Jade,

You have poor dental health but you are not dead. Or starving or living in some war-torn country or even dying of an incurable disease. Lighten up. There are so many worse things that can happen to you but when we get bad news, we tend to create the snowball effect in our minds – just making things get bigger and bigger and worse and worse. Guess what? You take care of your health and body and so do I – I eat healthy, organic food, exercise, try to reduce stress, etc. And yet, my health can deteriorate as much as yours and become even worse. None of us are immune from bad news, illness or death. But we must take care of this body of ours nevertheless so here is what I suggest you do – find a way to pay the 10K. Write down some affirmations such as “I will acquire the money for my dental treatments” or “The money I need for my dental treatments is available to me.” Read these affirmations daily and create a plan of action for paying for your treatments. Keep thinking positively while also being grateful for the good health that you still have. If you see an obstacle as an open door, then good things can come in.

Take care, stay open and be wise.

Dear Jade:

Most important that you spend the money you earn on your health and not on your cousin (previous thread)! This is your first and foremost responsibility- to take care of your own health, physical, mental.

I wonder if you have been taking good care of yourself all these years- maybe you thought you did but in some areas, you didn’t? May be a good time to evaluate your self care:

How did you exercise? Lots of people run. Running carries many more chances of being injured than walking. Fast walking is just as beneficial, as aerobic exercise, as running- without the injuries. Something to consider, if you run. Otherwise, what kind of aerobic exercise have you been doing, how often, for how long each time.

Eating right- I ate all the right things in the past, only too much of those right things… amounts are to be considered, frequency of eating- what works for you…

Dental hygiene- brushing teeth properly- some don’t at nights and only brush in the morning- that never made sense to me because lots of bacterial activity happens during the long hours of the night… And some toothbrushes or ways of brushing don’t reach some areas where decay happens after the (incomplete) brushing. Flossing, of course, important.

And so on, re-evaluate…?

Also, regarding the dental work: I had a good part of a crown chipped off in the very back of my mouth some time ago. I thought surely the crown needs to be replaced. To my surprise, my current honest (!) dentist told me it is not required, that I may never have to replace it. Obviously, what crown is there- is enough to prevent decay. It is just a cosmetic issue that no one can see unless I open my mouth real wide. I am not in the habit of doing that! So perhaps check with an honest dentist what work needs to be done to prevent further decay and loss of teeth and gums and what is of cosmetic value only (which, depending on location, may not matter).

anita

Hi Jade,

I would do three things:

1. Shop around. Different dentists may say radically different things! Find out the least amount you can do. Or only get one procedure done a year.

2. Get on a payment plan. Not everyone has dental insurance and most dentists have seen it all. You will probably be pleasantly surprised that your dentist is willing to work with you.

3. Swallow your pride. Go two generations up and two generations down in your family. Ask grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and/or steps for help. It sounds like you have helped a cousin?? Well, now it’s your turn! This is what families are for. Between several family members helping out, 10K may turn into, say, 4K.

Blessings,

Inky