Whiska, I know what you're going through. As a young man, I had a habit of grinding my back teeth on one side. Over the years, this resulted in a host of health issues. The grinding caused periodontal disease and degenerative bone loss, and eventually the teeth on that side loosened and fell out.
For years I tried ignoring the problem and chewing on the other side. But I had a lot of pain where I had the missing teeth. I avoided going to the dentist because I was afraid of what the prognosis would be. Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore and went to a dentist who prescribed partial dentures. I wore those for a few years. Hated it, though, because they never fit quite right.
Then, about 15 or so years ago, I moved across town and wanted to find a dentist that was closer to home. I had my first visit, and the doctor told me that even though I was missing quite a bit of bone in the affected area, I might still be a candidate for implants because they had good success with bone grafts.
After several visits, I decided to go through with the procedure. He removed the couple of teeth that were left on that side, then grafted in new "bone" tissue (made from cadavers...
). I had to wait a few months for that to take. Once it healed, he put in the implant screws. Eventually, I had top and bottom bars installed with dental appliances (like partial dentures) that snap over the top. The entire process took something like 6 months to complete.
The result was nothing short of amazing. I can now easily chew on that side and it looks and feels like real teeth. No longer am I afraid to smile.
Now I won't tell you it was inexpensive. The entire process cost as much as a new car and, not being independently wealthy, I had to take out a loan to pay for it. But people who have known me for a long time say that I seem like a much happier person these days. The truth is, I've always been happy on the inside. But it wasn't until I got my new teeth that I was able to express it on the outside. The money was well worth it, in my opinion.
Good luck with whatever you decide!