Smile for Me - Dental Implants Fund

Hello friends, fam, and anyone else who has landed on this page.

I am reaching out today for some support.

For the past 12 years, I have been living with a significant dental issue that has impacted my life in more ways than I can describe. At 9am on December 11th, 2011 I was was driving home from a friends house and fell asleep at the wheel. I went off the road, hit a tree, totaled my car, and at approximately 30mph hit my face on the steering wheel. This life-changing car accident resulted in the loss of 4 of my top adult teeth, a broken nose, and multiple jaw fractures. Luckily I had my seat belt on saving me from any other more serious or life threatening injuries.

It took over 8 years and a whole myriad of procedures to get my first set of teeth implants in 2019. This was a monumental moment for me, and I thought my struggle was finally over. Unfortunately this was not the case. Last year I was at a regular teeth cleaning when my dentist brought up concerns about one of my canine teeth. This tooth and the one next to it had endured substantial damage during the car accident, resulting in two root canals which were starting to fail and caused infections in my gums. Their recommendation was to pull the two teeth, remove my implants, and do the whole process over again. Which much to my dismay is exactly what happened.

Here I am 12 years after the original accident, needing to replace my teeth for a second time. After restarting the process from square one, all the implants have been replaced and healed, and now the last step is getting the porcelain pieces, that actually look like teeth, attached to the implants. The impact this has had on my quality of life is not something I share with most people and mostly keep to myself. Navigating social settings and eating have been a daily struggle for 12 years and I look forward to the day when I can smile and be with others without always worrying about my teeth.

The cost of dental implants is significant, and I do not have the means to cover the final procedure on my own right now. Insurance has refused to cover anything since the very beginning, saying it's a cosmetic procedure. So, I am taking a vulnerable leap and asking for some support from my community in helping me cover the cost of the final step in this long and challenging journey. Finalizing my dental implants will mean so much more than just restore my smile, it will be a restoring of my well being.

I do not expect anything from anyone, but if you feel your in a place to give a little, I would be forever grateful. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will bring me one step closer to a mouth full of teeth and closing a long chapter of my life that has been quite challenging both physically and emotionally.

From the bottom of my heart and with all of my love, thank you soooooo much!

-Summer