Wellness

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Flippers aren't usually covered by insurance.  Mine wasn't anyway.  It's was something like $750 or $795 OOP.

[Shelbelle]

I had an implant done in 2022. My regular dentist was all set to make me one of those flippers you mentioned, but when I had the surgery with the perio he made me a plastic temp that adhered to the abutment he had made so it stayed in permanently until I got my crown 3 months later. 

[bargainsgirl]

---

@drizzellla wrote:

@bargainsgirl I have had several implants. They were always put in shortly after the real tooth was extracted.

I had a tooth pulled and since he tooth was farther back in my mouth, I decided not to get another implant. My last Dentist visit, they were talking about my getting an implant for that empty spot. And they were talking about a bone graft. They said that I would need a graft to fill in the spot were the tooth used to be.

Maybe the retainer is to keep the bone from receding. And so you won't need a bone graft.

---

I had a bone graft as well.  The bad tooth was previously rootcanaled ( 12+ years ago) and developed an infection.  Infection and bone graft are the reasons for the wait.  My last implant was put in same day as extraction.

[deeva]

I always thought the retainer was used to keep the surrounding teeth from shifting. 

[bargainsgirl]

---

@deeva wrote:

I always thought the retainer was used to keep the surrounding teeth from shifting. 

---

Correct...but I never had to wear one for my other implants.  But things improve and change over time...it's been over 10 years since my last implant.

[10sluvr]

My mom had her 4 top front teeth "pegged" in as she called it. First ones were probably done in the 40's. She had them redone in probably the 80's. When she was about 80 they fell out because the jaw bone shrank, from old age. She tried a denture, but didn't like so she stopped using it. She has passed so i only have general time frame.

[SilleeMee]

---

@deeva wrote:

I always thought the retainer was used to keep the surrounding teeth from shifting. 

---

The flipper retainer is different than an orthodontic retainer. A flipper serves as a temporary replacement for missing teeth whereas an orthodontic retainer serves to keep teeth in alignment. 

ETA-

Flippers aren't really 'retainers' in the true meaning of the word. They are not made to hold other teeth in place. They are strictly for aesthetics and that's primarily the reason why most insurance won't cover flippers.