Hello, my name is Tiera.

I am 29 years old (but forever 21 lol). Some of you may know that I’ve been living with Lupus SLE since age 12. These past few years have been really hard for me mentally and physically because I’ve been on tons of medications that affected my teeth after having to have my braces removed early due to the risk of not only the Lupus itself, but also the risk of the medication I’ve been on since age 12 making my teeth fall out if I had kept the braces on any longer.

Since then, my teeth have shifted back to square one and have gotten worse over time. I am really self-conscious about my teeth because a smile is what defines you. It’s what makes you beautiful and shows that you take care of your oral health/hygiene. The first thing I look at when speaking face to face with someone is their smile, and I know others do the same to me.

My plan is to go to a different country where the procedures are cheaper than in the USA to get implants and/or whatever treatment I need to fix my smile and regain my confidence in my smile and overall oral health.

Any contribution, no matter how small, will bring me one step closer to restoring my smile and my confidence. This journey is not just about regaining my physical health; it's also about healing from the emotional trauma.