Dental Implants Success Rate: What the Evidence Shows

Clinically reviewed by Dr Karan Maini, Principal Dentist (GDC 272548). Published: 2 October 2026.

Key takeaways

Long-term reviews show that more than nine in ten dental implants are still in place 10 years or more after treatment, with survival rates of around 93–96%.^1,2
Success, a stricter measure that also looks at the health of the surrounding bone and gum, averaged 89.7% across 23 studies with at least 10 years of follow-up.²
Survival and success measure different things, so it's worth knowing which one a quoted figure refers to.³
Newer studies report higher five-year survival for implant-supported crowns and bridges than older studies: 97.1%, up from 93.5%.⁴
Smoking is a well-established risk factor for implant failure,⁶ while good daily cleaning and regular maintenance help keep the tissues around an implant healthy.

What this guide covers

This article looks at what published research shows about how successful dental implants are, what "success" means clinically, and what helps implants do well over the long term. For how long implants typically last and how to look after them, see our guide to how long dental implants last. For the appointment-by-appointment schedule, see what happens at each dental implant appointment. For treatment details, costs and finance, see our dental implants page.

If you're considering dental implants, one of the first things you'll want to know is how likely they are to work. Published research gives a consistently encouraging answer. Below are the key studies behind the figures, so you can see where they come from.

What is the dental implant success rate?

Long-term research shows that the large majority of dental implants stay in place for many years. Implant survival, meaning the implant is still in place, sits at around 93–96% at 10 years or more in large reviews.

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis by Howe, Keys and Richards pooled 18 prospective studies of adults with modern, roughened-surface screw implants followed for 10 years. It found 10-year survival of 96.4%, and a more cautious estimate of 93.2% once it allowed for patients lost to follow-up.¹ A separate review by Moraschini and colleagues covered 23 studies and 7,711 implants, followed for an average of 13.4 years, and reported mean survival of 94.6%.²

Success is a stricter measure that also takes into account bone levels, the absence of pain or infection, and the health of the gum around the implant. The same review of 23 long-term studies reported a mean success rate of 89.7%.²

These figures are averages across large groups of patients. Your dentist will explain how they apply to your own health and circumstances at your consultation.

What's the difference between "survival" and "success"?

Survival means the implant is still in place.

Success goes further. Definitions vary between studies, but a systematic review found the criteria most often used were no implant mobility, no pain, no dark area around the implant on an X-ray, bone loss below a set threshold (commonly 1.5 mm), and no pus or bleeding from the surrounding gum.³

Because success is measured against a checklist, the more criteria a study applies, the lower the figure it reports. The same review found that each additional criterion lowered reported success rates by around 7–9% on average.³ That's why success figures are usually lower than survival figures, and why this guide states which one each figure refers to.

Has implant success improved over time?

The evidence suggests it has. A 2014 review compared 139 studies of implant-supported crowns and bridges, grouping them into older studies published in or before 2000 and newer studies published after 2000.⁴

Five-year survival of the restorations rose from 93.5% to 97.1% overall, from 92.6% to 97.2% for single crowns, and from 93.5% to 96.4% for bridges. Survival of the implants themselves was already high and changed little, apart from implants supporting bridges, which rose from 93.8% to 96.1%.⁴

The practical point is that figures drawn from older studies may not reflect what current implant designs and techniques achieve.

What affects the success rate?

Several factors are linked to how well implants do over time, and your dentist will assess each of them before recommending treatment. For the everyday habits that help implants last, see our guide to how long dental implants last.

Age. In the 2019 review, estimated 10-year survival in patients aged 65 and over was 91.5%. That was lower than in younger patients, but still means more than nine in ten implants were estimated to remain in place.¹

Diabetes. A systematic review of 22 clinical studies found that implant survival in people with diabetes did not differ from that of healthy patients over the first six years, although it was lower in longer-term follow-up. Where diabetes was well controlled, complication rates were similar to those of healthy patients.⁵

Bone. Where bone volume is limited, grafting can be carried out before or during implant placement. Your bone is assessed with a 3D scan before surgery is planned, and the FAQs below cover what the research shows for implants placed with a sinus lift.

Smoking and gum health. Both are covered below.

Does smoking affect the success rate?

Yes, and it's one of the clearest risk factors in the research. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 292 publications, covering 35,511 implants placed in smokers and 114,597 in non-smokers, found that implants in smokers had about 2.4 times the odds of failure.⁶

Smoking doesn't mean an implant will fail, but it is worth discussing openly at your consultation.

What is peri-implantitis, and how common is it?

Peri-implantitis is inflammation around an implant that also involves loss of the supporting bone. A milder form, peri-implant mucositis, is plaque-related inflammation of the gum alone, without bone loss.⁷ Left untreated, peri-implantitis can lead to the implant being lost, which is why ongoing care matters.

Large reviews estimate that around one in five implant patients has peri-implantitis. A 2015 review put the figure at 22%,⁷ and a larger 2025 review of 102 studies, covering more than 13,000 patients, found a similar 21%. The 2025 review also found that about 22% of patients developed it within 20 years of their implants being in function.⁸

Thorough daily cleaning around the implant and regular professional maintenance help reduce the risk, and allow any early signs of inflammation to be picked up and treated promptly.

What happens if an implant fails?

As the figures above show, implant failure is uncommon. If an implant doesn't integrate with the bone, or later develops a problem that can't be managed, it is usually removed. Once the site has healed, a replacement may be possible, depending on why the first implant didn't succeed.

Your dentist will explain the possible risks in full at your consultation, before any treatment begins, and they're also covered on our dental implants page.

How does Zenith approach implant treatment?

Good outcomes start with a thorough assessment and careful planning. Every implant assessment at Zenith includes a full consultation and an in-house 3D CBCT scan, so Dr Karan Maini or Dr Karamvir Takhar can plan your implant in detail before any surgery takes place. If implants aren't the right option for you, we'll explain the alternatives.

Is a dental implant right for you?

The research is reassuring: most implants are still in place a decade or more after treatment. Whether an implant is right for you depends on your bone, your gum health, your general health and what you want from treatment, and a proper assessment will tell you far more than any statistic. If you're also considering a bridge or denture, our guide to dental implants vs dentures compares the options.

Clinical references and evidence base

Howe MS, 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.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30904559
Moraschini V, Poubel LA, Ferreira VF, Barboza ES. Evaluation of survival and success rates of dental implants reported in longitudinal studies with a follow-up period of at least 10 years: a systematic review. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2015;44(3):377–388. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25467739
Papaspyridakos P, Chen CJ, Singh M, Weber HP, Gallucci GO. Success criteria in implant dentistry: a systematic review. Journal of Dental Research. 2012;91(3):242–248. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22157097
Pjetursson BE, Asgeirsson AG, Zwahlen M, Sailer I. Improvements in implant dentistry over the last decade: comparison of survival and complication rates in older and newer publications. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. 2014;29 Suppl:308–324. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24660206
Naujokat H, Kunzendorf B, Wiltfang J. Dental implants and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review. International Journal of Implant Dentistry. 2016;2(1):5. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27747697
Mustapha AD, Salame Z, Chrcanovic BR. Smoking and dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(1):39 (published online 27 December 2021). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35056347
Derks J, Tomasi C. Peri-implant health and disease. A systematic review of current epidemiology. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2015;42(Suppl 16):S158–S171. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25495683
Galarraga-Vinueza ME, Pagni S, Finkelman M, Schoenbaum T, Chambrone L. Prevalence, incidence, systemic, behavioral, and patient-related risk factors and indicators for peri-implant diseases: an AO/AAP systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Periodontology. 2025;96:587–633. doi.org/10.1002/JPER.24-0154
Care Quality Commission. Zenith Dental Clinic Ltd, 6 Clinton Terrace, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 1LY: service profile and inspection reports. cqc.org.uk/location/1-2288191261
General Dental Council. Online register search. olr.gdc-uk.org
Maló P, de Araújo Nobre M, Lopes A, Ferro A, Botto J. The All-on-4 treatment concept for the rehabilitation of the completely edentulous mandible: a longitudinal study with 10 to 18 years of follow-up. Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research. 2019;21(4):565–577. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30924309
Pjetursson BE, Tan WC, Zwahlen M, Lang NP. A systematic review of the success of sinus floor elevation and survival of implants inserted in combination with sinus floor elevation. Part I: lateral approach. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2008;35(8 Suppl):216–240. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18724852

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for a personal consultation. Figures cited are averages from published research across groups of patients, drawn from studies with different designs, implant systems, clinical settings, follow-up rates and definitions of success. They are not a guarantee of any individual outcome, and results and treatment plans vary from patient to patient.

Frequently Asked Questions

What success rate can I expect from dental implants?

Long-term reviews put implant survival at around 93–96% after 10 years or more, in line with the 90–95% figure often quoted. Success, measured against stricter criteria, averaged 89.7% in a review of 23 long-term studies. Your dentist will explain how your own health and circumstances affect your outlook.

Do success rates differ for full-arch treatment like All-on-4?

Results for full-arch treatment are also encouraging. A long-term, single-clinic study of 471 patients treated with the All-on-4 concept in the lower jaw, followed for 10 to 18 years, reported prosthesis survival of 98.8% and implant survival of 93%. Full-arch cases involve different planning from single implants.

Does needing a sinus lift affect success?

The research is encouraging. A 2008 systematic review of 48 studies and 12,020 implants placed with a lateral-window sinus lift estimated that 90.1% of implants were still in place after three years, with the best results seen with rough-surface implants and a membrane covering the surgical window. Your dentist will explain whether grafting is needed in your case, and how it affects your treatment plan, at consultation.

Does success depend on which implant brand is used?

The reviews in this article pool studies that used a range of implant systems, rather than a single brand. In the smoking review, for example, the implants most commonly used came from several major manufacturers. At Zenith, the implant system is matched to your bone and anatomy rather than fitting your case to a single supplier.

Can the result of implant treatment be guaranteed?

No dental treatment can be guaranteed, because every patient heals differently. What we can offer is a thorough assessment, careful planning and honest advice at every stage, giving your treatment a strong foundation.