Second job to fund tooth: Abbie's story
#FixIt4Free
Abbie Smith was 23 when she “face-planted” a chest of drawers in the course of a seizure.
“I was on my own at the time,” said Abbie, “and thought I was just bleeding a lot. It was only when I facetimed my mum that she told me I had lost my front tooth. Being 23 I was quite upset about how that made me look, as obviously I liked going out with friends – it really affected my self confidence.”
Abbie who is from Yeovil in Somerset, had to wait a year without her tooth before seeing an implantologist and was then faced with a £4,000 bill to cover the treatment.
“We don’t have lots of spare money so I had to take an extra job to raise the money to pay for the treatment,” said Abbie.
Taking on an extra job
Abbie, now 25, was already working nine to five in admin for a helicopter company, but she also began working an early shift for Asda, picking products for online shoppers.
“Unfortunately, the stress of two jobs meant that my seizures increased. I wasn’t getting enough sleep and rest in between work which meant that I then ended up having to take time off work to recover,” she continued.
“I was very relieved to finally have my new tooth but, to be honest, I wasn’t very pleased with my dentist. He wasn’t comfortable seeing me on my own in case I had a seizure in the chair, so my mum had to come with me. She supported me in asking to get something off the price of the treatment but with no success.
“I think the Epilepsy Society’s Fix It 4 Free campaign is really important. It’s wrong that people have to pay for injuries caused as part of their epilepsy.”
What is FixIt4Free?
Simply put, we are calling for free dental repairs to teeth damaged by seizures.
We believe that people with epilepsy who have damaged their teeth due to seizures should not have to pay large sums of money for repairs. They have a medical condition, and we believe they should have this treatment for free. No costs, no rising fees. Just free treatment for medically caused damage.
Do you agree? 96 per cent of those who responded to our survey do.
Why not write to your MP, share our infographic on social media, read our personal stories and send us your own thoughts on free dental treatment.
You can reach out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or via campaigns@epilepsysociety.org.uk