Hi my name is Mike. I am a happily married Army Veteran. I desperately need all my teeth extracted and replaced with dentures. Your donation would help me to improve my basic way of life immensely. I would be able to end the cycle of infection and antibiotics. I would be able to live without mouth pain and eat food normally. I would have the confidence to smile and be out in public again.

I was finally diagnosed with MS in July of 2018 after a series of disabling and debilitating health issues, including loss of sight in my left eye due to optic neuritis from the MS. My neurologist prescribed a regimen of eight different medications and a monthly injected immunosuppressant called Kesimpta, plus daily supplements and vitamins to slow the MS progression. One of the side effects is an increased risk of infections.

I have endured recurrent oral infections, including an abscess inside the tongue that required surgery (the oral surgeon had never seen anything like it) and chronic periodontal disease in which infection traveled into the jaw bones and caused severe bone loss. Despite deep cleanings, good oral hygiene, medicated rinses, and numerous rounds of antibiotics, the receding gums and bone loss resulted in the loss of many teeth. Sadly, at times, I have been able to extract my own teeth using just my fingers and a bit of a wiggle and pull because they were no longer rooted in the bone. I have only 14 teeth left, several of which are cracked and/or broken off and they move about, which makes it difficult and painful to eat. It can take me well over an hour to chew my food at dinner.

Two years ago, my dentist proposed extracting all my teeth, bone grafting to build up my jaw bones, and implanting posts for permanent dentures. The cost he quoted was more than $30,000, unaffordable to me, so I have been searching for a more affordable solution since. The problem now is that I have suffered so much gum and bone loss while trying to find a way to pay for them that I won’t even be able to get permanent implants, which is what I really wanted.

Aspen Dental opened in my town and after a recent consultation, that dentist developed a personalized treatment plan utilizing a same-day snap-on denture! Snap-on dentures are not implants, but they do have implanted posts that the denture attaches to and holds in place. Well, the lower set can be done as a snap-on denture along with a traditional upper denture on top, as I suffered too much bone loss on the top and bone grafting is not an option since the remaining bone is too close to my sinuses.

I must act NOW while I still have enough lower jawbone left for implanting the posts. If I waited much longer, I would lose more bone and not be able to do this procedure either. The cost for this procedure is more affordable than denture quotes I received at other dentists. The cost for these new dentures after military and all other discounts available is $14,683.10. Care Credit financing is available at an interest rate of 28.99% accruing from day one, meaning that unless I pay it off within 12 months, the interest is compounded at 28.99% from day one and will be added to the cost. This debt situation will throw us into a perpetual cycle of increased payments from which it will take years to recover.

It is highly unusual and humbling that I ask for any help. Typically, my wife and I help anyone and everyone else in need. Now I reluctantly ask for your help. Thank you so much for your assistance.

Mike