So, I spoke earlier about dental issues and dealing with it under quarantine.

I’m gonna tell y’all a secret, and a BIG source of anxiety and shame for me-
I have BAD TEETH.

Not like- yellow or crooked teeth. Much worse.

I have the kind of teeth that most people acquire through years of smoking meth and chugging Mountain Dew and not owning a toothbrush.

I didn’t go through all of that to acquire them- it was a mixture of genetics, poverty, a massive candy addiction and rugby.

But it didn’t matter the reason- most people were too polite to ask WHY my teeth were a wreck- they pretended not to notice, while silently judging me.
I once had a guy break up with me because of my teeth.
I stopped smiling for YEARS.

Medicare in Ohio doesn’t cover extensive/cosmetic dental work- and I couldn’t afford it. Not smiling was easier.
The constant pain meant that I was taking ibuprofen several times a day- which eventually caused a bleeding ulcer.
My mental well being and self worth was nonexistent

I was depressed and anxious, al Because of my damn teeth. Eventually, I discovered veneers and started using them, just to at least avoid judgement. I felt NORMAL again. It was wonderful. I could smile again- but it was only covering up the shame, not fixing the problem.

When my husband and I got hitched, he knew about my problem, and was excited to finally help me fix them FOR REAL. But I still never let him see the extent of the problem.
Until tonight. He was okay with it, but we are still getting them fixed ASAP.

Anyway- the reason I’m sharing one of my biggest vulnerable spots is because of this-
STOP JUDGING PEOPLE BY THEIR TEETH.
This is some weird American thing we do, and we hold people to extremely high standards with dental cosmetics, while simultaneously keeping people in poverty

Not everyone with bad teeth has them due to drugs (hell, ive never even done meth!) or laziness. They have bad teeth for a multitude of reasons- most of which are not a reflection of their character or decisions- and they deserve your respect and kindness too.

And healthcare NEEDS to universally cover dental- because the effects of bad teeth go much further- to the point where people can DIE from not receiving dental care.

And everyone deserves to smile.

And if you’re reading this and feeling seen- I’m here to tell you that you’re more than your teeth. And that even if you don’t smile in public, I hope you do privately, and that there are options available that can help.

I can’t believe I’m sharing this- but THESE $25 VENEERS HAVE SAVED ME. They made me feel confident, felt natural after a while, and I had SO much less pain. Plus, I could eat and drink with them in. I recommend them to anyone who just wants to have a nice smile for a bit.

And the whole reason I thought it was important to share this- because u have enough privilege to. I’m pretty confident that y’all know me well enough not to judge me for my bad teeth. But so many people don’t have that privilege.
Be kind to them too.