For the love of steak

Simply put, I need new teeth. I have seen a couple of dentists and have had estimates on what it would take to fix the many, many problems in my mouth. They are stained, chipped, broken, (more break all the time), and filled with more cavities than I can count. Every tooth in my entire mouth needs major work. Due to this, those estimates have ranged from $40,000 to $50,000 - WITH my Insurance! I could probably get my issue "resolved", though not fixed for much less... If I just wanted to have my teeth pulled out and resign myself to ill-fitting, uncomfortable, constantly irritating dentures. The pain that I experience almost makes that an appealing thought, but I cannot resign myself to it. I know that the problems I have are all entirely my own fault. Approximately 20 years of continuous Soda drinking, Smoking, Borderline/Pre-Diabetes (some say that I'm diabetic and just trying to fool myself), and poor Oral health habits really took their toll on my mouth. I quite smoking, I quite drinking soft drinks, I got to a Dr. and got my blood sugar under control. I've made a lot of improvements, but the damage has already been done where my teeth are concerned.

Being unable to smile, unable to feel comfortable opening my mouth in front of other people, and terrified of the prospect of trying to eat in public has really beaten down my self esteem and self confidence. Now, I just want to be able to smile and eat foods that require chewing again.