I am a 19 y/o who's life is currently put on hold. Due to the face that I recently just gave brith to a beautiful baby boy. I have really croocked teeth and it has ruined my whole life because of it. I grew up with a very low self esteem, extreme depression disorder and even developed a social anxiety disorder because of it. All my life all I ever wanted was a pretty smile. When I go out I can't even open my mouth. I have to look around to see if anyone is looking at me before I say anything. This is really bothering, because I am ready to move on in life and find a job so I can provide for my son. In the state I am in though that is almost imposssible. Due to the fact that if I were to interview I would'nt be able to talk so most likely I would'nt get the job. I haven't finished school yet, I'm currently in the process of getting my ged which is also a major let down cause I know I am diploma material, but because my teeth weren't straight I allowed that to deprieve me of finishing school. I didn't have any friends although people knew me as the pretty girl who was quite. In fact my highschool nickname was both Silence and mime. It hurt sometimes to hear cause people had no idea why I was the way I was. I felt if anyone knew about my problem that they wouldn't accept me. So I quite going to school cause I was scared to go up to my teachers to ask quiestions. Thinking that if they were to see my teeth they may look at me funny. I had no friends to help me with my work either. So I just gave up I felt it was hopeless. If I wasn't turning my work in then there was no point in going. I regret it all now. I'm really at the end of my rope right now though. I fell hopeless. All I'm asking is that someone out there might read this and find it in there heart to help me out a little bit. It would truely be an answered prayer. I could find a way to make AFFORDABLE payments. Or if someone that is able is reading this and could just pay for them for me that would truly be a blessing this would mean just so much to me, you have no idea. I need braces and I really don't know what to do, who to turn to, no one seems to understand how important this is to me. All my life this has been my wish. I just lost my father and my mother is struggling I want to be able to help her but without a job that is not possible. SO please someone help my wish come true. I also haven't seen a dentist in aboput 7 years and I have about 4 cavities that need to be filled and maybe a couple pulled which are causing me incredible pain......please hear me!!!!!

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Thank you!!!

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i have plenty of friends with bad teeth. there s always people who look past things like that, i know i do and so do my friends. we re all not models or actors and everyone knows that. jst be urself and ur teeth are u so dont worry abt it, that s how god made u. i hope this helps a little, i know there s not much i can say buti can tell u this, i have never put any one down because of their teeth or smile. good luck with this. :)

I'm very sorry to hear of your situation and my heart goes out to you. I can understand how you feel because I have found my self in a similar situation. But in the end you cant get depressed about it because you have a lovely child and you must focus on the positive things in your life rather than negative. I'm sure you must be thinking there arent any but I'm sure thats not true. When I saw my dentist and he told me how much it would cost to fix my teeth I was really depressed for tha day but the next day I told myself I had to get out of thinking like this. I have my health two beautiful girls and a husband, and I quickly snapped out of it before I got in too deep. There are always people worse off than you as I'm sure you must know after reading some of the stories in these boards.
So chin up girl and good luck for the future.

I walked around with LONG fangs,(eye teeth) chipped front teeth, and missing front bottom teeth or 10 years., So I know it can be tough, but you just have to have confidence regardless. People love/like YOU, not your teeth. No one probally even notices that much, because most are too wrapped up in their own lives, and have worries of their own.
I'm prety sure I read on this board one woman who wrote the same letter of plea for help to every dentist in her phone book,and one was happy to help! Or, you could get ALL of your family to chip in a bit, as I did. Just ask, don't give up!

I can soo totally sympathize with your plight.. Im 33 yrs old, have 2 whole teeth and the rest are half teeth or worse, riddled with cavities, not to mention the fact that they are soo horribly crooked that 2 of my teeth on the bottom row have been pushed back toward my tongue, almost forming their own second row on the bottom, behind the other ones..

I try to only smile with closed lips, and when i feel that slipping, i lick my lips, tilt my head down,look away, cover my face with my hand... anything to try to hide the shameful, and mortifying so called smile. I havent had a serious relationship for a while because i now lack the self esteem to even persue romance.. I have no income, as I have been unable to land a job with my situation.. Its partially due to appearance,and partially psychological.. It looks like a train wreck, has me constantly scowling, not out of anger, but rather because of the pain as well as embarassment and dispair.

I feel hopeless.. In my current dental situation, even if by some miracle i were able to get a job dispite my appearance, i doubt i would be able to focus on my assigned task well enough to keep the job till i could afford to make the pain go away once and for all

Now, take it to the next level, i have a horrendous gag reflex, i cant even handle a plastic spoon in my mouth for more than a few seconds, so imagine me trying to wear dentures... Just not an option for me. Unfortunately, dental implants are considered cosmetic and thus a luxery and furthermore, due to that, not covered in any insurance plans or grant options..

People take for granted how nice it is to be able to eat without fighting through intense pain, or picking what u eat based on its sugar and or acidic levels, textures, or solidity.. Nevermind the impact to self confidence/esteem from feeling the need to hide your smile..

I have a very high tolerance to pain, but after 6 plus years of ever increasing pain, im soo over tolerating it.. I need financial help in the worst possible way... Implants are not a commodity someone from my economical standing can even begin to fantasize about affording.

Im afraid for my life.. And no, i am not being overly dramatic, abscessed teeth can be fatal.. Many times now my face has swollen up to unrecognizable proportions, and through a strict pain killer regiment, ive been able, thus far, to suffer through it with nothing more than prayers that it gets better... I fear that one of these times, it wont get better..

Everyone can preach that u cant get depressed about it, not everyone judges, blah blah... Spare me.. Im a normal human being with normal human flaws, and im sorry, but when i cant even function well enough to have a normal conversation due to intense pain, how am i supposed to look past that and develope a sense of "i dont care what ppl think"... Anyone in my situation will tell you, you become obscessed with it.. It controls your thoughts, feelings, actions, and hell, even when and what you consume.

It confounds me how we live in a country that pays entertainers such as sports stars, actors and the like, INSANE quantities of cash due to the revenue generated by their trade and yet countless fellow americans in my situation are suffering due to a lack of $$.

God help me, if i ever get out of this situation im in and become able to realize my potential & amass any respectable amount of wealth, im going to set up a proper charity organization for dental assistance, asthetic, cosmetic or otherwise..

Good luck with your request for financial aid! If i werent in need of the exact same thing, i would offer you assistance. Unfortunately, all i can really offer is good intentions and best wishes for you, myself and anyone else in similar situations to ours.. /prays for a better tomorrow

Farewell and God Bless

i do sympahise with you milkshake ,not sure where you live? but if it was that much of a embarrassment when you were younger you could of had braces,to straighten your teeth?

not too late but now it will cost you to have them fitted as an adult,but its worth asking how much ,also you maybe able to pay monthly payments?

as for cavities and pain get them sorted out ,as you be more embarrassed with no teeth ,than having crooked one's

if you live near london ,go to whitechapel dentist hospital ,you might be lucky and they take you on and do the treatment free?

its no good sitting in doors feeling sorry for yourself ,you got to go to see somone to sort you out?
if yur unlucky like me ,ive paid thousands to get my teeth right ,but sadly cant get hlep to sort me out i seem to hit a brick wall and also run out of money
but you have to at least try?????? so go and seek help and hopefully your story be great and have a great ending with having straight teeth and being able to smile again

It's not a permanent solution but could get you through an interview, for example. You can get a temporary snap-on mask made to cover your existing teeth. Don't know the cost to you but the technician who makes them charges the dentist around $200. If this gets you a decent job, then you could save for orthodontics.

A point no-one has mentioned yet-you say you have just had a baby, which presumably meant getting close to someone!! So obviously your teeth aren't so horrendous that if people saw them they would run a mile..!! Did that person ever comment on your teeth - presumably you must have talked and smiled with him! I think in these cases (as in mine too as I have bad gum recession etc) you think things are often worse than they are and in fact people will barely have noticed. If I think back to a time before I became obsessed with my bad teeth and everyone else's great teeth, I never noticed people's teeth, I couldn't have told you who had good or bad teeth, so I think we build it up so much in our heads , it seems like the only thing that people notice when in fact it is not at all.
The above suggestion is a good one - in fact it has given me an idea that I could have a false gum made to get me through interviews too,!

Smile , and I will try too!!