Teeth Are Expensive

Like many adults who grew up financially unstable, I had limited access to dental care and let me tell you--whatever it cost back then would've been way cheaper than it is right now. Hi, I'm Casey and my mouth is a mess.

If you know me personally, you know that asking for help is not something I do very often. Apart from my dental woes and spending the majority of my life in financial insecurity, things are pretty good and I am incredibly privileged in many ways. Just not with teeth genetics, I guess. So it's time to swallow my pride (which luckily does not need to be chewed) and ask my community for assistance.

I need to have about $6900 worth of necessary dental work. Apparently the bones that hold up our faces, mash up our food, and help us speak clearly are not viewed as being super important by insurance companies, since that total is AFTER my covered portion. Guess I'll rot!

A few questions I've been getting (or that I assume I will get) that I'll answer here:

Q: Why don't I go out of country for cheaper dental work?

A: I cannot afford to travel to Mexico or Vietnam or other normal places where dental work is affordably priced. The procedures I'm getting will require follow up and I'd be much more comfortable with someone local. I also have a six year old child and can't really make international travel work with my family's needs

Q: Don't you have a job?

A: Two of them! One just started recently (yet another reason I can't go out of the country) and luckily I make enough to pay my bills. I do not make enough to pay nearly $7k for my luxurious bone care.

Q: Doesn't your dentist offer credit plans?

A: They sure do! If your credit score is over 750 and you'd like to apply FOR me so I can have access to it, hit me up--because that's what it requires.

Q: Did you, like, just stop brushing your teeth?

A: Nope! In fact, my dentist said that I have excellent oral hygiene and only miss one spot while flossing. He also said that I am fighting a battle against crappy genetics (aren't we all) and there's only so much I can do without medical assistance. I asked if he could call me every single day and remind me of that but "mental health" it's yet another thing my insurance won't cover.

Q: Why are you asking for $7100 instead of $6900?

A: To cover what I anticipate Go Fund Me's fees are.

Q: What exactly do you need to have done?

A: I'd love to tell you all of the incredibly graphic details but whenever I start to talk about them I CRY and get ANXIOUS and feel like THROWING UP UNTIL I DIE. I'd be happy to send you the treatment plan if you'd like some light reading about a woman with a Sarlacc Pit for a mouth. I did paste a crappy screen shot below that I can't figure out how to make not blurry.

So listen. Times are tough for everyone. If you can't donate, I completely understand and I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO. I don't expect ANYONE to donate. I'm not even sure if this will work but I'm terrified, I'm out of options, and I'd really like to keep my teeth. If you can't donate but you have friends who have money and don't know what to do with it, send this their way. If you read all of this, you're a real sport and you've put perhaps the last smile on my face.