I got a dent in my LH front fender --- before I pay for a new one (which would cost with painting about $700) I want to try and fix it myself.

Problem is I can't even remove the undercarriage in order to get underneath the fender to hammer it out. I unscrewed all the screws but it still won't budge.

Has anyone here tried this and what am I doing wrong? Is this the type of thing only a professional can fix?

Forgot to say it's a 2005 White Escape most basic model.