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lauren's denture adventure

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Hi friends, family, and colleagues! My previous treatments and surgeries got my gums in great shape and now I’m ready for the next phase in my dental journey. (Details at the end for those who aren’t squeamish).

Unfortunately my teeth aren’t doing as well as we’d hoped so it’s time to start on my denture adventure. I’m working with 3 dentists: a periodontist, a denture guy, and a tooth lady. We’re still figuring out the exact plan of attack but it’s going to cost a lot.

So it’s time to start fundraising.

Ultimately this will likely cost about $60,000 in medical expenses, plus (unpaid) time off of work and a variety of incidentals.

I do have dental insurance this time! Sadly it will only cover a small fraction but every bit helps.

I know that everyone’s been struggling financially - so please only give if you’re able. For a detailed breakdown, see below. I’ll update when my treatment plan is complete.

Thank you so much for anything you can contribute, including all the good vibes, prayers, and duas you can spare.

love & solidarity,
Lauren

Alternative donation options - so I can avoid GFM fees
  • Venmo @laurenmpayne
  • PayPal: laurenmpayne
  • CashApp: $laurenmpayne
  • Info re: sending checks or Zelle available upon request

Estimated Cost Breakdown
  • Initial assessment - $500
  • Surgery (2 parts) - $45,000
  • Dentures & crowns - $23,000
  • Medications - $250
  • Go Fund Me fees - $4,000
  • Special diet (3 months) - $2,000
  • Time off of work (covering 12 weeks of rent, phone, insurance, transportation, healthcare etc). - $8,000
  • Rx mouthwash, cleaners, adhesives - $50
  • Wiggle room for unexpected medical expenses - $7,200

Details for those who are interested:
My time with my bottom teeth has come to a close. There’s a good chance I’ll be getting all of my teeth removed right now - my dentists are discussing the best way forward. I may keep my top teeth for another few years, I’ll update soon.

My gum surgeries and procedures did work - because my gums are so much better, I qualify for “snap in” dentures (also known as an overdenture). This is much better than a traditional denture, which tends to move around a lot and is much less comfortable.

I’m not a candidate for implants as I have too much jawbone loss already from a combination of autoimmune and genetic issues. There’s not enough bone left to support a mouth of implants.

There’s always a chance that the posts for the snap in dentures will fail and I’ll be stuck with regular dentures. That said, it seems like snap in dentures will probably work which is exciting.

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Donations 

  • Andrea Abi-Karam
    • $25
    • 8 hrs
  • Shanelle Matthews
    • $100
    • 13 hrs
  • Anonymous
    • $3,500 (Offline)
    • 1 d
  • Brian Coblentz
    • $100
    • 14 d
  • Anonymous
    • $10
    • 25 d
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Organizer

Lauren Payne
Organizer
Emeryville, CA

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