How Long Do Dental Implants Last? UK Evidence (2026)

A dental implant has no fixed expiry date, and in studies most of them are still in place after 15 to 25 years. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust tells its implant patients that implants have a success rate of 80 to 95% over 15 years in patients with healthy mouths, falling to 80 to 85% over seven years for people who have gum disease. One long-term study, which followed patients for an average of 20.3 years, estimated that 87% of single crowns on implants were still in place after 25 years. How long yours lasts depends mostly on your gums, whether you smoke and how well the implant is cleaned and checked.

What do the survival figures actually say?

The published figures are high, but they come from different groups of patients followed for different lengths of time, so read each one with its context. The table sets out the sources we used, what they measured and what they found.

Source	Who was studied	Follow-up	Result
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS leaflet	Patients with healthy mouths	15 years	80 to 95% success
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS leaflet	Patients who have gum disease	Seven years	80 to 85% success
Prospective study, Journal of Clinical Medicine	453 implants in 121 patients, smokers and non-smokers, all placed by the same surgeon	At least 10 years (mean 11.38 years)	91% of implants survived at 10 years; at patient level the figure was 81%
Cohort study, Clinical Oral Implants Research	40 patients and 223 crowns and bridges, treated between 1978 and 2002	Mean 20.3 years	Estimated survival after 25 years: 87% for single crowns on implants, 84% for single crowns on natural teeth

The patient-level figure in the second study is lower because a patient counts as a failure if any one of their implants is lost. The long-term cohort is small, and its patients were treated between 1978 and 2002 and re-examined in 2019 and 2020, so it describes older implant designs followed for a long time.

Is an implant that survives the same as a successful one?

No. “Survival” only means the implant is still in the jaw. “Success” is a stricter test that also looks at bone loss and inflammation around it. A systematic review in BMC Oral Health stresses that it is important to separate the two: an implant that is firmly in place can still count as a failure if the gum around it stays inflamed. When a clinic quotes a percentage, ask which of the two it means and over how many years.

Which part wears out first?

The parts above the gum usually need attention before the implant itself. As the NHS describes it, a titanium screw is placed into the jaw bone to support a crown, bridge or denture. The screw sits in bone; the crown on top takes the chewing load.

In the long-term cohort above, the technical problems reported across all the crowns and bridges (on teeth and on implants) included chipping of the porcelain (20.2%) and crowns coming loose (10.8%). The authors found that these technical problems were less likely to end in losing the tooth or implant underneath than biological problems such as decay, gum disease and peri-implantitis.

What shortens an implant’s life?

Gum disease, smoking, grinding and poor cleaning are the factors the NHS and the research keep coming back to.

Gum disease. A briefing by the Royal College of Surgeons of England says a history of periodontitis makes a patient up to four times more likely to develop peri-implantitis, and that gum disease should be treated before implant treatment starts. The Cambridge leaflet gives 80 to 85% success over seven years for patients with gum disease.
Smoking. A meta-analysis of 51 studies in PLoS One found a pooled relative risk of implant failure of 1.92 for smoking (95% CI, 1.67 to 2.21). In the 10-year study in the table, the risk of losing an upper-jaw implant was 5.64 times higher in smokers. Cambridge expects smokers to stop at least six months before treatment starts.
Peri-implantitis. This is inflammation that destroys the bone around an implant. Across fifty-seven studies, the BMC Oral Health review found it in 19.53% of patients and 12.53% of implants, with wide variation depending on how it was defined.
Grinding. Cambridge warns that people who grind their teeth are at risk of overloading their implants, which can reduce success rates.
Cleaning. The same leaflet says long-term success depends on keeping implants meticulously clean and attending regular follow-ups.

How can you help your implant last?

Keep it clean and keep it checked. These steps come from the NHS and Royal College sources above:

See your dentist or hygienist every three to six months so they can monitor the implant and clean around it, as Cambridge advises.
Get any gum disease treated before the implant goes in, and keep up regular gum checks afterwards.
Stop smoking, ideally well before treatment. Cambridge asks for at least six months.
Tell your dentist if you grind your teeth, so they can plan for the extra load.
Ask your clinic how to clean around the implant at home and which brushes to use.

What happens if an implant fails?

It is removed and, in many cases, replaced after the area heals. Cambridge says that occasionally an implant fails to bond with the jawbone and has to be removed, and that depending on the reason it may be possible to place a new one after a healing period. If the bone has shrunk, you may need a bone graft first. Our guide to dental implant complications and risks covers the warning signs to look out for.

What to ask a clinic before you go ahead

Which implant system they use, and whether you will get its details in writing. Our implant brand comparison explains the main systems.
Whether any success figure they quote is survival or success, and over how many years.
How often they want to review the implant and what the reviews and hygiene visits cost.
What their guarantee covers and what it requires from you, such as attending reviews.

Implants are usually only available privately in the UK. To see what clinics near you charge, check our verified price pages for London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, or read our guide to choosing an implant clinic.

Frequently asked questions

How long do dental implants last in the UK?

There is no set lifespan. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust gives a success rate of 80 to 95% over 15 years for patients with healthy mouths. A study that followed patients for an average of 20.3 years estimated that 87% of single crowns on implants were still in place after 25 years.

Do dental implants last a lifetime?

Some do, but nobody can promise it. The studies show most implants surviving 15 to 25 years, and a minority failing along the way. Gum disease, smoking, grinding and poor cleaning all lower the odds, while regular checks and good cleaning improve them.

Why do dental implants fail?

Early on, an implant can fail to bond with the jawbone and has to be removed. Later failures are linked to peri-implantitis, which destroys the bone around the implant. The NHS and Royal College of Surgeons sources point to gum disease, smoking, teeth grinding and poor cleaning as the main risks.

Does smoking shorten the life of an implant?

Yes. A meta-analysis of 51 studies found a pooled relative risk of implant failure of 1.92 for smokers, and one 10-year study found the risk of losing an upper-jaw implant was 5.64 times higher in smokers. Cambridge asks smokers to stop at least six months before treatment.

How often should a dental implant be checked?

Cambridge University Hospitals advises seeing your dentist or hygienist every three to six months over the long term, so they can monitor the implant and clean around it.

Can a failed implant be replaced?

Often, yes. The failed implant is removed and, depending on why it failed, a new one can be placed after a healing period. A bone graft may be needed first if bone has been lost.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last? What UK Patients Should Know (2026)