointment would happen a few months after the second, and would simply be to make sure that the implants are a good fit for my mouth, and that the recovery process is going well. Beyond the third appointment, I would visit every 6 months for routine cleaning, just like any other dentist.
Why this is so urgent:
The people at ClearChoice stated to me during my visit "happy and healthy teeth are the gateway to a happy and healthy life". I believe this is true, as since the issues with my teeth started, I've noticed more and more problems with my general health, including, but not limited to, migraines, facial swelling as a result of tooth decay/infection, back pain, digestive issues from not being able to chew my food properly, and more.
An infection in or around the mouth is particularly dangerous because it is very easy for it to spread into the bloodstream, potentially causing severe illness, such as a staph infection, septic shock, or even death. I want to get this fixed before the issue becomes potentially fatal.
Why I need your help:
The treatment plan offered by ClearChoice is ideal for someone in my situation. Dental implants are known to be able to last a lifetime, and that's what I need, being only 22 years old. The downside of the treatment plan, however, is they don't have options for payment plans for people like me, who don't have any pre-existing credit score. The bill for my treatment as of my initial visit in 2019 was roughly $60,000. Based on the complexity of the surgery and recovery process, I would need to take a significant amount of time (roughly 3-6 weeks) away from my job to recover properly, and I would need to alter my dietary habits during the recovery period as well, eating mostly soft foods.
What it means to me and my family:
To me, getting this operation and getting my teeth fixed would offer me a new shot at life, and restore my confidence. I often find myself feeling embarrassed about the condition of my teeth, leaving me uncomfortable when I look in the mirror every morning. If I was able to get this procedure, it would allow me to feel much more comfortable in my own skin.
My family and friends have almost all told me, at one point or another in the past two years, that my personality has changed a lot. I used to be outgoing and adventurous. Ever since the issues with my teeth rotting began, I don't like socializing with others, and I found myself not leaving the house unless absolutely necessary (even before the pandemic began).
I want to be the old me again, and I truly believe that fixing my teeth is the first step in restoring my old self. I'm asking for your help. I'm not, and never have been an addict, or anything of that nature. I was simply young, naive, and depressed when I allowed my health to decline. Now that I've had the time to mature, and learn from my mistake, I'm ready to correct it, the sooner the better, but I can't do it alone.
Thank you for reading. Anything helps.
-Alex & Family
