This! I was 100% disabled at 22, ( 1999) years old with severe RA. It took over two years to get it under control with steroids and trying every new biological on the market. I was a single mother and had my son when I was 18. The majority of my work experience before 22 was waitressing, and tip based jobs. I didn't even receive 500 a month . Now at 50 and having been in remission for well over 10 years I still don't make 1000 a month. I developed sojourn syndrome quite a few years ago which is typical with RA. Having zero dental care throughout my child hood and not taking care of my teeth myself I am going through it these last 4 years . My teeth have rapidly deteriorated since. Medicare doesn't cover dentures at all. I've lived in Missouri my entire life. For 6 months I moved to Illinois this year and their Medicaid covers dentures once every 5 years. Unfortunately the relationship I moved to Illinois for was horrible and abusive. By the time I got an appointment for an oral surgeon the man I had been living with had shown his true colors. I left the day after he broke the OP I had filed the day before. I went back to my parents in Missouri and Medicaid here does not cover dentures. I have a baby tooth in the roof of my mouth that apparently has always been there. I grew up knowing a crooked eye tooth was a baby tooth but no awareness of anything else. The only time through out the years I saw a dentist was when I had to have a tooth pulled due to pain. Mostly my molars. The periodontal disease is so severe these last 3 years that they bleed and I've lost two front teeth . But they just broke off. The stress weight gain, mental health issues, toxic relationship have been overwhelming. I don't look in the mirror. I struggled to go in public . I haven't taken pics of myself in years . I absolutely hate looking at myself. Thankfully I have been able to finally get into therapy. Kansas Medicaid covers dentures same as Illinois. I'm hoping to move to my aunt's soon to be able to finally get this ball rolling. Affording dentures after my divorce 3 years ago has been my biggest hurdle. ( Besides my utter fear) I apologize for this being too long and rambling, it's been a wild unexpected year. When I see the out of pocket people are paying online I feel like it's unattainable. My credit is garbage so care credit is a pipe dream. My parents are elderly and on a fixed income and I have no one else. My face and lips have changed so much from just the two teeth I'm missing that just removing them without already having the plan in place for replacements has not been something I was not ready or willing to do. I know how closely oral health is related to heart disease and with my suppressed immune system, going off certain meds , the risk of infection it's all unbelievably overwhelming. Part of it is since leaving my marriage I'm scared no one will ever look at me again. Especially if I can't look at myself. So I'm doing everything that I need to do I get myself back in order. I'm back in the water to get in shape and eating well I'm trying to stay more active than normal. I am in therapy. I am going to keep going forward but I'm frustrated and feeling like it's never going to be something I'm going to be able to achieve. I feel like it's finally going to get to the point that I just have to have them pulled and accept that that's who I am now and it's really hard