Help Jamie Smile Again After 15 Years of Pain
My name is Jamie, and I haven’t smiled in over 10 years. Not because I don’t want to — but because I physically can’t. I’ve been living with broken teeth, infection, and constant pain for over 15 years. Most of my top teeth are missing. The ones that remain are broken off at the gum line and infected. I barely eat. I barely sleep. I live in fear that this infection is going to turn into something worse — and I’m scared I won’t catch it in time.
And here’s the part most people assume wrong: this wasn’t caused by drugs.
The truth is… I wasn’t taught dental hygiene growing up. I didn’t go to the dentist as a kid — not once. The very first time I saw a dentist, I was in my mid-20s. I remember having bad teeth in high school already, and by the time I started trying to take care of them, the damage was already done.
I don’t blame my parents — they didn’t know either. But it affected my life in ways I’m still trying to recover from.
I’ve tried everything:
• UAB quoted me over $50,000 for implants
• DDS offered only dentures — and I’m not trying to hide the problem with removable teeth
• I’ve applied for programs, grants, free clinics… and been denied or ignored every time
I live on disability and below the poverty line. And when I show up to a dentist for help, I get that look — like I’m less than human. Like my pain doesn’t matter because I can’t pay. I walk out feeling ashamed, humiliated, and hopeless.
But I’m still here. I’m still fighting. I’m asking for help now — not just for teeth, but for the chance to feel human again.
I just want to smile like I used to. (You can see me smiling in the photo from 1999 — that was real joy. That was before the pain took over.)
I want to be able to talk to people again without hiding my mouth.
I want to eat without hurting.
I want to live without this cloud over me.
I want to smile without hiding my mouth.
If you can give anything — even $5 — it brings me closer to getting dental implants that don’t come out. Something permanent. Something strong. Something I can smile with again.
I’ve always been the one who helps others. Right now, I need someone to stand up and bat for me.
Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for caring. Thank you for helping me get my life back.
— Jamie
