I read your headline and my first thought was: dental care. I knew it would have to do with health care somehow.

Even if you didn't come out of that kind of poverty as a kid, it's hard to catch up. I came from a dairy farm where we had enough to eat and I got braces (for which I thank my mom every year, they paid for it all out of pocket), and still, it's hard in today's America to get ahead without the connections and know-how that wealthy families have. You're just starting from too far behind.

It just takes a ridiculous amount of cash in America these days to scratch out a baseline living. Especially if you're not into tech and you don't want to be a nurse/doctor.

You have a LOT to be proud of. Keep it up. And let's collect all your other nice commenters and all move to Canada someday, if they'll have us. I'm sure I'll be long dead before this country ever gets around to nationalized health care.