"Apparently, I spent the whole car ride home trying to convince my mom we needed to adopt a penguin."
Haha, that's hilarious... laughing gas stories are always gold. When I had mine out, I didn't get the gas—just local anesthesia—but I remember being super analytical (maybe overly so?) about the entire procedure. Kept asking my dentist detailed questions about the implant process and bone density issues. Poor guy probably wished he'd given me laughing gas just to quiet me down.
Actually, speaking of implants, has anyone here gotten conflicting advice from different dentists regarding implant longevity or care? I'm currently seeking a second opinion because my dentist recommended replacing an older crown with an implant, but another dentist seemed skeptical about whether it's truly necessary yet. Curious if others have navigated similar situations...
When I had mine out, I didn't get the gas—just local anesthesia—but I remember being super analytical (maybe overly so?) about the entire procedure.
It's pretty common to get conflicting opinions, honestly. Dentists have different comfort levels and experiences with implants. If your crown isn't causing issues yet, I'd lean toward waiting—no need to rush into an implant unless it's clearly necessary.
I totally get the logic behind waiting if your crown isn't bothering you yet, but honestly, sometimes being proactive can save you a lot of headaches down the road. My dentist was pretty cautious too, recommending we wait until my crown started giving me trouble. But I had a friend who waited until things got uncomfortable, and by then he was dealing with bone loss and needed extra procedures before the implant could even go in.
I decided to go ahead early—maybe I jumped the gun a bit—but it turned out great. The whole process was smooth, healing was quick, and now I'm several years in with zero issues. It felt reassuring to handle it on my own terms rather than waiting for problems to pop up.
Dentists have different comfort levels and experiences with implants.
True enough...but sometimes it's worth getting another opinion or two. You might find someone who's more comfortable being proactive if that's something that appeals to you. Either way though, glad your implants have been working out so well!
Glad to hear your proactive approach paid off. My daughter had a similar situation—dentist suggested waiting, but we went ahead early too. Like you said,
No regrets here either, and she's doing great several years later."it felt reassuring to handle it on my own terms."
Totally agree with your decision to move forward proactively. I've seen too many people wait it out based on cautious advice, only to face bigger issues down the road. Dentists often err on the side of caution—which isn't necessarily bad—but sometimes you just know your own body best.
Exactly this. I went ahead early with implants myself about 9 years ago, and honestly, it's one of the best health decisions I've made. Glad your daughter's thriving too...always good to hear positive outcomes."it felt reassuring to handle it on my own terms."
