- P
As a teacher, my smile is the centerpiece of my classes. It communicates joy, approval, and pride to my students. In my private life, it is the centerpiece of the trauma and pain I have experienced.
Throughout my childhood, I suffered through years of constant abuse and neglect, including severe physical attacks, improper nutrition, and inadequate medical/dental care. As a byproduct, I began to have dental issues very early in my life, which I endured silently. Most people were unaware because on the surface there was nothing noticeably wrong.
The first time that I saw a dentist I was 15 years old. I was told then that I needed immediate work done to fill the cavities & remove 3 impacted wisdom teeth/2 broken molars in order to save my teeth from future damage. My mother opted to only fill the cavities. At 16, my wisdom teeth began to come in improperly (despite being told that 2 of them would never break the gums), which resulted in my broken molars shifting. I have lived with constant pain & increasing problems since then.
When I was 18, my mother passed away, and I took control of my dental health. Dental insurance was not offered at any of my early occupations, so I began this journey paying for every appointment, X-ray, cleaning, filling, and extraction out of pocket. I have literally spent thousands upon thousands of dollars attempting to get ahead of the problem. While my career as a teacher is the joy of my life, it does not result in a big salary. There's many times I've had to decide between living in severe pain in order to pay a bill or going to a dentist again.
Despite my efforts, the damage was done years before I was able to really make a difference. Everything I've done, and every dollar I've spent, has just been to maintain my teeth in their current state. My molars continued shifting, which caused cracking, and eventually multiple abscesses/infections. The pain I've lived through in this process is hard to verbalize. It's life altering...to say the least. Multiple dentists have recommended different surgeries/procedures, but with quotes ranging as high as $50,000, financially they weren't an option for me.
A few months ago, I suffered through a serious dental emergency. While eating, one of my molars cracked all the way to the root. The pain was so immediate and immense that I thought I had been shot in my jaw by a stray bullet from the kids shooting in the woods near my home.
During my appointment/extraction, the dentist informed me that I've developed a gum disease which is causing me to lose bone & gum tissue, and that my ONLY option moving forward is surgery (including gum grafts). Without that, my problems will increase, leading to more broken teeth/infections that risk my overall health, and more intense pain. This is not a future I want to face, nor a current state that I want to remain in.
During the Obama administration, I was able to finally afford dental insurance with a company called Dentaquest. Despite being given a list of 5 pages of dentists "in my network", over half of their listed providers refuse to take their insurance at all. About a quarter are pediatric dentists. There is actually only one dentist's office that provides the services that I need in the entire network. They do not actually TAKE the insurance, but rather have an arrangement with the company to provide proof of service for reimbursement. The insurance company only reimburses 50% up to a certain amount (capped at approx $2500). I'm still required to pay the FULL costs upfront.
**UPDATE** As a result of the changes to the healthcare.gov system, I am no longer able to afford the insurance offered. My benefits end on December 31st, 2019. Because of this, there will be no chance of reimbursement for the cost of any treatment/surgery.**
My total to complete the work I need has been quoted at $7000. By working side jobs & offering tutoring outside of my teaching positions, I have saved up $3000.
$4000 more & I can save my smile!
I am asking the community to come together to help in any way that they can. Any support & act of kindness is deeply appreciated.
Throughout my childhood, I suffered through years of constant abuse and neglect, including severe physical attacks, improper nutrition, and inadequate medical/dental care. As a byproduct, I began to have dental issues very early in my life, which I endured silently. Most people were unaware because on the surface there was nothing noticeably wrong.
The first time that I saw a dentist I was 15 years old. I was told then that I needed immediate work done to fill the cavities & remove 3 impacted wisdom teeth/2 broken molars in order to save my teeth from future damage. My mother opted to only fill the cavities. At 16, my wisdom teeth began to come in improperly (despite being told that 2 of them would never break the gums), which resulted in my broken molars shifting. I have lived with constant pain & increasing problems since then.
When I was 18, my mother passed away, and I took control of my dental health. Dental insurance was not offered at any of my early occupations, so I began this journey paying for every appointment, X-ray, cleaning, filling, and extraction out of pocket. I have literally spent thousands upon thousands of dollars attempting to get ahead of the problem. While my career as a teacher is the joy of my life, it does not result in a big salary. There's many times I've had to decide between living in severe pain in order to pay a bill or going to a dentist again.
Despite my efforts, the damage was done years before I was able to really make a difference. Everything I've done, and every dollar I've spent, has just been to maintain my teeth in their current state. My molars continued shifting, which caused cracking, and eventually multiple abscesses/infections. The pain I've lived through in this process is hard to verbalize. It's life altering...to say the least. Multiple dentists have recommended different surgeries/procedures, but with quotes ranging as high as $50,000, financially they weren't an option for me.
A few months ago, I suffered through a serious dental emergency. While eating, one of my molars cracked all the way to the root. The pain was so immediate and immense that I thought I had been shot in my jaw by a stray bullet from the kids shooting in the woods near my home.
During my appointment/extraction, the dentist informed me that I've developed a gum disease which is causing me to lose bone & gum tissue, and that my ONLY option moving forward is surgery (including gum grafts). Without that, my problems will increase, leading to more broken teeth/infections that risk my overall health, and more intense pain. This is not a future I want to face, nor a current state that I want to remain in.
During the Obama administration, I was able to finally afford dental insurance with a company called Dentaquest. Despite being given a list of 5 pages of dentists "in my network", over half of their listed providers refuse to take their insurance at all. About a quarter are pediatric dentists. There is actually only one dentist's office that provides the services that I need in the entire network. They do not actually TAKE the insurance, but rather have an arrangement with the company to provide proof of service for reimbursement. The insurance company only reimburses 50% up to a certain amount (capped at approx $2500). I'm still required to pay the FULL costs upfront.
**UPDATE** As a result of the changes to the healthcare.gov system, I am no longer able to afford the insurance offered. My benefits end on December 31st, 2019. Because of this, there will be no chance of reimbursement for the cost of any treatment/surgery.**
My total to complete the work I need has been quoted at $7000. By working side jobs & offering tutoring outside of my teaching positions, I have saved up $3000.
$4000 more & I can save my smile!
I am asking the community to come together to help in any way that they can. Any support & act of kindness is deeply appreciated.