After years of suffering from involuntary vomiting, chewing gum and consuming sugary drinks, a Generation Z woman has spoken out about losing her teeth at just 21 years old.
In 2020, Hannah Kero started to notice the first signs of tooth decay, and within months, she started to lose her adult teeth.
Kero, who resides in Michigan, told Newsweek that she “was devastated” when she lost her first tooth, only to see it lodged in the slice of pizza she’d just bitten into.
Of course, the problems did not arise out of nowhere. When Kero was around 15 years old, she developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) after smoking marijuana at a party. She says her “body clearly couldn’t handle it,” and she suffered a severe adverse reaction that caused vomiting multiple times a day.
“I had good days and bad days,” Kero said. “There was a time during that year when I thought it was over because I’d gone five days without throwing up, but I ended up right back at square one after that.”
Throughout that time, Kero tried to hide her nausea from others. She did not seek medical attention, hid her condition from her friends and family, and completely isolated herself.
“I’d always say I was washing my hands to cover up the sound and explain why I was always in the bathroom. I always kept a small trash can close to my bed as well, so I didn’t have to get up in the middle of the night. I was also constantly chewing gum to hide my breath,” Kero said. She also found that the mint helped with the nausea, and when that didn’t work, she would drink ginger ale. But as it turned out, she was only causing more damage to her teeth.
“I first started noticing signs of decay in early 2020. I was already experiencing pain, but a gap started forming between my two front teeth. I could tell that one of my front teeth was getting smaller,” Kero said.
Losing her first tooth was a horrifying moment for Kero, who cried herself to sleep for weeks.
The tooth decay progressed rapidly after that, and now, Kero has lost five of her teeth (including molars). For years, Kero endured severe headaches, abscesses, unbearable pain that stopped her from being able to eat or speak and food sensitivity.
Tooth decay causes holes to develop in teeth, known as caries or cavities. This occurs when acids in the mouth erode the enamel that surrounds teeth, often a result of plaque build-up, poor oral hygiene and prolific consumption of sugary snacks.
While decay can happen at any age, The Cleveland Clinic suggests that over 80 percent of Americans have had at least one cavity by their mid-thirties.
Left untreated, tooth decay progresses and can become more painful as it erodes further. It can also cause swelling in the gums, dark brown or black spots on the teeth and even an abscessed tooth.
Living with Tooth Decay
Understandably, Kero’s condition has had a detrimental effect on her confidence. The Gen Zer hates smiling in public now, and often finds herself covering her mouth.
“I never smile with teeth in photos, and I’ve also learned how to talk in a way that covers my top teeth. It genuinely makes my stomach drop when I’m talking to someone and see their eyes wander down to my teeth,” she continued.
Owning a cleaning business means Kero does a lot of in-person consultations, and she often worries that her dental health hinders the business. “It’s hard to sell a service without a smile,” she added.
It’s reached a point where Kero can no longer ignore what’s happening, and at the end of 2024 she finally went to an implant clinic to seek help. She’s always had this “mental block” when it comes to the idea of losing her teeth and getting dentures, but Kero finally decided to prioritize her health.
The consultant explained that Kero is experiencing bone loss in her upper jaw and needs support (which dentures wouldn’t provide). X-rays also point to signs of infection.
Fundraising For Dental Implants
After years of struggling in silence, Kero has taken to social media to share her experience. She posted a video on TikTok (@50nicpod) discussing what has happened to her and urging others to protect their teeth.
The video has gone viral with over 1 million views and more than 125,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
It took a lot of courage for Kero to share her journey publicly, noting that it was “one of the hardest things” she’s ever done. She also set up a GoFundMe page to fundraise for the cost of extractions, a full implant supported upper arch, and bridges for her bottom molars.
Kero said: “I want to be confident enough to pursue my dream, which is music. I also want to be able to eat whatever I want whenever I want and never have to deal with the excruciating pain ever again.
“No one should ever judge or assume what someone’s going through based on their dental health. There’s a huge stigma around bad dental health. Most people assume addiction or lack of hygiene, which shouldn’t be judged, but it isn’t true for a lot of people.”
Kero has managed to raise more than $7,900 on GoFundMe so far, which is far more than she anticipated.
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