Dental Implant After Extraction

Ann, a patient, asks us:
I recently had tooth 31 extracted after it cracked. My periodontist suggests a dental implant and says that I’ll have problems with the tooth above if I don’t. I don’t want one: It is expensive, and seems like a big ordeal.

I know that
there are possible problems. My dentist thinks that a dental implant isn’t
necessary and is risky. He says if it were him, he wouldn’t have it and
would manage quite well without the tooth. (He’s also the one with no
financial interest.) So, what would I be risking if I were to forego a dental
implant? What future consequences might I face and how surmountable
might they be?