“Honestly, I’d rather have an extra checkup than risk missing an infection. But if things are healing well, sticking to the original schedule is usually fine.”
I totally get this—honestly, I’m always a bit on edge with implants, even when everything looks textbook perfect. There’s just so much that can change quickly. I’ve seen people come in for their “routine” check and we catch something early, like a little swelling or redness that wasn’t there before. That’s the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night, honestly.
I do agree about not babying the area too much with brushing. People worry about hurting the site, but if you go too easy, plaque builds up and then you’re dealing with irritated gums or even peri-implantitis down the line... which is way more of a headache.
The standard follow-up schedule is there for a reason, but if you’re feeling off—even just a weird taste or mild pain—I’d say don’t wait. Everyone heals differently and sometimes it’s just better to be safe than sorry. I’d rather see someone one time too many than miss something small that turns into a big deal later.
Yeah, I hear you on the anxiety. I’m always a little paranoid after any dental work, honestly. My implant went pretty smoothly, but I still found myself checking the mirror for redness and poking at it with my tongue way too much. My dentist said to come in at the usual intervals unless something felt off, but there was one time I got this weird metallic taste and freaked out. Turned out to be nothing, but I was glad I didn’t just ignore it.
I get the worry about brushing too gently too—my hygienist basically told me “treat it like normal teeth, just don’t go wild.” Guess it’s a balance between being careful and not letting stuff build up.
For me, the peace of mind from an extra checkup is worth it if you’re worried, but I wouldn’t stress if everything’s healing and feels normal. Everyone’s got their own pace with this stuff... and yeah, better safe than sorry beats dealing with a bigger mess later.
I totally relate to the mirror-checking and tongue-poking thing. After my implant, I kept thinking, “Is that swelling? Is it redder than yesterday?” It’s weird how your brain zooms in on every little thing once you’ve had work done. My dentist was pretty chill about it, too—said stick to the normal six-month cleanings unless something’s obviously off. But honestly, I ended up calling them after a couple weeks just because I was nervous. They squeezed me in for a quick look, and it was fine, but I felt way better after.
About brushing, I was super gentle at first—like, barely touching the implant area because I was scared I’d mess it up. My hygienist told me the same thing as yours: treat it like a regular tooth, just don’t go at it like you’re scrubbing grout. Once I got used to that, it was less stressful.
I know some people say you only need the usual checkups, but for me, if I’m even a little bit worried, I’d rather pop in for an extra visit. It’s not always easy to tell what’s normal healing and what’s not. Plus, the peace of mind is huge... even if I feel a bit silly for being anxious. And honestly, my insurance covered the extra check because it was still under the “healing” period or whatever.
One thing that helped me was taking pictures with my phone every couple days (sounds weird, I know). That way, I could actually see if something changed instead of just imagining it. Turns out most of the time it looked exactly the same!
Anyway, if everything feels good and your dentist isn’t worried, you’re probably fine with the regular schedule. But if anything feels off—even just a weird taste or a bit of pain—I’d say go in sooner. Better to be safe than end up with a bigger problem later.
- Totally get the “is this normal?” spiral. I was low-key obsessed with checking mine in every possible light, like it’d suddenly glow red or something.
- My dentist was like, “Just brush, floss, chill.” Easier said than done.
- The phone pic idea’s genius—I did that too, but half my shots were blurry.
- Did anyone else get paranoid about biting into stuff? I was convinced a sandwich would somehow ruin everything.
- Curious if anyone used any techy gadgets (like water flossers or special apps) to track healing? I geeked out on that for a bit.
I was low-key obsessed with checking mine in every possible light, like it’d suddenly glow red or something.
Totally relate to this. I remember using my phone flashlight and then worrying I’d missed something. My dentist said the same—“just brush, floss, chill”—but I still felt weird biting into apples for weeks. Water flosser definitely helped me feel like I was doing *something* extra, even if it was probably overkill.
