How long do dental implants last?
A dental implant has two parts, and they do not last the same length of time. The titanium post placed in the jawbone commonly lasts 15 years or more, and long-term studies typically report survival rates above 90% at ten years. The crown fitted on top usually has a shorter working life — often somewhere between 10 and 15 years — because it takes the daily wear. If something needs replacing decades later, it is far more likely to be the crown than the implant underneath it.
Fees correct as of September 2026. Written and reviewed by Dr Ali El-Kabengi (GDC 270807), principal dentist at Toothi London, 1 Handel Parade, Edgware HA8 6LD, who has a special interest in implant dentistry. Individual results vary and no implant can be guaranteed for a set number of years — the figures here describe what is typically reported, not a promise about your case.
The implant and the crown are two different lifespans
Most confusion about implant lifespan comes from treating the implant as one object. It is three:
| Part | What it is | Typical working life |
| The implant | A titanium screw placed into the jawbone, which the bone grows onto | 15+ years, often much longer when it integrates well and is maintained |
| The abutment | The connector between implant and crown | Usually as long as the implant, occasionally replaced with the crown |
| The crown | The visible porcelain tooth | Typically 10–15 years before wear, chipping or gum recession calls for a new one |
This matters practically as well as clinically. Replacing a worn crown on a sound implant is a far smaller piece of treatment than replacing the implant itself, so a 20-year-old implant needing a new crown is a normal maintenance event, not a failure.
What actually shortens an implant’s life
Implants do not decay, so they never get a cavity. What they are vulnerable to is the bone and gum around them. The main risks, in roughly the order they matter:
- Peri-implantitis — inflammation and bone loss around the implant, driven by plaque. This is the single most common reason an established implant is eventually lost.
- Smoking — reduces blood supply to the gum and bone and is consistently associated with higher implant failure rates, both during healing and years later.
- Untreated gum disease — if periodontal disease is active around your natural teeth, the same bacteria will affect the tissue around an implant. It needs to be stabilised before placement, not after.
- Poorly controlled diabetes — affects healing and infection risk. Well-controlled diabetes is not a barrier to implants.
- Grinding and clenching — overloads the implant and chips the crown. A nightguard (£195) is the usual answer.
- Skipping maintenance — an implant that is never professionally cleaned or reviewed is the one that fails quietly, because bone loss around an implant is painless until it is advanced.
How to make yours last
Implant maintenance is not the same as a standard hygiene appointment. The tissue around an implant attaches differently to the tissue around a natural tooth, and the instruments and technique differ. At Toothi that is a defined appointment:
| Implant hygiene therapy — cleaning around the implant to keep the surrounding gum and bone healthy | £150 |
| Routine implant examination — review of existing implants, including X-rays where needed | £95 |
| Nightguard — if you grind or clench | £195 |
At home it is unglamorous and it works: brush twice daily, clean between the teeth and around the implant every day with interdental brushes or floss designed for implants, and do not smoke. Most people who lose an implant late lose it to plaque, not to bad luck.
What if an implant does fail?
Failures split into two groups. Early failure happens in the first few months, when the implant does not integrate with the bone — it is uncommon, and it is usually identified before the crown is ever fitted. Late failure happens years afterwards and is nearly always peri-implantitis.
In either case, the site can often be restored. That may involve removing the implant, allowing the bone to heal, sometimes grafting, and placing a new one. It is more treatment than getting it right first time, which is the argument for maintenance rather than for avoiding implants.
What a dental implant costs at Toothi
A single dental implant is a fixed £1,995 including the crown. That covers the Osstem implant, the abutment, a porcelain crown and every review appointment. The CBCT 3D scan needed before any implant is placed is taken at a referral imaging centre and paid to them directly — it is not included in the £1,995, and we will tell you about it before you commit.
| New implant consultation — includes a written plan | Free |
| Single tooth implant including crown | £1,995 |
| Second implant placed at the same visit | £1,795 |
| Implant bridge — 2 implants replacing 3 teeth | £4,495 |
| Implant-retained denture — 2–4 implants, per arch | £7,995 |
| CBCT 3D scan — at a referral imaging centre, paid to them directly | Not included |
Fixed full-arch bridges (All-on-X) are available, priced on assessment at your free consultation. Full details on our dental implants page and implant cost guide, and every figure is on our fees page.
Common questions
Do dental implants last a lifetime?
For some people the implant itself does. It is common for an implant placed in middle age to still be in function decades later. What no dentist can honestly do is guarantee it, because the outcome depends on bone health, gum health, smoking and maintenance over that whole period. The crown on top will almost certainly be replaced at least once in that time.
Are implants better than a bridge or a denture?
They last longer than either in most cases, and they are the only option that replaces the root as well as the tooth, which helps preserve the bone. A conventional bridge requires preparing the healthy teeth either side. A denture is removable and does not stop bone shrinking. The trade-offs are cost and treatment time. See our comparison of implants, dentures and bridges.
Can you get dental implants on the NHS?
Only very rarely, where there is a clear clinical need such as after facial trauma or cancer treatment, and not for routine tooth replacement. Toothi is a fully private practice, so the prices on this page are directly comparable with any other private clinic.
How often should an implant be checked?
Most implant patients are reviewed and professionally cleaned every six months, with X-rays taken periodically to check the bone level around the implant. Because bone loss around an implant does not usually hurt, the review is how it gets caught early.
Book a free implant consultation · WhatsApp us for a written quote · 020 3148 2444
0% interest-free finance is available over up to 10 months, or low-interest finance over up to 60 months at 12.9% APR representative (fixed), on treatment over £250. Cherry Dental Ltd trading as Toothi is a credit broker, not a lender, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 957242). Credit is provided by Tabeo, subject to status. All fees are confirmed in a written treatment plan before any treatment begins.
