An Edinburgh woman is fundraising after her teeth fell out during lockdown and left her looking like a “monster.”
Denise Hesketh from Gorgie says the problem has led to her being unable to find work, and even questions whether her friends are turning their back on her due to her appearance.
She told Edinburgh Live that she has had issues with her teeth all her life but when the dentist closed during the Covid-19 pandemic and she could not get any treatment things took a turn for the worse.
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Rather than try and save her teeth Denise says that dentist were only performing extractions, and many were simply left at home suffering toothache in agony across the UK.
Denise explained: “My teeth began to fall out early on in the lock down and I wasn’t able to do anything. I was aware of watching pictures on the news that people were pulling their teeth out with pliers.
“When I finally got treatment, it was because I was in pain. But ordinarily they would have attempted to fix the tooth but they were only allowed to remove teeth so I had another one disappear. The lock down was so mismanaged.”
The Gorgie woman says the only real solution is to get implants but the cost is not within her reach.
Denise says worrying over her appearance is affecting every area of her and life destroying her mental health.
She continued: “My gums have been receding for some time and the crowns at the front have become so loose they cannot be replaced.
“I have lost several and have just the one at the front, which looks horrendous and that is on its way out.
“I look like a horrendous monster, it affects my confidence and I cannot find work.
“I bond with friends only to have them disappear and stop contacting me for no reason, I look in the mirror and think that it could be this.
“I could be being paranoid but it’s definitely not good for my mental health and wellbeing.”
Denise has to raise a whopping £20,000 in total for the expensive implants and has already raised nearly £500.
But she says that raising awareness over these issues is equally important.
She said: “Many kind people have donated so far but I need people to keep on helping and for the momentum to continue so I can keep funding my treatment.
“I want to get the story across so people don’t make the same mistakes again if we were to go into another lock down and to ensure dental services and other essential healthcare isn’t abandoned or put to the bottom of the list.”
To view the fundraising page click here.
