Most of the teeth in my mouth are rotting away and there’s nothing that I can do about it.
I don’t have dental insurance, nor can I afford it.
It looks like I’m stuck with emery boards and pliers.
Emery boards file down sharp, broken teeth that start to stab me in the cheek.
Pliers…well, I would have to be drunk as fuck and completely desperate, like that movie where Tom Hanks uses an ice skate to slam a tooth loose.
Eating is a delicate, slow task. I’ve been practicing eating puree foods.
Anything crunchy scares me, like please no, I do not want a potato chip, thank you Aunt Edna (who doesn’t really exist, remember?)
I come from a family of bad teeth. All the dental floss and fancy toothbrushes over the years has done nothing to keep this cluster-fuck of a mouth of mine from going bad on me.
I don’t smile much, not because I don’t feel like it, no, it’s because I’m embarrassed to be seen with these funky chompers.
Unfortunately, about 130 million Americans lack private dental coverage. That includes 22 percent of children between ages 1 and 17, 40 percent of adults between 21 and 64 and 70 percent of seniors age 65 and older. When families can’t afford dental care, they skip it. -netquote.com
If you have dental insurance, go get a nice root canal.
I want pictures.
Abbey Is Not Normal 
Hey Abbey
Do you all have Comfort Dental locations where you are?
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Yes, I do.
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I so know the feeling. My teeth weren’t in bad shape until I had a serious sinus infection. All of a sudden they started breaking off and I stopped smiling. I have anxiety about going back to work because I have always worked with the public and worry how they will see me.
Don’t get me started on not being able to eat all of my favorite foods. Especially this time of year when it is traditional to have a big platter of mixed nuts put out for everyone. Even when I had insurance, and it was one of the good ones. It didn’t cover all the work I need. My half of the bill was going to be in the thousands. So here I sit waiting for them to slowly break away to nothing and cry in pain because I can’t get a doctor to write me a prescription for the pain.
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It just stinks, doesn’t it? Literally, my breath is starting to get nasty.
Sigh.
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I have dental insurance and got a root canal two years ago, and still had to pay through the nose for it. When the tooth on the other side of my mouth decided to quickly wither away last year, I said fuck it and let it rot. Until it has me in pain, I can live with a hole in my mouth…
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I hear you, that blows giant monkey balls.
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We have five hundred dollars coverage each year with our provincial disability coverage, I had me teeth cleaned and a root canal last yr. all covered. Kids have free dental here also. Time to move to CANADA Abbey.
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Oh Violet, if only I could!! I could rent a boat and sail across Lake Erie, I wonder if I’d make it? Hmm..
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maybe Abbey just maybe…. huggs
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My teeth aren’t in great shape either – a wisdom tooth started to come through and all the rest of my teeth got squished up. Bits fell off 😦
It’s bad that you can’t get help with dental charges,
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Teeth are a major design flaw…boo.
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I have a little bit of insurance through the state but I cannot tolerate the numbing meds. So that’s fun. Last filling literally was like torture and thanks to some portion of this illness I need four more, plus that one I just got fixed already broke and needs to be fixed again. Chronic illness really is a glamorous life, isn’t it. My little trick…clove oil on a qtip applied directly to the gums really helps with dental pain.
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