Oral Health›Dental visits and treatments

Dental Implants: Suitability, Treatment and Aftercare

A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth and can hold a crown, bridge or denture. Here is who is suitable, what treatment involves, the risks, and how to look after an implant.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·8 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • A dental implant is a titanium screw placed in the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth. It can hold a crown, a bridge or a denture.
  • You need enough healthy jawbone and healthy gums. Smoking, poorly controlled diabetes, gum disease and some medicines raise the risk of problems.
  • Treatment usually takes several months and at least one minor operation. Sources give different healing times, from about 2 to 6 months, and sometimes the new tooth can be fitted straight away.
  • Implants need daily cleaning and regular check-ups. Gum inflammation and bone loss around an implant can cause it to fail.
  • In England implants are usually private and only rarely available on the NHS. UK and Australian dental bodies urge caution about having implants abroad.

Implants are one of several ways to replace a missing tooth. For a comparison with dentures and bridges, see replacing missing teeth.

What is a dental implant?

The NHS describes an implant as a titanium screw placed into the jawbone to support a crown, a bridge or a denture. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust explains that it replaces the root of the missing tooth, and holds either a fixed crown or bridge, or a removable overdenture that clips on with press-stud-like attachments. The bone grows around the implant and holds it in place, a process the American Dental Association calls osseointegration.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals says implants aim to improve chewing, speech, appearance and comfort, without cutting down the neighbouring teeth as a conventional bridge does, and make a removable denture much more stable. It says about 90% of implants are still in place and working 10 years after they were placed.

Am I suitable for implants?

Implants are not right for everyone (Leeds Teaching Hospitals). Your dental team will check:

  • Bone and gums. healthdirect Australia says your dentist will check that you have enough bone to hold the implant and that your gums are healthy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists untreated gum disease as a risk.
  • Smoking. The FDA says smoking may affect healing and reduce the long-term success of an implant. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says you must be committed to long-term care, including not smoking. See smoking, vaping and oral health.
  • Diabetes and other conditions. The American Dental Association says long-term illnesses such as diabetes may interfere with healing, and the FDA says implant failure from infection may be more likely with uncontrolled diabetes. healthdirect asks you to tell your doctor if you are over 60, or have osteoporosis, cancer, a bleeding disorder, gum disease or diabetes, or smoke. See diabetes and oral health.
  • Medicines and past treatment. For alendronic acid, an osteoporosis medicine, the NHS says there is a very small chance of jawbone damage with implants, and to tell your dentist. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says implants fail more often in people who take bisphosphonates or have had radiotherapy to the jaws. See cancer treatment and your mouth.
  • Age and commitment. Implants are usually placed only once you have stopped growing, and involve several appointments over months and at least one surgical procedure (Leeds Teaching Hospitals). The American Dental Association says your health matters more than your age.

What does treatment involve?

healthdirect says implants may be placed by a general dentist, a periodontist (gum specialist) or an oral surgeon. The Better Health Channel (Victoria) says implants need extra training, so you may be referred. The steps below are from Leeds Teaching Hospitals unless stated.

Assessment. An examination, x-rays and moulds of your mouth, usually with a 3D x-ray called a cone beam CT scan to check the bone and nearby nerves and sinuses. See dental x-rays.

If a tooth needs to come out first. This is often done 6 to 10 weeks before implant surgery so the gum can heal, with a temporary removable denture in the meantime. Occasionally the implant goes into the socket at the same visit. See having a tooth out.

If there is not enough bone. Bone can be built up with a bone graft. Small grafts can be done when the implant is placed; larger ones are done several months before, sometimes under general anaesthetic with a hospital stay, and lengthen treatment.

Placing the implant. This is usually done under local anaesthetic, so you are awake and can go home afterwards, and takes around 90 minutes. The gum is lifted, a hole is drilled in the bone, the implant is screwed in and the gum is stitched. Sometimes a second, smaller operation is needed later to uncover the implant.

Healing and the new tooth. Sources give different times for the bone to bond to the implant: about 3 months (healthdirect), 2 to 6 months in most cases (Leeds Teaching Hospitals), or up to several months (American Dental Association). The American Dental Association says some people can have the implant and replacement tooth fitted in one visit, and others may wear a temporary crown, bridge or denture while the final one is made.

After surgery

Leeds Teaching Hospitals says pain can usually be managed with paracetamol and/or ibuprofen, and swelling and bruising are usually worst 24 to 48 hours afterwards. It advises brushing and flossing the rest of your mouth normally and using any antimicrobial mouthwash as directed. healthdirect says instructions may include using mouthwash instead of brushing or flossing for 2 to 3 weeks, and eating soft food while the site heals.

What are the risks?

healthdirect lists infection, nerve damage, sinus problems and damage to nearby teeth. The FDA adds numbness after surgery, a bite that does not feel right, and a replacement tooth that feels loose because a screw has loosened.

Why implants fail

Leeds Teaching Hospitals says an implant occasionally never bonds to the bone (early failure). Later, inflammation of the gum around an implant (peri-mucositis) and bone loss (peri-implantitis) can lead to the implant being lost, more often in people who smoke, have poor oral hygiene, have had gum disease or radiotherapy to the jaws, have poorly controlled diabetes, or take certain medicines such as bisphosphonates. The FDA says failure can happen soon after placement or much later, and may need another operation.

A Cochrane review (an independent summary of the research), last updated in 2012, found too little evidence to say which treatment for peri-implantitis works best. Four trials found no evidence that more complex and expensive treatments worked better than deep cleaning around the implant, and the reviewers say re-treatment may be needed because the problem can come back.

Looking after an implant

healthdirect advises brushing twice a day, cleaning between the implant and your other teeth with floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser, and having regular check-ups. See cleaning between your teeth.

Cost and availability

England. The NHS says implants are usually only available privately and are expensive, and are rarely available on the NHS, for people who cannot wear dentures for reasons such as mouth cancer or an accident. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says other options are normally tried first even for NHS priority groups.

Australia. healthdirect says implants can be expensive, advises getting a quote and knowing all the costs before you start, and suggests checking whether private health insurance covers part of the cost.

See dental costs and help.

Having implants abroad

Our guide to dental treatment abroad covers the checks and questions to ask before any treatment overseas.

  • The Oral Health Foundation says implants cannot easily be done quickly, may need repeat visits and adjustments, and complications can be hard to deal with once you are home.
  • In a British Dental Association survey, UK dentists named implants, closely behind crowns, as the treatment done abroad most likely to need follow-up work. Some reported implants that fell out, and treatment that went ahead despite untreated gum disease.
  • The General Dental Council (the UK dental regulator) suggests speaking to your own dentist first, and asking about qualifications, aftercare, guarantees and who pays if something goes wrong. The NHS says to be wary of a hard sell, pressure to decide quickly, or no discussion of complications or aftercare.
  • Australia: the Australian Dental Association's policy is that Australians should have elective dental treatment in Australia. It says complications may not be covered by travel insurance.
When to see a dentist
  • The gum around an implant is swollen or inflamed (healthdirect).
  • An implant feels loose or painful. The FDA says to tell your dental provider right away.
  • A crown or bridge on an implant has chipped or come off, or the clips on an overdenture seem worn (Leeds Teaching Hospitals).
Get help urgently
  • For a dental infection, the NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if you are finding it hard to breathe, speak or swallow, or have a lot of swelling in your mouth. Elsewhere, call your local emergency number. See dental emergencies.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get dental implants on the NHS?

Only rarely. The NHS says implants are usually private, but are sometimes available for people who cannot wear dentures for reasons such as mouth cancer or an accident.

How long do dental implants last?

Leeds Teaching Hospitals says about 90% are still in place and working after 10 years, and that failure is more likely in people who smoke or have poor oral hygiene.

Should I tell other health professionals I have an implant?

Yes. The FDA advises telling health professionals and imaging staff before an MRI scan or x-ray, as implants can distort the images.

Sources

  1. Dental treatments, NHS, accessed September 2026
  2. Common questions about alendronic acid, NHS, accessed September 2026
  3. Dental abscess, NHS, accessed September 2026
  4. Treatment abroad checklist, NHS, accessed September 2026
  5. Dental implants, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, accessed September 2026
  6. Going abroad for dental treatment, General Dental Council, accessed September 2026
  7. UK dentists picking up the pieces from dental tourism boom, British Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  8. I am thinking about getting treatment overseas. Is this a good idea?, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  9. Dental implant, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  10. Dental treatment, Better Health Channel (Victoria), accessed September 2026
  11. Policy Statement 2.2.6: Elective overseas dental treatment, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  12. Implants, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  13. Dental implants: what you should know, US Food and Drug Administration, accessed September 2026
  14. Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri-implantitis, Cochrane, 2012, accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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