Has anyone here NOT worn a flipper?
 

Wanted to see if anyone out there got a tooth extraction to prepare for an implant but chose not to get a flipper while the site healed?... I just finished going through a year long and expensive process for a front upper tooth extraction/bone graft/implant/crown and I also paid my dentist's office over 1k for the flipper to wear in the meantime (it was a front tooth so I needed one). The office manager charged me over $700 for the first flipper that was made, I ended up losing it (plus it was very poorly designed as it constantly moved around when I talked) and the second time around she charged me half price so $350. Makes you wonder how much of a profit they made off of it!

Now I am going to need a bottom tooth extracted and the same process done. Since it is a bottom tooth I do not feel it is as visible as the top front tooth was. I am wondering if it is even necessary to have a flipper made. The office manager is willing to give me a discounted price of $600 (yes that is the discount!) If I can save myself $600 that would be great but wanted to hear from others that did not opt to get one- did it cause your teeth to shift a lot by not having one?

Cost of Flipper/Necessary
 

Hi Jenny,

My jaw literally dropped when you told me the flipper was 1K. I live right outside of Philadelphia, a major metropolitan area, I tragically lost both front teeth 2 years ago in an accident, and after having bone grafts and dental implants placed and having nothing but itching and pain with them......got tested and found out I was allergic to titanium. I've had a lot of bone loss in that area and now wear a denture/flipper ---- the kind with metal clasps that go around my very back molars. The MOST I have paid for a flipper was 514.00. That was cash. Out of pocket because insurance would not pay for a flipper after I had dental implants....go figure. My flipper was made so well by the dental lab man that I can eat (most things) and it does not move or come out, etc. I would NOT use online mail order dental labs. I did that and wasted $200.00 trying to save money having one made. Were I you, I would call around to other dental offices. I found that prices varied. I actually directly called dental labs myself that were in the area by googling them. They all said I had to go through a dental office, however. As for your bottom tooth, well, I don't know, as I have no experience with the bottom arch. I am hopeful someone more knowledgeable than me will come on and address your question. I wish you all the best. I have been with my dental office for 30 years and they are reputable, and seem to have always put patients before profits. Good Luck to you!

jenny8484,

So you paid $1000+ for TWO different temporary partial dentures. In the US, depending on the geographic area of the office, the fee for one temporary partial denture that is meant to be worn for about a year runs between $700-$1000. Most often, the fit of the denture (flipper) needs to be adjusted a few times during the surgery healing phase of both the extraction and the placement of the implant. If the flipper is ill fitting and adjusting it soon after it is inserted does not make it fit better, then the dentist is obligated to have a new one made at no cost to the patient .... providing that the patient has come in for the adjustments and not tried to file it down themselves. If the patient loses their flipper, then the dentist does not have to offer that patient a discount to make a new one.

As far as the profit margin that the dentist makes on a temporary flipper denture.... it is quite a bit. But the dentists fee takes into account that he will have to spend time with the patient to make the adjustments to the denture after it is inserted.

It may not be necessary to have temporary replacement made for the bottom. It all depends on which tooth it is and how close together your adjacent teeth are to the tooth that is being removed. It is best to talk to your dentist about whether you need it or not.

Bryanna

Thank you for your responses. I think the first flipper was poorly made because it was adjusted right after my surgery. So when my gum healed, the flipper did not fit correctly anymore when the swelling went down. It would have been nice if I had gotten it for free the second time around....

On another note if this helps anyone else-

I actually made my own flipper for my bottom tooth that got extracted by using a kit off Amazon. It was about $40 and called "temp tooth". You really can't tell when I have it in my mouth unless you look really, really close. I brought it to my oral surgeon's office when I went for a checkup a month later and he couldn't believe it. So just an option for those that want to save some money if you can't afford a flipper.