My Story

I want to start by saying this plainly, because it matters.

I didn’t lose my teeth because I didn’t take care of them.

I lost my teeth young due to a combination of childhood neglect and severe medical complications during pregnancy, two things that were largely outside of my control.

Growing up, my parents struggled with addiction. Dental care was not a priority in our home, and routine checkups were rare. When I finally saw a dentist as a child, I had more than 13 cavities at once, damage that had built up quietly over years without consistent care or intervention. My teeth were already compromised early in life, long before I had any ability to advocate for myself.

As I got older, I did what I could with what I had. But the foundation was already weakened.

Everything changed when I became pregnant with twins.

During that pregnancy, I suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe and debilitating condition that causes relentless vomiting. The constant acid exposure, dehydration, and nutritional strain took a devastating toll on my teeth. Any remaining healthy structure I had left was rapidly eroded. What childhood neglect had started, pregnancy complications finished.

By the time I understood the full extent of the damage, saving my natural teeth was no longer possible.

Losing my teeth was not just a physical loss. It was emotional, isolating, and deeply misunderstood. People often assume tooth loss is the result of laziness or poor hygiene, but the reality is far more complex. Medical trauma, poverty, neglect, pregnancy, and systemic barriers play a far bigger role than most people realize.

Dentures were my first step toward rebuilding my life.

They restored basic function, but they also came with challenges. Instability, discomfort, and the constant reminder that they were a temporary solution. I was grateful for them, but I still didn’t feel whole.

For a long time, dental implants felt impossible. Financially, emotionally, and informationally. Like many patients, I wasn’t given clear explanations or support early on. Just overwhelming numbers and little guidance.

When I finally pursued implant treatment, it changed my life.

Implants gave me back stability, confidence, and a sense of ownership over my body that I hadn’t felt in years. I stopped thinking about my teeth every moment of the day. I could eat, speak, and exist without fear or embarrassment.

This journey is why Denture Dame exists.

I share my story because so many people are carrying shame for things that were never their fault. Tooth loss is not a moral failure. Dental health is deeply connected to medical history, access to care, and life circumstances, and it deserves to be treated that way.

If you’re here because you lost your teeth young, because pregnancy changed your body, because neglect shaped your health, or because the system failed you, you are not alone.

This is my story. And I tell it so others don’t have to feel invisible while living theirs.