"I was taking tons of paracetamol to dull the pain but sometimes they didn't work."
Sonya went to a dentist to find out how much it would cost to treat the decay in her mouth.
"When they told me it would be over $5000 I decided I would just have to live with it. There was no way I could afford that."
One day last summer Sonya saw people coming and going from the Revive a Smile dental charity bus parked near her house.
She went along to see what it was all about.
"I filled in an application right there and a couple of weeks later my treatments began."
Revive a Smile founder, dental specialist Dr Assil Russell, and her colleagues cleaned Sonya's teeth, gave her several fillings and removed those teeth that couldn't be saved.
"They were amazing," says Sonya. "They were kind and careful and they always made sure I wasn't in pain."
The charity gave her a lot of support and information throughout the process, she and have followed up with her since she received her new dentures to make sure they are comfortable.
The devoted mum struggles to find words to express how much she appreciates the care she received.
"Just plain awesome is not enough," she says. "I love to laugh and smile in front of people now. I'm smiling all the time."
And Sonya has become an ambassador for good oral hygiene, using her experience as an example to her children, friends and family.
"I show them my mouth and photos from before," she says. "I tell them this is what you'll get if you don't take care of your teeth."
