A mum-of-four has shared her harrowing ordeal after her teeth “shattered” and she had no choice but to remove them – now she sports dentures.
When Samantha Cox fell pregnant with her first child, she was overjoyed – but within a few months, her life took a sharp turn as she began experiencing intense pain in her teeth.
The 37-year-old, who had struggled with dental issues before, got root canals and fillings to help ease the pain, hoping this would be the end of the ordeal.
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But then, during her second pregnancy, the pain returned – worse than before – and her teeth started “shattering”.
After her third pregnancy, the customer service assistant was advised to have implants, but due to the costs involved, she opted for dentures instead, and now, she’s sharing her shocking ordeal to warn others.
“I spent more time at the dentist during my pregnancies, than I did at my doctors’ office,” Samantha told What’s The Jam.
“I was scared and confused as to why the dental work I kept having done would fail me only a short time later.
“My teeth were just soft and brittle.
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“I had tooth pain and my mouth was being cut by the broken teeth.
“They were so sensitive and hurt each time I ate or had a drink.
“I was so embarrassed and I stopped smiling, as well as showing them, after a while.
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“No one could tell how bad my teeth were.
“I had to suffer silently and alone.”
Samantha, who is mum to Tony, 21, Ellie, eight, Lily, six, and Emmy, four, had previously been diagnosed with malabsorption before falling pregnant.
The condition results in nutrients from food not being correctly absorbed and therefore, growth and development is affected – causing issues with dental enamel, ulcers, and cavity lesions.
For the mum, from Ohio, US, this severe decline in her condition impacted her daily life significantly, especially each time she gave birth.
She said: “I was doing everything right but still couldn’t stop them from hurting.
“I was in constant pain with my teeth.
“I have had countless sleepless nights, lying awake, unable to ease the pain.
“And I’ve stayed home from events for my children due to the pain.
“I couldn’t drink straight from a cup because my mouth would hurt.
“I always had to use a straw.
“Mentally, I felt defeated and depressed over my teeth.
“I brushed I flossed I went to the dentist regularly but still I felt like my teeth hated me.
“I’d fix the issue, and move on until I had to fix them again and again.
“But by fixing, I was prolonging the inevitable.”
In December 2023, she went for a consultation and had 23 teeth extracted in February 2024, with dentures fitted – costing $2,500 (USD) (£1,950).
To help raise awareness and show that having dentures young isn’t something to be ashamed of, she shared her full journey on TikTok, racking up 440,000 views and over 7,000 likes.
Users have flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many people praising the mum for her transparency and bravery.
Angela said: “I think the pair you have now look great.”
Devin commented: “I personally think they are beautiful!”
Tasha added: “I think they look amazing.”
Katie said: “People don’t realise the stress of dental issues until it’s them, you look great!”
Christine wrote: “I truly think you look amazing.”
Samantha added: “My mouth feels amazing all things considered.
“I don’t have tooth pain, I can smile with an open mouth again, I can laugh – it’s amazing.
“My children think I’m cooler now because my teeth [have] come out and they’ve made sure to tell everyone that their mum has got dentures.
“One thing I’ve noticed while going through this is that there is a stigma with dentures.
“It’s the only prosthetic that is openly bullied.
“I have had so many people reach out to me over being embarrassed by their teeth and how they don’t want anyone to know.
“A body part of mine failed me – so I replaced them – nothing more, nothing less.”
