Just going to say I’m relieved both of you have come through these events well. I won’t go into all my experiences but if you look at the Wikipedia article on dental problems I have my own subheading. Despite the volume of issues I have come through it well, a little bit of time wasted on consultations with dentists I didn’t like because of their attitude, but the rest did an amazing job of keeping a some real teeth along with some reasonable facsimiles in my mouth for 50 years.
Sorry to hear you’ve had so much pain! I think they typically gave me some Vicodin or whatever but I rarely needed it (btw, you can split the 800 mg ibuprofen, and just take 1 or 2 OTC strength if needed).
The “sticking above the gum” version of the implant might well be masked by the swelling of the gum around the place - happened to me; I didn’t notice it until a week or so afterward - or you might have the other style.
I remember the dissolving sutures driving me buggy until they finally came out :).
I didn’t want any kind of narcotic. The tylenol is doing pretty well.
Ouch! On honey, that makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. 
I came through it, it’s all in the past now so easier to laugh about it.
Ok, I’ll bite. I don’t remember if I’ve told this story before.
One day I had an appointment to have a restoration done. He gave me a shot, waiting the appropriate amount of time, and verified that my cheek was puffy and the area was properly numb. Started to drill, and I flinched from the pain. So he stopped and gave me another shot. When he started again, I flinched again. It wasn’t terrible, but it was more than a tickle.
The solution? He changed drills to one that ran at a different speed. Apparently, the original drill was setting up a resonance down my jaw line, and I was feeling pain in a nearby but not numb nerve.
Whoa-- who’d a thunk it? There’s no substitute for competence coupled with experience.
I went back this morning for Dr. S to have a look-see. He said everything looks fine. He said the jaw soreness is normal and should be gone by next week. After all, I did have a nail driven into my jaw a week ago tomorrow.
Turns out there is something visible where the implant is stuck in. It feels so smooth to my tongue I thought it was just skin. But he showed me in the mirror and by gum! there’s a bit of metal showing.
I’ll go back in a month for an x-ray to see how the bone is progressing.
My experience…probably worst case 
I had a tumor in my jaw removed, which needed all back lower molars removed on one side. I opted for an implant replacement. There was the aforementioned surgery to install the implant post, let it heal, and then the implant.
After about 10 years, the implant post loosened and unscrewed/unfastened from the socket and fell out. Visiting the ortho, the post was found to be no longer good, the threads were overtorqued or underdesigned and wouldn’t stay tight anymore. So they tried to order a replacement only to find that the medical device manufacture had gone out of business and no parts existed any more for a new post to fit the socket in my jaw. The socket was fused into my jawbone so nothing short of a nasty surgery was taking that back out.
So I had the joyful choice of undergoing more extensive surgery to replace the socket, do a clumsy bridge, or just go on living with missing teeth.
I had the ortho fill up the socket with plastic, cover it up with a minor gum surgery, and have just gone on living without teeth in that area.
I wish I had something / someone specific to blame, but just another victim of good ol’ capitalism.
Oh dear. What an awful experience. I am so sorry. Damn.
There are eight million dental horror stories in the Naked City…
My dentist said that a bridge is best IF both adjacent teeth are healthy, but maybe with a crown already.
Interesting - I’ve never had anyone switch drill speeds on me.
I once had a filling done, jumped because it hurt, and the dentist said “You must have an extra nerve to that tooth. I’ll sizzle that sucker”. Then he came at me with something in his hand. My first thought, based on “sizzle” was that he was going to CAUTERIZE something. When he peeled me off the ceiling, I saw that the thing in his hand was a novocaine injector.
When I had my first root canal, the first anesthetic injection was so painful I nearly bolted. Unfortunately, I did not run. Instead, the endodontist said he could give me an oral sedative but I’d have to have someone pick me up. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely manage to dial my phone to call my husband, The sedative kicked in after I got home, the experience was horrible (numerous injections, and me jumping with pain and getting yelled at).
First experience with the new dentist who proposed nitrous + an oral benzo: Despite what she said, I was aware of time passing, I just didn’t CARE. 5 hours in the chair, and I got a LOT of work done. It was a game-changer.
Hey @ThelmaLou - I just returned from the dentist and my situation is nearly identical to your OP. Implant vs. bridge (leaning toward implant).
Just wondering how things are going with yours and whether you would have done anything differently.
Thanks!
mmm
Hi MMM!
I’m thrilled with my implant. Love it like a puppy. I had a little achiness in the jaw about six months after and went back to the implant dentist. He took an impression by having me bite on a waxy-plastic substance and said the implant was sticking up a bit too high and that was causing the ache in my jaw. He ground the crown down a bit (didn’t hurt at all) and once it was hitting the upper tooth properly, I’ve had no problems. I brush, floss around it, etc.
A good friend of mine was told by her dentist that one of her back teeth had a hole in it-- never heard of that!-- and she needed to get either an implant or a bridge. She wasn’t in any pain and the hole was only visible on an x-ray. So I gave her the name of my guy and after x-rays and examinations he told her that if the tooth wasn’t bothering her she could just leave it alone and keep an eye on it (as it were). She was really glad to hear that. I trust the guy-- he has been practicing for 40+ years. Besides, I just like him.
Thanks for the response, ThelmaLou. I’m glad it worked out for you.
I already have a bridge, and I’m happy with it, but the location of this new issue - more toward the front of the grill - is what has me thinking implant. The teeth near the front seem, to me, to be a little less anchored than those big molars toward the back. Not just mine, I mean generally speaking. I don’t want to put any stress on them.
Did they put some sort of temporary tooth to cover the gap during the months of waiting for your crown?
What was the worst part of the entire process (aside from paying the bill, that is)?
mmm
FWIW my GF has had to make this decision and went with an implant. It is a ridiculously long process (even moreso for her cuz reasons) and very, very expensive (she has no dental insurance so all out of pocket). But, she still seems happy with her choice.
Its my second molar so not really visible but I decided to just leave the gap. Initially I agreed with the dentist to leave it for a few months see if I got used to it or whether I would feel the need to get it filled in and now I don’t notice it.
@Mean_Mr.Mustard and @Whack-a-Mole
It wasn’t a long process with my dentist. He pulled the tooth and placed the implant post at the first visit. The first dentist I went to said these two events would be four months apart! So glad I went to someone else. There was no need for a temporary “crown” or anything, as the top of the implant post is covered with some kind of flat thing. TBH I don’t remember all that well, which tells you how non-traumatic it was.
MMM, there was nothing bad about the process. And I’m a total dental phobic. I guess pulling the tooth, but I was completely numb. The dentist was a prince-- competent AND experienced, an unbeatable combination.
I have been through multiple delays after deciding on the implant. The main delay was per my request - I wanted to wait until my daughter’s May '24 wedding before taking any chances messing with my teef.
Anyway, day one was this morning. I am having one upper premolar and one lower canine (so, pretty visible).
I am home now. The procedure was not what I would call fun, but it was very tolerable. Not much pain, but a good bit of unpleasant pressure, drilling, and wrenching.
So right now I am stitched up, swollen, still annoyingly numb, but just starting to feel some breakthrough pain. Beginning to feel like crapola, but very glad this part is behind me.
mmm
I’m still satisfied with my year-old implant. Full disclosure: sometimes that part of my jaw is a little achy. The ache is negligible, doesn’t even rise to 1.5 on a scale of 0-10. Just a bit annoying. Ibuprofen takes care of it.
Good luck with yours!
My wife ended up getting bridgework (after one dentist advised against it, as I noted above) and she hasn’t had any problems with it so far.
I haven’t read the whole thread, but I just want to say that I have three bridges and two of them are well over 30 years old and show no signs of needing to be replaced. I use a floss threader to clean under them every night and an electric toothbrush.