Honestly, it was a bit of a love-hate thing.
Totally get what you mean about the flipper being a “love-hate thing.” I had one for a bit too, and honestly, it felt like having a cheap USB dongle for your mouth—works in a pinch, but you know it’s not the real deal. I was always paranoid I’d forget it at lunch and have to go back to work with that awkward gap. On the upside, mine did keep my teeth from shifting, which is a huge plus. Waiting for the implant made sense for me because I wanted everything to heal up right, but man, those few months felt like forever. If you can tolerate the flipper, it’s not the worst temporary fix... just don’t bite into an apple with it. Trust me.
Waiting for the implant was a tough call for us, too. My kid lost a front tooth last year (bike accident—never a dull moment), and we ended up using a flipper for about five months. I’ll be real, it was a rollercoaster. At first, it felt like a relief just to have something filling the gap, but then came all the little annoyances—like remembering to take it out before eating, cleaning it constantly, and the worry that it’d get lost at school. There were a couple of close calls with lunch trays.
Honestly, I worried most about the other teeth shifting around while we waited for everything to heal. Our dentist said the flipper would help with that, and I think it did its job. But yeah, it’s not exactly comfortable or confidence-boosting for a kid who’s already self-conscious about missing a tooth.
Looking back, I’m glad we waited. The healing time felt endless (especially for an impatient 10-year-old), but now the implant looks and feels like a real tooth. I do get how tempting it is to just rush into getting something more permanent right away, though. For us, step-by-step made sense—let things heal, keep things stable with the flipper (as annoying as it was), then move on to the implant when the time was right.
If anyone’s weighing this decision for themselves or their kid, I’d say: don’t beat yourself up if you’re frustrated by the temporary stuff. It’s awkward and inconvenient, but it really is just a phase. We had days where my kid forgot the flipper at home and had to go to school with the gap showing…but weirdly enough, those days helped her get more comfortable with it all. Kids bounced back faster than I expected.
Anyway, hang in there—it does get better once you’re past this part.
That healing phase really does test your patience, especially with kids. I’ve seen a lot of families go back and forth over the whole “wait or not” thing, and honestly, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Some parents are super anxious about bone loss or teeth shifting, while others just want their kid to feel “normal” again ASAP.
I’m curious—did your dentist talk much about jaw growth? I’ve noticed that’s a big factor in timing for implants with younger patients. Sometimes waiting is less about the gums healing and more about making sure the jaw’s done growing so the implant doesn’t end up out of place later on. I know it’s frustrating when you’re watching your kid deal with all the flipper hassles in the meantime.
And yeah, you nailed it about confidence. Flippers aren’t exactly fun for self-conscious kids (or adults, for that matter). But I’ve also seen some kids get surprisingly chill about it after a while—almost like they realize it’s not the end of the world if someone sees the gap. Kind of cool how resilient they can be.
Did you have any trouble getting your insurance to cover the flipper or implant? That’s another thing people don’t always talk about—sometimes families get blindsided by costs in between steps.
It sounds like you did right by your kid, even if it felt slow at times. If you had to do it over again, would you still pick the same timeline? Or would you push for something different knowing what you know now?
Yeah, the jaw growth thing was actually a big deal for us. Our dentist explained that if we rushed into an implant before my son finished growing, it could end up looking off or even needing to be redone. Honestly, waiting was tough—he hated the flipper at first and there were a few emotional meltdowns over it, but after a while he just kind of shrugged it off. Insurance was a headache though… they barely covered the flipper, and the implant wasn’t even an option until he’s older. Looking back, I think we’d still wait, even though it felt endless at the time. It’s wild how much you learn going through all this.
This is something I’ve worried about a lot, honestly. My ortho warned me about the jaw growth issue too, and it kind of freaked me out. I kept asking if there’s any way to “speed up” the process or if the implant could just be adjusted later, but he said that’s not really how it works. The idea of getting an implant that ends up at the wrong height or angle just because my jaw isn’t done growing yet makes me super anxious. Did your dentist say how they can even tell when growth is totally finished? Mine mentioned hand/wrist X-rays but I still feel unsure.
The flipper thing is another headache. I hated mine at first too—it felt huge and I was so self-conscious about talking or smiling. Did your son have trouble eating with it? I was always worried about breaking it or losing it, so I barely wore it at home. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth the hassle, but the idea of walking around with a gap just made me way too anxious.
Insurance is a nightmare, for real. I had to fight just to get a tiny bit covered for the flipper, and the implant isn’t even on the table until I’m “medically ready.” I keep stressing about whether I’ll be able to afford it when the time finally comes. Did you have to do any appeals with your insurance or was it just a flat-out no?
Waiting feels endless, yeah. I know it’s probably the right call, but I still get nervous I’m somehow missing out or making it worse by waiting. Did your dentist ever mention if waiting too long could cause the other teeth to shift? Mine gave me a retainer with a fake tooth to help hold the space, but I’m always worried it’s not enough.
It’s weird how something that seems so small—like one missing tooth—can mess with your confidence and stress level so much. I guess it’s just a waiting game for some of us, even if it feels like forever.
