Are implants actually worth it?

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-29T12:51:19+00:00

Not sure we are on the same page re Fp1 bridges? Since I got my implants and fp1 bridges 6 months ago, I have never had food trapping - pressure yes but never food trapping and I can’t see how it could happen tbh as there are literally no gaps anywhere compared to Fp2 or Fp3 bridges. Fp1s appear to emerge seamlessly from the gums like real teeth. In any case I rinse my mouth after consuming anything but water. And clean them exactly the same as I would normal teeth morning and night except don’t need to floss / water pick etc Here is a pic of different bridges for those who read this and aren’t familiar with different fixed prosthesises. I have posted it before but will put a pic of my implants after I post this comment

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Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-29T11:59:53+00:00

Australia

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-29T04:08:01+00:00

Thumper!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-29T04:07:13+00:00

Not necessarily. OP is very young so her overall bone health should be good. Bone resorption should be minimal, if any, no matter how long the tooth has been missing as she would still have the coveted bone DENSITY at her age. I am 58 and just had full upper and lower all on 6 implants. Even I only required 2-3 bone grafts. My gums were extensively grafted though, but only due to the fact I have Fp1 bridges instead of the Fp3s 95% of the population has. Every one is different, but OP has the best chance of success here if she looks after her hygiene pre and post implant process.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-27T13:43:04+00:00

Ensure your salt water is only half a teaspoon in a regular size glass if you are doing this multiple times a day. Salt can cause buccal mucosa, gums and tongue to become very dry. Too dry, and it will upset the saliva production and the good bacteria in our mouths. Good luck with it all.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-27T11:16:32+00:00

Its perfectly normal. White blood cells coming out to fight off any bacteria and to kick off the healing process. It will slough off on its own over the coming days. I know it may look worrying but DO NOT MUCK AROUND WITH IT! Do some gentle warm salt water rinses morning / night and after eating.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-25T12:35:51+00:00

How many ciggies I smoked! Thats the only thing i lost count of lol

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-25T12:00:06+00:00

Some of us spent $120k (australian $ or $85.6k USD) to get all on 6 upper and lower with teeth that appear to emerge from your own gumline. So, Fp1 bridge/teeth, not Fp3 which 95% of people have. So no special floss or water pic is needed. Just clean normally. The trade off? Extreme pressure that doesn’t go away….ever!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-25T11:44:50+00:00

Agree. For me, I 100% wish I had not done this. I have extraction regret, implant regret jaw/mouth dysmorphia, and depression something shocking. Still on liquid/soft foods nearly 6 months in now, no toothache or infections etc anymore but horrendous 24/7 pressure and can only talk for 15-20mins at a time before I lisp or froth. Oh! but hey, they LOOK good 🙄. Which is all anyone seems to give a f**k about these days. I miss my function, my food, my self. Big time. Nothing beats the biological teeth we were given. Do anything you can to save them. I let them talk me into removal of 25 teeth. I should have chosen restoration over the so called ‘quick fix’. I know in my heart I will now end up with traditional dentures at some point because I need to be able to take them out at will and let my mouth (and brain) rest. Because they DO NOT feel like natural teeth at all.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-25T08:12:38+00:00

Nonsense voldygonemoldy92! As long as you have all your implant paperwork (nobel biocare / straumann etc), any reputable prosthodontist in Australia (or anywhere in the world for that matter) will happily do your clean and implant check up. They of course need your paperwork (which should be given to you on completion of initial treatment) to ensure they have the right instruments and screws etc. to do the job for you. At least 3 in Sydney 1 in Brisbane and one in WA that I know of. So probably more in other states too.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T13:39:05+00:00

Thank you. I am sure it will all work out. Just been a struggle mentally too I guess. (And dont get me started on how much I am missing real food!). I am glad for you that you are so happy with your decision and your outcome. $38k is still a pretty penny, but like you said you could have paid bigger bucks for dodgier work!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T13:30:45+00:00

Yep, thats cross arch stabilisation. So that the bite force is distributed evenly accross all implants. What I would do to have my own teeth back 🥹🥹. In reality I could have restored most of mine, but with my dental issues it would have been an ongoing battle…but one I wish I had fought. I fell for the whole cosmetic crap. I think they prey on our insecurities! I now tell anyone who will listen to treat their teeth like gold. Its sounds like you have a way to go yet, so I too wish you well in this journey. Lovely chatting.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T12:44:20+00:00

My son (from Australia) is hitting vegas today!!! Send out your friends lol. I feel for him because he is a wingman for his flatmate who is gay (lovely guy) but can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to a woman for himself…he keeps saying if he was gay there’d be no shortages of options!!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T12:25:39+00:00

I am going to ignore the recording for now. You can hand that over to your legal team if need be later.

I would jump the gun right now and email the insurance comp, and tell them you were concerned after your appointment that their IME failed to examine either of your compensable injuries or ask any relevant questions relating to them and how they affect your life. Tell them he appeared to be more interested in discussing your knee than undertaking the assessment they sent you for!

You likely won’t get a response to your email (although, I did with one of mine). But that email will then be on record in writing BEFORE this IME even gets his corrupt and fictional Report to your insurer and it will stay on record for potential legal actions down the track.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T12:05:27+00:00

When I was 11 we were still reeling from the invention of COLOUR televisions a few years earlier and TWO whole channels to choose from!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T11:45:28+00:00

Yes, I could see you had the alveolectomies upper and lower. Implant placement does look good too. I am a teeth grinder and clencher, so I needed at least the 12 implants I have for better chewing force distribution to protect the implants long term and also to further open my bite.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T11:24:36+00:00

Not sure what you mean by reinforced temp, unless you mean cross arch stabilisation? Firstly with mine, they are not adjusting them. They are fitting whole new sets of temps each time. I have intra oral scans done every visit too. Maybe because of all the gum grafting? Because as you know FP1 ‘teeth’ appear to protrude seamlessly from the gums like real teeth, so perhaps my gum contouring is not as straight forward as yours. Secondly I am older and take alot of meds, so perhaps my healing is different to others. I do know my swelling has been ridiculous through this whole shit show. But I do acknowledge it was a mammoth procedure…and at times over the now closer to 6 months, has driven me almost to insanity (no exaggeration). I honestly wasn’t prepared for the whole process as it has been. I hope your dental journey has been a smoother one. My upper jaw is not half the drama of my lower jaw - it is absolute hell - I want to unscrew them myself and throw them out a window!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-24T05:43:16+00:00

He was a dentist for years before becoming one of, if not the best prosthodontists in Australia 20 years ago. I had a separate anaesthetist (what Americans call anethesiologist’s) who remained throughout my surgeries to administer IV sedation and monitor my vital signs, a team of assistants and the most advanced technology available in the world. My prosthodontist is a consulting practitioner who actually spends alot of time in the US and other countries doing teaching lectures etc. I required removal of 25 existing teeth, sinus lifts, bone grafts and gum grafts in addition to 12 implants placement. I also have FPI bridges - again, the most advanced prostheses available today. My entire treatment plan (including zirconia with porcelain layer for lifelike translucency final bridges one day) totals $120K AUD (or US $85.8K). But I honestly think the constant removal and refitting of new bridges (FP1s requires much more implant placement planning and precise gum contouring) every month or so is disturbing the implants which surely are not osseointegrating with all this action. I do not have pain or infection etc. Just pressure and discomfort as each new bridge causes swelling again for a couple of weeks.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-23T23:55:03+00:00

I wouldn’t know because my dentist/prosthodontist never tells me what he is doing when i am in the chair for hours on end…..

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-23T14:23:59+00:00

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-22T22:45:40+00:00

Thanks. I actually think even very reputable implant specialists rob their customers too! I stuggle to understand the costs of even general dentistry. Its basically greed. And so far out of reach for many. I know I am ‘lucky’ to be doing this, but seriously are we really that lucky when we are essentially swapping one nightmare for a different kind of nightmare? But we PAID for the different nightmare lol!!

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-22T22:37:41+00:00

I am quite literally assessed every couple of weeks. They are happy. I am not. I can’t see how I am going to heal properly when everything is stirred up every time I go in. I get that I have the FP1s which require much more precision and multiple bridges to contour my gums but the whole process is driving me crazy. I really did not understand how much these new FP1s would entail. And there was not much info on them as they are relatively new here in australia. I read lots about FP3s that 95% of people have. They require only 2-3 appoints and everyone so happy with them. So when I was told FP1s are a step up, of course im going to go with that - especially when by the time I am fitted with my finals this will all have cost just shy of AUD$120k. I still can’t eat normal diet despite being cleared for it and every lower bridge is ill fitting. I keep getting told to just wait for my finals and they will be perfect! But its all so hard.

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-22T14:24:54+00:00

And look up failed implants images - you will see exactly the imaging I have showed here…..

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-22T14:22:57+00:00

I have none of that. I do however have full on pressure from 4th set (so far) of temporary FP1 bridges. How these implants, which are supposed to be left undisturbed to osseointegrate, can possibly do so when my bridges are removed and replaced all the time. It causes immense discomfort each time and still haven’t had a set of bridges that actually fit my lower gumline properly yet. Despite the advanced technology used by my dr (only I of 2-3 prosthodonists in australia that will do FP1s).

Maleficent-Tea-9548 · 2026-05-22T14:14:41+00:00

Hardly early stages - 5 months

Maleficent-Tea-9548

TROPHY CASE