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Hi Everyone,
My name is Shelley and I have four infected & impacted wisdom teeth. They desperately need to be removed. I could potentially get heart problems or die from the infection if they are not removed asap. I am on basic social assistance and they do not consider this an emergency (although it is described as one by dentists) so I have to pay the full amount of $2500 (not including tax) to get my teeth removed. So here I am, asking you lovely folks for help.
I started noticing back in November of 2013 that the place where my wisdom teeth are supposed to grow in was emitting a dull pain that was very annoying. By March of this year, the pain had grown a considerable amount to the point where it hurt to eat or drink anything. My mouth was swollen and I was getting very bad migraines from the tooth pains that caused vision blurriness. This was on an almost daily basis. I then noticed, when I looked in my mouth, that there were grey spots where my wisdom teeth were supposed to be. I figured it looked like rotting gums. I brought this to my doctor’s attention immediately.
It wasn't until April 28th, on the day Academy Dental hosted their "Dentistry from the Heart" to provide free dental care, that I discovered I did indeed have four impacted and infected wisdom teeth. The dentist who saw me and took my X-Ray told me he couldn't take out any of the teeth because I needed to take a round of antibiotics to bring down the infection before any dentist would even consider taking my teeth out. Then he proceeded to tell me that I may need to be put under via IV because freezing the area may not be enough since the teeth are also growing in sideways. The dentist warned me that I could get heart problems or worse. In some cases, if the infection flares up badly enough, it can cause death. The dentist wrote me a prescription for the antibiotics and I was to fill it and complete the full 10 days, so I did.
Needless to say, the information given to me that day scared me. So I went to the Cool Aid Dental Clinic and I was put on a cancellation list to see the dentist. However, I never got in.
By August, I had taken four rounds of antibiotics to bring down the infection. It keeps reappearing after 2-3 weeks because the problem itself has not been taken care of.
By the first week in September, I had gotten so impatient waiting that I decided I'd go to see a local dental clinic because a friend referred me to them saying they were excellent and that they take care of people with low income. I went there for my new client exam that was supposed to cost no more than $25, which was good because I only had $60 left from welfare for the rest of the month. The dentist who did my exam said my teeth needed to be taken out asap. I agreed. They booked me an appointment with a different dentist for the end of September and then told me it would cost roughly $2500 ($420+tax alone for the IV to put me under!) I told them I am on basic social assistance and I cannot pay that money to them, especially considering they wanted it upfront. They told me there was nothing they could do and that was the policy and that after the official price quote is given to me, I could apply for financial aid but there is no guarantee I would get it. Another lady behind the counter said “Better start saving”. I said that it was impossible considering I’m on welfare and the appointment was for the end of the month and the lady just laughed. They proceeded to charge me $53 for the new client appointment/exam. I argued that is not what any of the three people I spoke with told me the cost would be and they apologized but told me I had to pay it before I could leave, so I did. I left extremely upset that I had been lied to about the cost of the initial exam and at the fact that I have to pay $2500 (not including tax) up front if I wanted to get my teeth out. So being angry and overwhelmed I broke down crying and called the Cool Aid Dental Clinic and explained to them everything that had just occurred and what the state of my mouth was. The receptionist told me that I needed to get a referral from my doctor in order to make an appointment with one of the dentists through them. So I did. Now I am waiting to hear from the dentist about a date for them to examine my mouth and then figure out another date to have my teeth removed.
It's now mid-October and I can feel the infection coming back. I still am on social assistance because the migraines that cause vision problems are preventing me from working. Social assistance will not cover any of the cost of removing my teeth. However, the perk of going through the Cool Aid Dental Clinic is that they cover maximum 25% of the cost from the dentist.
My goal now is to raise $3000 in order to ensure I can pay the entire cost including taxes and get my teeth removed. Please help by sharing my cause with your family and friends. Anything you can do or donate is greatly appreciated, you have no idea how much your actions mean to me! Thank you all so much for your time and charity and remember to take care of your dental health!
Shelley Savage
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