U.S. doctors online nowAsk doctors free
San Diego, CA
A 61-year-old male asked:

Do dental implants work?

39 doctor answers74 doctors weighed in
Dr. Michael Teitelbaum
Dentistry 34 years experience
Usually: It depends on many factors, but they generally have better than 90% success long term in human mouths.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Kyle Shank
Dentistry 15 years experience
Absolutely: Dental implants have actually been around much longer than most people realize. They are a great treatment option, and when done properly, they have a very high success rate.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Donald Nimz
Dentistry 45 years experience
Yes: While not always possible, implants are highly succesful . Conservative to other teeth as opposed to shaping adjacent teeth to fit a bridge. Very helpful in supporting loose dentures as well.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Bruce Weisbrot
Dentistry 44 years experience
I agree that implants are highly successful, but don't just go by price. Although there are many great general dentists out there that place AND restore their own implants I must caution the patient to ask a lot of questions because there are also many general dentists out there that only took a three day course and you are their first attempt at placing an implant, often one of the cheapest.
Apr 22, 2014
Dr. Brian Hoffman
Dentistry 16 years experience
AS to the above comment from Dr. Weisbrot: Most of the General Dentists I know who place implants, like myself, have taken EXTENSIVE training in order to perform these procedures well. Remember, if a General Dentist cannot perform a procedure as well as a Specialist, they should refer that patient to that Specialist. Therefore, most Dentists who place implants are extremely good.
May 9, 2015
Dr. Winston Muditajaya
Dentistry 26 years experience
Yes: If done correctly they work very well. Studies on 10-year survival rates are greater than 90%.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Mark Bornfeld
Dentistry 47 years experience
Usually.: Dental implants are no different from any other therapeutic methodology: sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. The most important factor in their success is case selection-- that is, using them when they're appropriate, and not using them when another approach to tooth replacement is more advantageous. When properly implemented, implants are one additional worthy tool in the toolbox.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Greg Rubin
Dentistry 39 years experience
YES ! : Dental implants have been around for over 50 years. Today -the success rate of dental implants is 95-98%. Dental implants do work. We can replace one missing tooth or the whole mouth, so you can have permanent teeth and enjoy food and have quality of life you deserve.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Sam Markzar
Dr. Sam Markzar commented
Dentistry - Periodontics 29 years experience
Of course they work... but contrary to routine beliefs, they need MORE periodontal care than natural teeth, and simply because the structure of gum support and attachments to titanium dental implants are completely different than of natural teeth. Implants are more vulnerable to oral and periodontal bacteria, hence more sensitive , periodontally.
Dec 15, 2013
Dr. Alan Krause
Dr. Alan Krause commented
undefined 40 years experience
Implants work as long as you are a good candidate for them. If you are a smoker or have extensive periodontitis, you are not a good candidate.
Mar 4, 2014
Dr. Don Millner
Dr. Don Millner commented
Dentistry - Cosmetic 45 years experience
While there maybe concerns about inflammation and gum concerns around implants, most of these issues are NOT oral hygiene related but are caused by "left over" cement, even microscopic amounts of cement penetrating the weak gum /bone barrier causing supporting bone to be lost around the implant!
Mar 16, 2014
Dr. Ronald Achong
Oral &Maxillofacial Surgery 20 years experience
Yes: They work very well and they can change your life and smile. It is the best treatment available to replace a missing tooth or teeth.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Scott Greenhalgh
Dentistry 35 years experience
Amazingly Well!: Dental implants can truly replace teeth that have been lost. When teeth are missing, this places more force and pressure on the other remaining teeth and can accelerate their demise. The most important thing about dental implants is don't let anyone put the implant in, until the dentist who is building the teeth (the cosmetic dentist) says you are ready.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. William Dapper
Dentistry 38 years experience
Yes: The literature is replete with high success rates. What's nice is dental implants, unlike other prosthesis i.e.. Hips knees etc. Most often do not need to be replaced later on in life.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. David Ripplinger
19 years experience
Yes!: Not only are implants often more appealing cosmetically, they help to preserve your natural bone levels. Implants look and feel more like your natural teeth than dental bridges or partial dentures and they last a lifetime! as far as "working", the answer is yes. When is comes to my patients' overall functionality, they never even notice the difference.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. I. Jay Freedman
Dentistry 45 years experience
Absolutely: Dental implants are amazing. My office has been successfully placing and restoring them for over 20 years. Our oldest patient to have them placed was 93 years old at the time and at 94 she is functioning normally. They are one of the most predictable procedures dentist can preform and the patient are among the happiest! an individual can be transformed from a dental cripple to fully functional!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. John Thaler
Prosthodontics 43 years experience
Very well: The success rate is in the upper 90's. What else has that kind of rate ? All situations are different, but it is generally a safe and predictable procedure with tremendous benefits.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Brian Dorfman
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 21 years experience
YES!: Dental implants are actually the most successful procedure an oral surgeon performs today. With a 95-99% success rate according to studies, there are few complications. Even a tooth extraction has a higher complication rate. If performed correctly by a properly trained surgeon and restored correctly, a dental implant should last you a lifetime.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Lance Timmerman
Specializes in Cosmetic Dentistry
YES!: One of the most successful treatments, and longest lasting, services are dental implants.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Mark Venincasa
Dentistry - Cosmetic 37 years experience
Yes: Dental implants are amongst the most successful dental procedure today. I would not have a reservation about getting them.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Sam Markzar
Dentistry - Periodontics 29 years experience
Definitely !: Of course they work... But contrary to routine beliefs, they need more periodontal care than natural teeth, and simply because the structure of gum support and attachments to titanium dental implants are completely different than of natural teeth. Implants are more vulnerable to oral and periodontal bacteria, hence more sensitive , periodontally.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Glenn MacFarlane
Cosmetic Dentistry 38 years experience
YES: Dental implants, like everything else in life, is not made to last forever. Done properly they can last for more than 15 years. If you take diligent care of the implant it could conceivably last much, much longer.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Don Millner
Dentistry - Cosmetic 45 years experience
MOST SUCCESSFUL! : With poor national averages of crowns, veneers and "white" fillings lasting under a decade and most orthodontic cases relapsing the moment patients stop wearing their retainers, i am pleased that well placed implants, once integrated with the supporting bone structure, can last a lifetime. Most failures associated with implants are the restorative crowns, loosening screws, or leftover cement.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Robert Devin
Dentistry 49 years experience
Dental Implants work: Yes they work very well. After integrating into the bone and after one year , the success rate is in the 99% at 17 years. Always have a doctor who has a minimum of 1 years' of post doctoral training in doing and restoring them. Ask for their credentials. They should be happy to provide this.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Jack Binder
Specializes in Dentistry
Yes: Implants are the second most successful procedure in dentistry. The only procedure more successful is tooth extraction, which is, of course, 100% successful. If you are missing one tooth, an implant-supported crown is an ideal restoration since it corrects the problem without involving adjacent teeth. Implants also replace removable appliances with anchored dentistry that functions much better.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Charles Lockhart
Dentistry 11 years experience
Hope so: I sure hope so since I am in the process of getting them for myself
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Douglas Tavenner, jr.
52 years experience
Artificial root: Implants are an artificial root that is placed in the bone to have a crown attached to it to replace a missing tooth. Ask a cabinet maker how a metal insert is placed in wood to secure a screw.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Daniel Rubenstein
Dentistry 53 years experience
Yes: As long as you have enough healthy bone, dental implants provide a long-term replacement for missing teeth. Most implant patients will tell you implants are the next best thing to having your own natural teeth.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Scott Methven
Dentistry 22 years experience
Absolutely : Dental implants are very successful! The newer materials and implant systems have about a 98% success rate on healthy individuals. Smoking and diabetes are the main cause of implant failures. If you are a non smoker, not a diabetic and your bone is healthy it will most likely work for you. See a dentist and have them evaluate you. It's a great way to replace missing teeth! Best of luck!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Matthew Church
Cosmetic Dentistry 25 years experience
Yes!: The simple answer is,“Yes!”Our patients frequently tell us that their implants feel so real; it would be easy to forget they aren’t natural teeth. Fortunately, there are no dietary restrictions or special care instructions to remember. Implants function just like real teeth, and they need the same care. As a wonderful bonus, the crowns, bridges, or dentures can be made to look just like real teeth
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Arman Roksar
Dentistry - Prosthodontics 27 years experience
95-98% Success Rate: dental implants have a average success rate of 97%. The odds decrease with smokers and diabetics. Certain patients are not good candidates if they are taking a class of medication known as bisphospahtes (i.e. Atenenol, Bovina)
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Sam Markzar
Dr. Sam Markzar commented
Dentistry - Periodontics 29 years experience
While I agree w./ most of your statements as far as implant success rates (& that, only based on percentage of "CLINICAL OSSEOINTEGRATION" as success rate), I believe it's in best interest of the patients & others in here, to refrain from commenting on subjects & issues which are NOT within the scope of one's specialty as it can mis-inform others. ATENENOL?!? BOVINA?!?>Bisphosphonates !!? Really??
May 6, 2015
Dr. Brian Hoffman
Dentistry 16 years experience
Absolutely!: Dental implants are effective in restoring missing teeth to full form, health, function and esthetics in the majority of cases. See you Dentist for an implant consultation, to see if implants would be best for your particular situation. Good Luck!!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Theodore Davantzis
Dentistry 42 years experience
Sure: Have been used for decades. Speak to your dentist regarding your options.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Lokesh Rao
Dentistry 15 years experience
Yes: Closest in function to natural teeth. Best option for the replacement of missing teeth.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. David Eidman
Dentistry 39 years experience
Implants do work!: When done properly, dental implants are a very predictable and highly successful procedure. Make sure you see a dentist, whether it is a general dentist, a periodontist or an oral surgeon who has experience in the placement of implants. Also, it is often a much less traumatic procedure than tooth extraction. Good luck!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Justin Nelson
Pediatric Dentistry 18 years experience
YES: Based on proper placement and patient selection implants are very successful
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Paul Grin
Pain Management 38 years experience
Of course: Implants have a documented success rate of over 95%, which is significantly higher than any other tooth-replacement option.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. David Peto
Periodontics 18 years experience
Implants: Dental implants are incredibly successful! They have between a 95-98% success rate, and enable us to provide treatment that simply didn't exist 20 years ago. They work extremely well, and can make a huge difference in your appearance, how you speak, and how you eat.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Sandra Eleczko
A Verified Doctoranswered
Dentistry 38 years experience
Yes: The success rate is more than95%. Implants are a great investment in your health
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Louis Galiano
Periodontics 41 years experience
Absolutely: Implants definitely work. The key to long-term success is finding a quality person to place the implants. Unfortunately today, many people are placing implants that are unqualified or do not have enough experience. My advice to you would be to find a quality periodontist in your area who is been practicing for approximately 5 to 10 years at minimum.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Jack Binder
Dr. Jack Binder commented
Specializes in Dentistry
Not only periodontists are qualified to place implants. Stop dissing your colleagues. Many specialists and generalists are well-qualified to place implants. There is no recognized specialty of "implant dentistry".
Apr 3, 2017
Dr. Louis Galiano
Periodontics 41 years experience
Provided original answer
Jack, No disrespect. Just telling it like I see it in my area. If I were to have an implant placed that is what I would do personally. Therefore that is what I would recommend to any patient.
Apr 4, 2017
Dr. Gregori Kurtzman
Dentistry 37 years experience
Success: Implants have a high success rate of around 95% independent of the manufacturer. But success is also dependent on the patient doing good home care to prevent gum problems around them.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Arnold Malerman
Orthodontics 55 years experience
Absolutely: Success depends upon multiple factors, the two most important being the skills of the various practitioners involved and appropriate maintenance by the patient. Implants are safe, cost effective, and state of the art.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Andres Carbunaru
Dentistry - Prosthodontics 26 years experience
Yes: The success rate is more than 95 %, find a Prosthodontist and get checked, you will be amazed by the amount of technology and how easy and accurate are dental implants.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Mohamed Attia
Dentistry 21 years experience
Absolutely !: Dental Implants are the best way to replace your missing natural teeth.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Nov 7, 2021

Disclaimer:

Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.