A woman has revealed how she lost her teeth at the age of 19 after bumping into them while drinking a cup of coffee.
Natalie Lacasse, from Vancouver, Canada, survived a horrific car accident when she was 18. The painkillers she was prescribed had a rather nasty side effect, which caused her to vomit for months, which weakened her teeth enormously.
Natalie, now 24 years old, was devastated when she lost all her teeth in April 2019 and has since had to spend $5,000 on dentures.
In a YouTube video published on SHERA, a digital platform dedicated to empowering women, Vancouver native Natalie recounted the experience.
‘The next morning [after the accident]“I had woken up and could barely walk,” she said.
Natalie Lacasse, from Vancouver, had a side effect of pain medication that caused her to vomit for months, weakening her teeth. Pictured: Natalie without her dentures
“It felt like I was being ripped to shreds. I went to the ER and they told me I had a tear in my lower back muscles.
“The ER doctor gave me Naproxen for two weeks and told me it was a muscle relaxant.”
After taking the Naproxen, she began to vomit continuously, as she was previously unaware of the effect the medication had on her stomach lining.
The medication caused gastrointestinal problems and stomach ulcers, causing Natalie to vomit several times a day, even keeping a cup in her car in case she came up short.
She said, “I used travel toothbrushes to keep brushing my teeth, not realizing I was brushing the stomach acid in my teeth.
“I noticed that my teeth were becoming translucent. The sun shone on my face and went right through my teeth.’
In April 2019, Natalie was drinking a cup of coffee when she smashed the mug against her front teeth, breaking them off.
She visited a dentist who told her that her bottom teeth were completely hollowed out and broken.
The now 24-year-old was devastated when she lost all her teeth in April 2019 and has since spent £4,022 ($5,000) on dentures. Pictured: Natalie takes out her dentures
The drug caused gastrointestinal problems and stomach ulcers that caused Natalie to vomit several times a day. Pictured: Natalie wearing her dentures
It was then that she began the process of getting dentures.
The dentures cost her the ability to speak and at the age of 19 she had to learn everything all over again.
She said, “I didn’t think I would have trouble speaking.
“I didn’t think I’d have to learn how to eat again.
“I left the dentist and went to talk to my mom on the phone and I couldn’t.
“The first week I really didn’t know what I was doing, it was a lot of crying and hurting.”
Although her journey was difficult, Natalie watched hundreds of videos about speech disorders and used those methods to improve her speech.
She said, “I noticed that my teeth were becoming translucent. The sun shone on my face and went right through my teeth.’ Pictured: Natalie with her natural teeth
The drug caused gastrointestinal problems and stomach ulcers that caused Natalie to vomit several times a day. Pictured: Natalie in hospital after being diagnosed with stomach ulcers
Natalie watched hundreds of speech impediment videos and used those methods to improve her speech. Pictured: Natalie without her dentures
She said: ‘Watching speech impediment videos makes me start using my tongue – the tongue is the problem.
‘Of course it’s embarrassing when my teeth fall out while I’m trying to talk, so I started reading books aloud in the kitchen.
“I watched YouTube videos and tried to talk to them to see if I sounded right.
“Once I got the hang of it, it was easy—I almost forgot I had the dentures on.”
Despite the initial cost to restore her smile, Natalie hopes to have reconstructive jaw surgery, which is estimated to cost $16,500, but she has yet to save the money for it.
Though it has changed the shape of her face along with her daily life, Natalie hasn’t been put off by her new look, and she’s even shared her journey on social media.
Natalie is hoping to undergo reconstructive jaw surgery, which is estimated to cost $16,500 (£13,260), but has yet to save the money for it. In the photo: Natalie in the hospital
Although it has changed the shape of her face along with her daily life, Natalie has not been put off by her new look. In the photo: Natalie with her dentures
In April 2019, Natalie was drinking a cup of coffee when she smashed the mug against her front teeth, breaking them off. Pictured: Natalie without her dentures
On Tiktok, in a post that received more than 50,000 likes from her followers, Natalie hilariously answered the question “Why don’t you eat in public?”
She started the clip by smiling at the camera and then took out her dentures to highlight such a problem.
Some viewers were stunned by the performance and shared their shock.
One person said, “You make my day.”
She said, “I used travel toothbrushes to keep brushing my teeth, not realizing I was brushing the stomach acid in my teeth.” Pictured: Natalie with her natural teeth
She said, “Once I got the hang of it, it was easy — I almost forgot I had the dentures on.” In the photo: Natalie without dentures
Another added: “This is so far from what I expected. I love this!’
“I didn’t expect that, I like people who fool themselves,” said a third
While a fourth commented: ‘Did. Not. To expect. That.’
Natalie added, “I’m really trying not only to entertain myself during this very difficult time, but also to bring humor and light to chronic pain and dentures while I’m young, while sharing my journey and story.”