How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
The short answer
The best-quality long-term evidence currently available — a 2019 systematic review of 18 prospective studies — puts ten-year dental implant survival at 96.4% (95% CI 95.2–97.5%). The same review re-ran its analysis to account for patients who dropped out of the studies and were never followed up, and that more cautious estimate came out at 93.2% (95% CI 90.1–95.8%) — Howe, Keys and Richards, Journal of Dentistry, 2019.
We publish both figures on purpose. The second one is less flattering, and it is the one to weigh if you are weighing up a significant course of treatment. Single implant from £2,200, subject to clinical assessment (price correct as of July 2026).
Beyond ten years the published evidence thins out considerably, so we do not quote figures for periods the research does not cover. What the research does support is narrower and more useful: most implants placed with modern systems are still working at ten years, and the things that shorten that are largely identifiable before treatment starts.
Suitability for treatment depends on a clinical assessment. This treatment may not be appropriate for every patient.
What the research actually shows
Ten-year survival
Howe, Keys and Richards pooled 18 prospective studies of adults treated with contemporary implant systems — solid screw designs with roughened surfaces, which is what almost every UK practice places today. That is the source of the 96.4% figure above.
Two details change how you should read that number.
First, it is implant-level, not patient-level. Someone with four implants contributes four data points; a patient who loses one of four still counts as three survivals.
Second, the authors reported a prediction interval alongside the average — 91.5% to 99.4% in the main analysis, widening to 76.6% to 100% in the sensitivity analysis. The average is reassuring, but individual results vary more than a single headline percentage suggests.
Age was also relevant. The review reported older age (65 and over) as a significant predictor of implant loss, with survival in that group at 91.5% (Howe et al., 2019). Still a high figure. Not the same figure.
Why survival and success are not the same thing
This distinction matters more than the headline percentage, and it is the one most often left out.
Survival means the implant is still in the mouth. It does not mean the implant is healthy.
An implant can be counted as a survivor while the gum around it bleeds, the bone supporting it recedes year on year, and the patient has no idea. A systematic review by Diaz and colleagues in BMC Oral Health (2022) found peri-implantitis — inflammation with progressive bone loss — in 19.53% of patients (95% CI 12.87–26.19) and 12.53% of implants (95% CI 11.67–13.39). The authors are careful to note that reported prevalence varies widely between studies because researchers use different diagnostic thresholds, so treat these as an indication of scale rather than a precise measure.
The practical takeaway is that “how long will it last” is the wrong question on its own. The better question is “how long will it stay healthy”, and some of the factors that influence it can be managed after placement, rather than being fixed on the day.
What makes an implant fail
Failures broadly fall into two groups. Some happen in the first weeks or months, when the implant does not integrate with the bone properly. Others happen years later, and are usually about losing the bone that supports an implant that had integrated perfectly well.
Peri-implantitis
The 2017 World Workshop consensus (Berglundh et al., Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 2018) defines peri-implantitis as a plaque-associated condition in the tissues around an implant, with inflammation of the peri-implant mucosa and progressive loss of the supporting bone.
Its earlier, more treatable stage is peri-implant mucositis — inflammation without bone loss. The consensus states that the main clinical sign is bleeding on gentle probing, and that there is strong evidence plaque is the causative factor.
That is the whole argument for maintenance appointments in one sentence. Mucositis is something we can see at a check-up before you feel anything at all. If you have a history of gum problems, gum disease treatment before implant treatment is not an optional extra.
Smoking
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Dentistry (Fan et al.) found that smoking roughly doubles the odds of early implant failure — odds ratio 2.00 (95% CI 1.43–2.80) at patient level across 30 cohort studies, and 2.59 (95% CI 2.08–3.23) at implant level. At implant level the review reported higher odds in the maxilla (OR 5.90, 95% CI 2.38–14.66) than the mandible (OR 3.76, 95% CI 1.19–11.87), though the confidence intervals are wide and overlap, so the difference between jaws should be read cautiously.
This does not mean we decline to treat people who smoke. It means the evidence is discussed with you before you commit, and stopping smoking is part of that conversation — NHS stop smoking services are free, and the NHS quit smoking pages set out what support is available.
Uncontrolled diabetes
A 2022 systematic review in the International Journal of Implant Dentistry (Wagner et al.) concluded that under controlled conditions, success rates in patients with diabetes are similar to those without. Patients with poorly controlled diabetes, however, developed peri-implantitis more often and showed higher implant loss over the long term, with the review reporting a positive correlation between HbA1c and both peri-implant mucositis and implant loss.
So the relevant question at assessment is not whether you have diabetes. It is what your HbA1c is doing, and whether it is stable.
Teeth grinding
A 2024 meta-analysis in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation (Häggman-Henrikson et al.) pooled 27 studies covering 2,105 implants in probable bruxers and 10,264 in non-bruxers, and found roughly double the odds of failure in bruxers — OR 2.189 (95% CI 1.337–3.583).
Note “probable”. Most of these studies identified grinding clinically rather than in a sleep laboratory, which is a genuine limitation. If you grind your teeth, tell us before implant planning rather than after.
Poor oral hygiene
Implant materials such as titanium do not decay in the way natural tooth tissue does. That is the reassuring half. The other half is that the tissue and bone around an implant respond to plaque, and plaque is the established cause of peri-implant mucositis (Berglundh et al., 2018). An implant does not remove your need to clean thoroughly. If anything it raises it.
How to look after implants
Daily cleaning
NHS guidance is to brush twice a day for about two minutes, last thing before bed and on one other occasion (NHS, How to keep your teeth clean). Around an implant, pay particular attention to the margin where the crown meets the gum — that junction is where bleeding on probing first shows.
Clean between the teeth daily. The NHS notes that interdental brushes can be used instead of floss, particularly where there are gaps between the teeth, and that the brush should fit snugly in the space. The same guidance is that your dentist or hygienist can advise you on the best way to clean between your teeth — worth taking up rather than guessing in a pharmacy aisle, particularly where an implant supports a bridge.
Professional maintenance intervals
NICE does not publish a separate recall schedule for implant patients. Its guidance (CG19, Dental checks: intervals between oral health reviews) is that the interval should be set by individual risk, with the shortest interval for any patient being 3 months and the longest for an adult being 24 months.
NICE does not set implant-specific intervals. In our clinical judgement, patients with implants — particularly those who smoke, grind, or have a history of gum disease — are usually reviewed toward the shorter end of that range. Those appointments are not a formality. They are how peri-implant inflammation gets caught while it is still mucositis, and radiographs taken at intervals set by your dentist are how changes in the supporting bone level are monitored.
Warning signs to act on
Contact the practice if you notice:
- Bleeding when you clean around an implant. The most common early sign, and the easiest to dismiss.
- Red, swollen or puffy gum around the implant, or a bad taste or discharge.
- The gum receding, so more of the abutment or metal collar becomes visible.
- A crown that feels loose, clicks or shifts. Often this is a loosened screw rather than the implant itself, which is a much smaller problem — but only if it is dealt with early.
- The implant itself feeling as though it moves. Contact us promptly if you notice this.
- Pain or tenderness that appears after a settled period. Discomfort in the first days after surgery is expected; discomfort arriving two years later is not.
If something has broken, come loose or become painful outside your normal appointment, an emergency dental appointment is the right route rather than waiting for your next check-up.
What happens if an implant fails
How an unintegrated implant is removed depends on the individual case and is discussed with you at the time. Suitability for treatment depends on a clinical assessment.
What follows depends on how much bone remains. The site is normally left to heal, and a replacement may be possible later, sometimes with grafting first. Whether a replacement implant is appropriate, or whether a bridge or denture is the better route, is a judgement made at assessment rather than in advance or online.
One thing worth doing before you commit anywhere: ask what the practice’s policy is if an implant fails, and ask for it in writing. Factor that into the comparison when you are looking at what dental implants cost in the UK, because the initial quote and the total cost over time are not always the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
Can a dental implant last 20 or 30 years? The published evidence does not extend that far. What it supports is ten-year survival of 96.4%, or 93.2% on the more conservative sensitivity analysis (Howe et al., 2019). Beyond ten years the published evidence is much thinner.
What is the average lifespan of a dental implant? “Lifespan” is not really how the research measures it. Studies report survival at a fixed follow-up point — most commonly ten years. That is why you will see ten-year figures quoted rather than an average number of years.
Does the crown last as long as the implant? The implant, the abutment and the crown are three separate components. A crown can chip, wear or need replacing while the implant underneath remains sound. Replacing a crown is not the same as implant failure and is a much smaller piece of work.
Do implants get decay? Implant materials such as titanium do not decay in the way natural tooth tissue does. But the gum and bone around an implant can be lost to plaque-associated inflammation (Berglundh et al., 2018), which is why cleaning and maintenance matter just as much as they do for natural teeth.
Can a failed implant be replaced? Sometimes, but not always, and not immediately. It depends on how much bone is left at the site and why the first one failed, which is why it is assessed case by case.
Are implants still worth considering if I smoke? That is a decision to make together rather than a yes or no. The evidence shows roughly double the odds of early failure in smokers (Fan et al., 2024). We will discuss how the published evidence applies to your own circumstances at assessment, and if you are considering stopping, the period around implant treatment is a reasonable time to do it.
Suitability for treatment depends on a clinical assessment. This treatment may not be appropriate for every patient. If you would like your options assessed, implant treatment in Leeds starts with a consultation and a discussion of the risks that apply to you specifically.
Sources
- Howe M-S, Keys W, Richards D. Long-term (10-year) dental implant survival: a systematic review and sensitivity meta-analysis. Journal of Dentistry. 2019;84:9–21. PubMed 30904559
- Diaz P, Gonzalo E, Gil Villagra LJ, Miegimolle B, Suarez MJ. What is the prevalence of peri-implantitis? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Oral Health. 2022;22:449. Full text
- Berglundh T, Armitage G, Araujo MG, et al. Peri-implant diseases and conditions: consensus report of workgroup 4 of the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2018;45(Suppl 20):S286–S291. PubMed 29926491
- Fan Y-Y, Li S, Cai Y-J, Wei T, Ye P. Smoking in relation to early dental implant failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Dentistry. 2024;151:105396. PubMed 39393606
- Wagner J, Spille JH, Wiltfang J, Naujokat H. Systematic review on diabetes mellitus and dental implants: an update. International Journal of Implant Dentistry. 2022;8:1. Full text
- Häggman-Henrikson B, Ali D, Aljamal M, Chrcanovic BR. Bruxism and dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2024;51(1):202–217. PubMed 37589382
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Dental checks: intervals between oral health reviews (CG19), 2004. nice.org.uk/guidance/cg19
- NHS. How to keep your teeth clean. nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/how-to-keep-your-teeth-clean
- NHS. Quit smoking. nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking
