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Name: Monica
Age: 42
Family: Mother with 13-year-old son
Occupation: Homemaker and homeschooler
Dentures: Needs to have three more teeth removed before getting full uppers and lowers

"I'm ready for the changes dentures will bring."

Ever since her son was born, Monica has loved taking his picture. But you'll almost never see her in the frame. "I don't like to see my smile," says Monica. "I'm a really outgoing person, so I smile and talk a lot, but when the camera comes out, I clam up."

"I never really learned how to take care of my teeth as a child. So every time I went to the dentist, I was terrified," Monica recalls. As she got older and the condition of her teeth worsened, Monica dealt with the pain rather than taking steps to fix her smile. She remembers, "In my 20s they told me I might need dentures, but I kept putting it off. It was the drilling sound that got to me. Just hearing that sound would make me run out of the office."

For more 20 years, Monica avoided doing something about her teeth. She kept changing dentists. She avoided being in pictures. She tolerated the pain. A couple of years ago, Monica finally decided to do something about it. "I was thinking about working again. And I don't want to be cruel, but to get a good job, appearance matters!"

After talking to her dentist, she realized that dentures were her most affordable option. "I talked to family members who had dentures and did research online," says Monica. "Some people had a bad experience, but for the most part, I was surprised... most of the people I talked to were really comfortable with their dentures." The more she learned, the less afraid she was. "I wanted to hear about the good stories and the bad," she recalls. "It's great to know that you are not alone."

Monica is currently in the process of getting all of her teeth removed. "The process isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, especially when you compare it to the pain I lived with for the last 20 years. That was worse than anything. I'm ready to get my dentures now," she explains. "Sure, I'm still nervous every time I go to the dentist, but soon, I think I'm going to feel good about my smile. Do you know how long it's been since I've felt that way?"

As she moves closer to getting her first set of dentures, Monica hopes her story can help others in similar situations. But more importantly, she looks forward to putting her smile back in the picture.