With the rising cost of dental care and limited benefits from insurance companies, more and more patients with dental needs find themselves stranded and helpless. We receive dozens of inquiries every month from patients who are suffering greatly from significant dental problems. Some need teeth extractions to get rid of pain while others need to replace their missing teeth to feel more confident in their everyday life. Many of them just want to be pain free and be able to eat.
We saw one such patient, a young female in her early twenties, who needed to have all of her teeth extracted due to severe caries and be prepared to receive full upper and lower dentures. This had a tremendous emotional impact since she could not eat well, speak the same way, and felt embarrassed at work and home. We helped her with the necessary extractions and two dental implants donated by an implant company, providing her with some support for her dentures. However, what she really needs is multiple implants to support a fixed set of teeth that can restore her bite, chewing function, and aesthetics. This treatment was costly and something she could not afford so we suggested that she start a fundraising campaign, a new way to raise funds for patients in dire need of dental or medical care (Read her campaign).
There are now several websites that help people raise money for healthcare needs. GiveForward.com is one site that empowers friends and family to send love and financial support to patients navigating a medical crisis. Indiegogo.com and Fundly.com are two other sites that support medical fundraising, in addition to other causes or non-profit events. With the power of social media, patients can share their compelling stories with thousands of people and seek contributions. Such donations, even in small amounts, compound rapidly to reach the campaign goals and help patients pay for their necessary medical or dental care. Their lives are forever changed with the gifts that keep on giving for life.
With today’s challenges in healthcare and rising costs, fundraising may be the only solution for some patients who would otherwise continue to suffer from their conditions and fail to live their lives to their full potential.