Totally get what you mean about the flipper—mine was super sensitive, too. I kept worrying it’d break or rub my gums raw, and even soft foods felt risky sometimes. The idea of an implant freaked me out at first (all the drilling talk didn’t help), but honestly, the waiting was way worse for my nerves than the actual procedure.
I dragged my feet for a few months because of the cost and just being nervous about surgery. But now that it’s done, I wish I hadn’t stressed so much. Eating is normal again, and I don’t have to think twice about biting into pizza or anything crunchy. Still, I get why some people might want to wait—healing times and money aren’t small things. For me, though, the relief was worth it. If you’re anxious like I was, maybe chat with your dentist about what to expect...that helped me chill out a bit.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I couldn’t swing the implant cost right away. For me, waiting made sense—saved up, checked if insurance would help, and used a flipper in the meantime. It wasn’t ideal, but it kept things manageable. Sometimes slow and steady wins out, especially if money’s tight.
I totally get wanting to wait and save up—dental implants aren’t cheap, and honestly, not everyone has a few grand lying around. That said, there are some downsides to holding off too long that folks don’t always talk about. When a tooth’s missing for a while, the bone in that spot can start to shrink back. Sometimes by the time someone’s ready for an implant, there’s just not enough bone left, and it turns into a whole other process with grafts or longer healing.
I've seen people come in after waiting a year or more, thinking they were good to go, only to find out they needed extra stuff done first. It’s not the end of the world, but it does make things pricier and take longer. If you can swing even just a consult early on, sometimes you can plan things out so you don’t hit those snags down the road. But yeah... money is real life, and flippers do their job in the meantime. Just wish insurance made this less of a headache for everyone.
I totally get where you’re coming from about waiting, but I’ve actually seen a few folks who waited and didn’t lose as much bone as expected. Sometimes, especially if the tooth was lost due to trauma or a one-off event—not gum disease—the bone can hold up better than we think. It’s not always a guarantee you’ll need grafts later, though it’s definitely a risk. Everyone’s mouth is different, so sometimes waiting isn’t quite as bad as it sounds... but yeah, a consult early on does take out some of the guesswork.
I totally see your point, but I’d still lean toward getting an implant sooner rather than later. When I lost a molar, my dentist showed me how quickly bone can shrink—like, you don’t always feel it happening. Even if some folks luck out, I’d hate to risk needing extra procedures down the line. Guess it’s one of those “better safe than sorry” things for me...
