How long do dental implants last?
There is no fixed number, because the implant itself is metal and cannot decay, but it lives in bone and gum that react to smoking, uncontrolled sugar, grinding and neglected cleaning. So the same implant stays for years in one mouth and loosens early in another, and the difference is care and follow-up more than the implant itself.
Hours: Sat–Wed 10–6 · Thu 10–4 · Fri closed
The answer in full
“How long does it last?” has no single honest answer, because an implant does not live on its own. It lives in bone, under gum, in a mouth that has habits. The same implant, from the same system, placed by the same hands, stays for years in one mouth and loosens early in another. Most of the difference is care and follow-up: one person cleans along the gum line every day and keeps their check-ups; the other smokes and stays away. And sometimes, rarely, an implant fails for no clear reason despite everything. So any number you hear, in Amman or back home, is a number for a mouth that is not yours.
To see why: an implant is three parts. A small titanium root placed in the jawbone where the tooth used to be, which the bone knits around over months. A small connector, the abutment, that comes up through the gum. And on the abutment, the crown: the tooth you see and eat with.
What we can say honestly: the root itself cannot decay and does not rust. What decides its life is the gum and bone that hold it, the load your bite puts on it, and your follow-up. The crown on top is a separate piece: it can chip or loosen over the years, and very often it is repaired or replaced without touching the root in the bone.
And if you have diabetes?
Diabetes on its own is not a closed door. What decides it is how well your sugar is controlled: uncontrolled sugar slows healing and makes inflammation around the implant easier, so control comes first. If your sugar is controlled, the plan is close to anyone else’s, with closer follow-up. The full picture is in Dental implants when you have diabetes.
Does the implant itself make a difference?
It does, but not in the way the question is usually asked. The country on the box does not lengthen its life. What does: a size and shape that suit your bone, and a surface that helps the bone bond to it. And a documented system whose parts are still available if a crown needs replacing years from now, here or in another country. The doctor chooses that from your scan, not from a list: Implant types: what really differs.
And the cost? It is discussed after the examination, and what decides it is explained on What decides the cost of your treatment. Everything about the procedure itself is on the Dental implants page. And if you are still weighing whether it should be an implant at all, or a bridge: Implant or bridge: what actually differs.
The downsides and risks of dental implants, before anything else
Before any talk about the advantages, these are the things to know, because an implant is a decision that stays with you:
- Inflammation around the implant. The gum and bone around an implant become inflamed the same way they do around a natural tooth when tartar and plaque build up on them. And like gum inflammation around a tooth, it usually does not hurt at first, so the problem grows quietly. Caught while it is still in the gum, it settles. Once it reaches the bone it eats into it, and bone that is lost does not grow back on its own. This is one of the most common reasons an implant that had taken is removed years later.
- It may not take at the start. In the first months, the bone sometimes does not knit to the implant, and it starts to move. Then it is removed, the site heals, and very often a new implant can go in once the bone is ready. Nobody can know in advance whether the bone will take to it. What raises its chances: healthy bone, healthy gum, no smoking, and controlled sugar.
- Surgery and stages, not a single visit. The implant is placed in a small operation under local anaesthetic, and it needs healing between one stage and the next that cannot be compressed. That means a stretch without a final tooth, or with a temporary one for appearance, and visits along the way. If you are only in Amman for a stretch, or you travel a lot, that shapes what is realistic.
- A nerve and a sinus. In the lower jaw, especially at the back, a nerve runs close to where the implant goes; in the upper back jaw the sinus sits above it. That is why the scan before the implant is not a formality: it shows the distance before anything is drilled. And any numbness in the lip or chin that stays after the anaesthetic has worn off is reported the same day.
- Not for everyone right now. Uncontrolled sugar, heavy smoking, active gum disease, certain medicines for the bones, or radiotherapy to the jaw area: each changes the plan, and sometimes postpones it until whatever slows healing is under control.
- It needs care and follow-up for as long as you have it. An implant is not fit-and-forget. Someone who does not clean along its gum line every day and does not keep their check-ups loses it the way teeth are lost to gum disease: slowly and without pain.
None of this means an implant is the wrong choice. It means it is a decision you make knowing what it asks of you.
What makes it last longer
These are not generic tips handed to everyone. Every point here matches a real reason an implant loosens or is removed, and most of them are in your hands.
- Daily cleaning along the gum line. The crown cannot decay, but tartar and plaque collect on the line where the implant comes out of the gum, and that is where the inflammation starts. A brush along that line, and floss or a small interdental brush around the implant, every day. The doctor shows you how at the check-up, because cleaning around an implant is a little different from cleaning a tooth.
- Check-ups and an x-ray. When the bone around an implant starts to recede, it gives no clear signal at first. So the closest thing to catching it early is the check-up and the periodic x-ray, together with the signs listed under When to call. At the check-up the doctor looks at the gum around the implant, the bone level on the x-ray, the crown and the bite, and any screw that needs tightening.
- No smoking. Smoke reduces the blood reaching the gum and bone, so the bond is slower at the start and the inflammation easier later. This is not the place for a lecture on quitting, but it is one of the biggest factors, and if you want to stop, say so at the examination.
- Protection from grinding. A natural tooth is held in the bone by a small ligament that absorbs pressure; an implant is bonded directly to the bone, with no ligament. So the pressure of grinding lands entirely on the implant and its crown. If you grind or clench, especially in your sleep, say so at the first visit, and how your implant and your teeth are protected is decided at the examination.
- Controlled sugar. Controlled sugar brings your healing close to anyone else’s and makes inflammation harder. Your follow-up with your diabetes doctor, wherever they are, is part of your implant’s follow-up.
- Healthy gum and bone from day one. An implant is usually not placed next to an inflamed gum or into a site with an infection. Whatever needs treating is treated first, and if the bone is thin it is built up first. That is not a delay. It is what lets the implant take.
- A crown and a bite that are set right. A crown whose shape and height spread the bite properly does not load the implant beyond what it can carry, and leaves room to clean underneath it. That is why the bite is checked when the crown is fitted and at every check-up.
- Cleaning at the clinic with instruments made for implants. Tartar around an implant is removed with instruments that do not scratch its surface, because a scratched surface holds more plaque.
And what shortens it
Many implants that loosen, become inflamed or are removed early have one of these behind them:
- Smoking. One of the biggest factors. It slows the bond at the start, makes inflammation around the implant easier later, and hides the signs, because a smoker’s gums bleed less.
- Neglected cleaning along the gum line. Tartar builds up, the gum becomes inflamed, and the inflammation moves down into the bone.
- A history of gum disease. If you lost the tooth to gum disease in the first place, the gum around the implant is more prone to the same thing. Not a closed door, but it needs treatment before and closer follow-up after.
- Uncontrolled sugar. Slower healing, easier inflammation, and the inflammation itself makes the sugar harder to control.
- Grinding and clenching. A screw loosens, a crown chips, and in some cases the bone around the implant suffers from the overload. Many people do not know they grind until they wake with a tired jaw.
- An implant in a site that was not ready for it. Thin bone that was not built up, a site with an infection or a leftover root fragment, or an implant too close to its neighbour or to the nerve. The scan and the planning beforehand are there to reduce this.
- Medicines for the bones, and radiotherapy. Some medicines given for osteoporosis or alongside cancer treatment, and radiotherapy to the jaw area, change how bone heals. Say so in your first sentence at the examination, and the doctor coordinates with your own physician, even if they are in another country.
- Missing check-ups. The problem a visit and a cleaning would have caught grows until it has reached the bone.
Why is there no number in this article?
Because any number becomes a promise, and a promised result is not ours to give. More to the point, a number makes you weigh the implant, and the implant is not what decides. Your gum, your bone, your habits and your follow-up decide. At the examination the doctor tells you what he expects for your case, why, and what is in your hands to make it last.
What to do now
Whether you are still thinking about an implant, or already have one and want it to stay, these are the steps in order:
- 1
Say the three things at the first visit: smoking, diabetes, grindingThese change the whole plan; they are not details for later. How much you smoke, your latest sugar results, and whether you wake with a tired jaw or anyone has told you that you grind in your sleep. The earlier the doctor knows, the calmer the plan. And what cutting down or stopping smoking changes, before the implant and after, you hear at the examination plainly and without a lecture.
- 2
Gum and bone before the implantGums that bleed, pockets, tartar: treated first. And the scan shows whether the bone is enough or needs building up.
- 3
If the tooth is still in placeIf an implant is on your mind, say so before the extraction, wherever it is done. The way the tooth is taken out can help preserve the bone when an implant is in the plan. And a gap left for years loses its bone little by little, so the earlier the decision, the readier the bone.
- 4
If you already have an implant, wherever it was placedClean along its gum line every day with a brush and floss or a small interdental brush. Do not skip the check-ups and the x-ray, and if you grind, ask how it can be protected. Any bleeding, bad taste or a crown that has moved: do not wait on it. If you have a card or a sticker with your implant’s details, keep it, because it makes any crown or part replacement years from now much easier, here or in another country. And if your implant was placed abroad, bring what you know about it: it can be examined here, and what can be followed up is decided at the examination.
- 5
Book an examinationAt the examination and on the scan, your gum, bone and bite are looked at. You hear whether an implant suits you right now or something needs to be brought under control first, and what the doctor expects for your case and why. Then you decide.
When to call
Problems around an implant usually do not hurt at first, so the signs that something is wrong are quiet ones. That is why you do not wait for the next check-up if you notice any of these:
- Call today: the implant itself moves, or it has started to hurt when you bite on it.
- Call today: swelling or discharge around the implant, pain that grows over the days instead of easing, or a fever.
- Call today, if the implant was placed recently: bleeding that does not stop with pressure on gauze, swelling that grows after the second or third day, or numbness in the lip or chin that has stayed after the anaesthetic wore off.
- Call this week: a gum that is red or bleeds when you brush around the implant, or is slightly swollen, or has receded so that part of the metal shows.
- Call this week: a bad taste or smell from around the implant, or food that has started to catch where it never used to.
- Call this week: the crown has chipped, or feels slightly loose, or clicks when you bite.
Call and we will find you the earliest slot, and tell you what to do until you arrive. Before any painkiller, ask the doctor first, so it suits your case. If the swelling has reached your eye, or it has become hard to swallow or breathe, that is a hospital emergency, not an appointment. If the clinic is closed and the bleeding will not stop with pressure, or the swelling is growing, or you have a high fever, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Let us know as soon as we open. And if the pain is in another tooth, not the implant: Toothache: what to do right now.
And who treats you?
The clinic has a team of dentists, Dr. Adnan Alakhras among them. At the first visit you hear the state of your gum, bone and bite, and whether an implant suits you right now at all, before you hear any plan. His qualifications are on his page: Read about the doctor and the clinic.
Questions people ask
How long do implants last in teeth?
There is no fixed number. The implant itself cannot decay, but it lives in bone and gum that react to smoking, uncontrolled sugar, grinding and neglected cleaning. What makes it last longer: cleaning along the gum line every day, check-ups and an x-ray, no smoking, protection from grinding if you grind, and controlled sugar. What shortens it: smoking, neglected gums, and missed check-ups. The crown on top is a separate piece that can be replaced without touching the root. At the examination the doctor tells you what he expects for your case.
Does it hurt?
The implant is usually placed under local anaesthetic, and the doctor chooses the type and amount for your case at the examination. During the work you usually feel pressure and movement, not pain, and if you feel anything you raise your hand and the anaesthetic is topped up. Once it wears off there is some discomfort and mild swelling for the first few days, and a suitable painkiller the doctor decides on, not something to pick up on your own. What is not normal: pain that grows over the days instead of easing, and that is a reason to call. If fear itself is the problem, say so from the first moment and we go at your pace. For those who need it there is laughing gas alongside the local anaesthetic, not instead of it: a small mask over the nose, you stay awake and can talk. When the visit is hard.
How long does it take, and can it be done in one trip to Amman?
Stages, not a single visit: an examination and a scan, then the implant visit, then the bone knits around the implant over months, then the abutment and the final crown. If the bone needs building up or the gum needs treating first, that comes before. The time between the stages is not compressed, because it is what lets the implant take and stay, so it is rarely one trip. If you are flying in, say so at the first visit, and the stages are planned around your travel, as far as the healing allows. The actual timing for your case is discussed at the examination, as an expectation, not a promise.
Do implants last less long if you have diabetes?
There is no number for anyone. What shortens the life of an implant, in everyone, is inflammation of the gum and bone around it. Someone with diabetes is more prone to it when sugar is high or cleaning is neglected. If your sugar is controlled, the difference in healing becomes small, and the plan is close to anyone else’s, with closer follow-up. So what protects your implant is what protects your teeth: controlled sugar, brushing, and check-ups. Dental implants when you have diabetes.
What are the disadvantages of dental implants?
A small operation and stages with healing between them that cannot be compressed, which means time, visits, and a stretch with a temporary tooth or without one. Daily cleaning along the gum line and follow-up for as long as you have it, not fit-and-forget. And it is not for everyone right now: uncontrolled sugar, heavy smoking or active gum disease change the plan or postpone it. The cost is discussed after the examination, because it depends on your bone, the number of teeth and the crown. That is why you hear the downsides before the advantages, and an implant is suggested when it is the right answer for your case. Implant or bridge: what actually differs.
What are the risks and side effects of dental implants?
One of the most common is inflammation of the gum and bone around the implant. It happens most with smoking, neglected cleaning and a history of gum disease. There is a chance it does not take in the first months, in which case it is removed, and very often a new one can go in once the bone is ready. Rarely, numbness in the lip or chin that can last, or a problem with the sinus in the upper jaw. The scan and the planning before the implant are there to reduce that. As for cancer, there is no scientific evidence that implants cause it, and the full answer is in Implant types: what really differs.
My implant started hurting a while after it was placed. Is that normal?
Right after the implant, some discomfort for a few days that eases is normal. Pain that comes back weeks or months later, or pain when you bite on the implant, is not normal. Nor is pain with a gum that bleeds, a bad taste or swelling. It needs to be examined. An implant has no nerve, so when it hurts there is a cause around it: inflammation, a crown or a screw that has moved, or too much pressure from the bite. The earlier it is caught, the simpler the fix. Call; do not wait for the next check-up, wherever the implant was placed.
Your next step
The examination and the scan. You come in and you are examined. You hear the state of your gum, bone and bite, and whether an implant suits you right now or something needs to be brought under control first. And what would make it last in your mouth. Then you decide, in your own time, with no pressure.
Pages that go with this one
This is general information, not a diagnosis of your case. The decision is made at the examination.