Emma's Dental Fund
Donation protected
*UPDATED AS OF 3/9/2021 - PLEASE SEE UPDATE BELOW FOR NEW INFORMATION-
*2nd Update post procesure
$2,270 has been added to the goal amount for root canal surgery.
1st Update post procedure*
The second tooth that is at risk for a root canal has been filled and pain/inflammation will continue to be monitored by me and my dentist. Hopefully this is all I will need, but there is a high chance that the infection is already at the root nerve and ill need root canal therapy soon.
-ORIGINAL STORY-
I want to start off by saying that I do not expect to reach the set goal, I just wanted to be transparent about the reality of my situation and show that any little bit helps. I know it's been a tough year for us all.
In late 2019 I had finally gotten to a place where I had a steady income. I was able to pay all of my bills with some leftover for savings for the first time since I moved to Gainesville in 2016. I finally got health insurance which was saving me $100-$200 a month in medical bills. I also decided to spend some of that savings on a trip to the dentist to get a cleaning and some x-rays.
Growing up I had relatively consistent dental care, though it wasn't always the best quality. During this trip to the dentist I learned that the filling material used in the bottom left side of my teeth years ago was no longer in use as it was shown to leave teeth extremely vulnerable to re-infection and cause rapid decay over time. Not only were these teeth re-infected, but the majority of my mouth also had average to severe cavities throughout. 16 teeth in total had cavities with a few showing visible decay. One was at risk for a root canal.
Now, for those of you who don't know, dental care in the USA is EXTREMELY expensive. Most dental insurances require you to be on a plan for 6 months to a year before they offer coverage for fillings, root canals, crowns, etc. Even then, they only cover 1-2 every few years. Most low to average income households, like me, simply cannot afford the expense of long-term dental insurance. We live paycheck to paycheck.
The prices quoted to me were as follows:
Fillings
Visit 1- $1271.00
Visit 2- $1578.00
Visit 3- $1074.00
Visit 4- $962.00
Endodontics (Root Canal)
Referral - $240.00
Root Canal - $1250.00 (x2)*
Crown - $1400.00 (x2)*
Time was of the essence because as a person living with an auto-immune disorder (UC - similar to Chron's), I am at risk for rapid-decay. Though it isn't something I like to talk about publicly, I have also suffered from Bulimia since the age of 17. I am in a much better place than I used to be but I still struggle to maintain my recovery status. Because of these pre-existing conditions, my teeth are a bit abnormal. Whereas a normal person can live with a cavity for several months/years, mine can turn into a root canal-worthy tooth within a month. I was terrified as I didn't have even a 10th of this in savings, but I was going to try and figure it out. I applied for the local student clinics (UF and Sante Fe), applied to, called, and even drove out to discount clinics multiple times trying to get an appointment, looked into loans, CareCredit, and was actively looking for work on top of my current job.
This is when COVID-19 hit. I lost my job on March 15th. Dental offices closed. I never heard anything back from the places I applied to. I hit a dead end. I was lucky enough to receive unemployment only a month after losing my job. I've been able to pay my bills throughout the shut down, and food stamps helped me keep my fridge full. I did look into dental insurances/discount plans with a low waiting period during this down time, but unfortunately none of them panned out. I did have Delta Dental for 1 month (mid May - mid June), and visited a local in-network dentist, but they refused to refer me to the in-network endodontist which would have helped with the majority of these costs. The dentist himself was extremely unhelpful and very disrespectful throughout the appointment, and he was the highest rated dentist in-network. I decided to drop the discount plan and return to the dentist from before.
Unfortunately, the time and money needed to get second, third, and fourth opinions is simply not within my means. Dental offices are only just starting to re-open and I was fortunate enough to make appointments with my current dentist as a priority patient. Wait times for others are ranging from weeks-months, and the time-sensitive nature of my case won't allow for that wait time (unless I want to pay for even more root canals.)
I've already had my first appoint with my dentist and had 1/4 of my mouth treated. One of the cavities on that side has unfortunately moved close to the root nerve and may need a root canal anyway (another $3000)*.
I am still looking into other options. I am still calling the discount clinics. I am trying to contact the local student clinic to check on the status of my application. I have looked into flying out of the country, but the risk associated with this amount of work simply isn't worth the time. Travel restrictions are still tight, and may even shut back down for the US by the time I arrange treatment and travel.
I will be traveling to my hometown, Melbourne, FL, on June 23rd to get a third opinion from my family's dentist. Hopefully we can prioritize certain teeth and spread out the cost.
So, there it is. If anyone- friends, family, acquaintances, strangers- is in a position to help me right now it would make all the difference in the world. I am also willing to accept loans privately outside of this fundraiser and have every intention of paying those back when I am back at work. If nothing comes of this, that's 100% okay. If I get $5, I very well may cry (if you know me, you know this isn't a lie). Anything and everything helps.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Emma
*2nd Update post procesure
$2,270 has been added to the goal amount for root canal surgery.
1st Update post procedure*
The second tooth that is at risk for a root canal has been filled and pain/inflammation will continue to be monitored by me and my dentist. Hopefully this is all I will need, but there is a high chance that the infection is already at the root nerve and ill need root canal therapy soon.
-ORIGINAL STORY-
I want to start off by saying that I do not expect to reach the set goal, I just wanted to be transparent about the reality of my situation and show that any little bit helps. I know it's been a tough year for us all.
In late 2019 I had finally gotten to a place where I had a steady income. I was able to pay all of my bills with some leftover for savings for the first time since I moved to Gainesville in 2016. I finally got health insurance which was saving me $100-$200 a month in medical bills. I also decided to spend some of that savings on a trip to the dentist to get a cleaning and some x-rays.
Growing up I had relatively consistent dental care, though it wasn't always the best quality. During this trip to the dentist I learned that the filling material used in the bottom left side of my teeth years ago was no longer in use as it was shown to leave teeth extremely vulnerable to re-infection and cause rapid decay over time. Not only were these teeth re-infected, but the majority of my mouth also had average to severe cavities throughout. 16 teeth in total had cavities with a few showing visible decay. One was at risk for a root canal.
Now, for those of you who don't know, dental care in the USA is EXTREMELY expensive. Most dental insurances require you to be on a plan for 6 months to a year before they offer coverage for fillings, root canals, crowns, etc. Even then, they only cover 1-2 every few years. Most low to average income households, like me, simply cannot afford the expense of long-term dental insurance. We live paycheck to paycheck.
The prices quoted to me were as follows:
Fillings
Visit 1- $1271.00
Visit 2- $1578.00
Visit 3- $1074.00
Visit 4- $962.00
Endodontics (Root Canal)
Referral - $240.00
Root Canal - $1250.00 (x2)*
Crown - $1400.00 (x2)*
Time was of the essence because as a person living with an auto-immune disorder (UC - similar to Chron's), I am at risk for rapid-decay. Though it isn't something I like to talk about publicly, I have also suffered from Bulimia since the age of 17. I am in a much better place than I used to be but I still struggle to maintain my recovery status. Because of these pre-existing conditions, my teeth are a bit abnormal. Whereas a normal person can live with a cavity for several months/years, mine can turn into a root canal-worthy tooth within a month. I was terrified as I didn't have even a 10th of this in savings, but I was going to try and figure it out. I applied for the local student clinics (UF and Sante Fe), applied to, called, and even drove out to discount clinics multiple times trying to get an appointment, looked into loans, CareCredit, and was actively looking for work on top of my current job.
This is when COVID-19 hit. I lost my job on March 15th. Dental offices closed. I never heard anything back from the places I applied to. I hit a dead end. I was lucky enough to receive unemployment only a month after losing my job. I've been able to pay my bills throughout the shut down, and food stamps helped me keep my fridge full. I did look into dental insurances/discount plans with a low waiting period during this down time, but unfortunately none of them panned out. I did have Delta Dental for 1 month (mid May - mid June), and visited a local in-network dentist, but they refused to refer me to the in-network endodontist which would have helped with the majority of these costs. The dentist himself was extremely unhelpful and very disrespectful throughout the appointment, and he was the highest rated dentist in-network. I decided to drop the discount plan and return to the dentist from before.
Unfortunately, the time and money needed to get second, third, and fourth opinions is simply not within my means. Dental offices are only just starting to re-open and I was fortunate enough to make appointments with my current dentist as a priority patient. Wait times for others are ranging from weeks-months, and the time-sensitive nature of my case won't allow for that wait time (unless I want to pay for even more root canals.)
I've already had my first appoint with my dentist and had 1/4 of my mouth treated. One of the cavities on that side has unfortunately moved close to the root nerve and may need a root canal anyway (another $3000)*.
I am still looking into other options. I am still calling the discount clinics. I am trying to contact the local student clinic to check on the status of my application. I have looked into flying out of the country, but the risk associated with this amount of work simply isn't worth the time. Travel restrictions are still tight, and may even shut back down for the US by the time I arrange treatment and travel.
I will be traveling to my hometown, Melbourne, FL, on June 23rd to get a third opinion from my family's dentist. Hopefully we can prioritize certain teeth and spread out the cost.
So, there it is. If anyone- friends, family, acquaintances, strangers- is in a position to help me right now it would make all the difference in the world. I am also willing to accept loans privately outside of this fundraiser and have every intention of paying those back when I am back at work. If nothing comes of this, that's 100% okay. If I get $5, I very well may cry (if you know me, you know this isn't a lie). Anything and everything helps.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Emma
Organizer
Emma Grimm
Organizer
Gainesville, FL