Teeth

For my entire life, I had one recurring nightmare.

No joke—I’ve dreamt about my teeth crumbling in my mouth.Then my nightmares started to come true.

My molars were the first to go. From the outside, they looked fine. I took very good care of my teeth my whole life, so nothing seemed wrong.

But one by one, they died on the inside.

At first, I just had a gap-toothed smile. Since it started with my molars, it wasn’t obvious. But eventually all of my molars died, and it got to the point where I was only connecting at one spot to chew my food.

That’s when I began to liquefy my diet.

I held off as long as I could, but in June of last year, my front tooth died—the big one in front. In July, I had my remaining teeth pulled.

I cried. I still cry about this.

It wasn’t until I lost my teeth that I realized what I had truly lost.

Mealtimes aren’t the same anymore. If I sit with people while they’re eating—like a normal person—it’s awkward at best. Most of the time, I just sit there while everyone else eats.

It’s boring.And it makes me sad.

Sad for what I’ve lost.

Not only have I lost the social part of eating, but I’ve also lost weight. Chewing is the first step in digestion. It physically breaks food down, and your saliva contains enzymes that help break it down chemically.

I can’t do that anymore.

My weight dropped from 125 to 113 pounds, and I struggle to keep even that on.

All of this is incredibly embarrassing.I wish this weren’t the case.

I just want to be normal.

My hope is that snap-in teeth will let me eat again.

Sit with people and actually be part of it.

Not just watch from the sidelines.

To sit down and eat with people without thinking about it. To smile without hesitation. To exist in my body without constant awareness of what’s missing.

Right now, I’m not there yet.

If you feel moved by my story and want to help, I’ve created a GoFundMe to make this possible. Even a small donation—or simply sharing—would mean more to me than I can express.

Because this isn’t just about teeth.

It’s about getting a piece of my life back.

https://gofund.me/f19394c42