Losing a regular tooth definitely messed with my bite way more than wisdom teeth did. I had to get a molar pulled because fixing it was just too expensive, and now I’m always worried about the gap. My jaw gets sore from chewing on one side too. Wisdom teeth were annoying, but at least I didn’t have to think about replacing them... now I’m stuck debating if I should save up for an implant or just live with the weird chewing.
now I’m stuck debating if I should save up for an implant or just live with the weird chewing.
I get where you’re coming from. I lost a molar a few years back (bottom left), and honestly, it threw me off way more than my wisdom teeth ever did. Do you notice your other teeth shifting at all, or is it mostly just the soreness from chewing on one side? I started getting headaches after a while, and my dentist said it was probably because my bite changed. That made me even more anxious about leaving the gap.
Have you had anyone mention partial dentures as an option, or is it just implants? I know implants are pricey—my insurance barely covered anything. I put off doing anything for almost two years because I was so worried about cost and surgery. In the meantime, I tried to chew more evenly, but honestly, it just didn’t feel natural. Did your dentist warn you about potential jaw problems down the road? Mine kept bringing up “bone loss,” which stressed me out every time.
I still wonder if living with the gap would’ve been better than dealing with all this dental work. But after finally getting an implant, I do have to admit my jaw pain let up a lot. The waiting and saving part was rough though... sometimes I wish there were easier answers for stuff like this.
Anyway, don’t feel alone in this—deciding what to do isn’t easy at all. Did they give you any idea how long you could safely wait before making a choice? Sometimes that takes some pressure off. It’s not just about money—it’s about feeling normal again when you eat and talk, right?
Honestly, I’ve got to push back a bit on the whole “just live with the gap” idea. I tried that for a while after losing a back molar and thought I’d adapt, but my bite got weird and I started noticing food getting stuck all the time. Plus, I swear my other teeth started to move a little—maybe not super obvious, but enough that flossing felt different. Partial dentures never sounded appealing to me, though. They just seemed uncomfortable and kind of like more hassle in the long run. Implants are expensive, for sure, but if you’re planning to keep your teeth for decades, I think it’s worth considering sooner rather than later. The bone loss thing isn’t just dentist scare tactics either—it actually happens (I saw it on my X-rays after a year). Just my two cents... sometimes waiting ends up costing more down the road.
Partial dentures never sounded appealing to me, though. They just seemed uncomfortable and kind of like more hassle in the long run.
I get where you’re coming from on that—had a partial for a while and honestly, it felt like more trouble than it was worth. I also noticed my teeth shifting after a regular molar extraction, which messed with my bite. Wisdom teeth removal was rougher recovery-wise for me (swelling, pain), but losing a regular tooth actually caused more long-term issues. The bone loss thing is real; I saw it too on my follow-up scans. If I could do it over, I’d have looked into an implant sooner rather than putting it off...
Wisdom teeth removal was rougher recovery-wise for me (swelling, pain), but losing a regular tooth actually caused more long-term issues. The bone loss thing is real; I saw it too on my follow-up scans.
That’s exactly what happened to me. The wisdom tooth recovery was no picnic—face swelled up like a balloon and I couldn’t eat anything but soup for days. But honestly, losing a regular molar set off this whole domino effect with my bite. I didn’t realize how much one missing tooth could throw things out of whack until it happened.
Partial dentures never felt quite right in my mouth either. Always fiddling with them, worried they’d pop out at the wrong moment... just not for me. I kept putting off the implant because of the price and all that, but now I kinda wish I’d just gone for it sooner.
Don’t beat yourself up about it though—it’s tough making these choices when you’re in pain or just want the problem gone. Hindsight’s always 20/20, right? At least you caught the bone loss early; that gives you options if you want to do something down the road.
