You lost a tooth. Or maybe a dentist told you one needs to come out. Now you are wondering: can I actually get an implant, or is something going to rule me out?
Most adults with missing teeth do qualify. The American Academy of Implant Dentistry reports a 95 to 98 percent success rate when patients meet six basic criteria. Those criteria cover your jawbone, your gums, your overall health, your habits, your timeline expectations, and your willingness to care for the implant after it is placed.
Dr. Blake J. Perry, DDS, checks all six before placing a single implant at Perry Family Dentistry in Mount Vernon, WA. With over 20 years of implant experience and training from the Kois Center for evidence-based dentistry, Dr. Perry uses CBCT 3D scans to measure exactly what your bone looks like before building any plan.
Key takeaways if you are thinking about implants
- Dental implants carry a 95 to 98 percent success rate at five years when placed in qualified candidates.
- Your jawbone needs enough height and width to hold a titanium post, but bone grafting can rebuild thinned areas.
- Active gum disease needs treatment first, though gums that heal well after treatment still qualify you.
- Conditions like diabetes raise risk when poorly managed, but stable health rarely rules candidates out.
- Call Perry Family Dentistry at (360) 424-3133 or start a free SmileVirtual consult from home.
Enough jawbone to anchor the implant
Jawbone density is the first factor your dentist checks. A dental implant is a small titanium post that sits in the bone where your tooth used to be. Over three to six months, bone cells grow around that post and lock it in place. Dentists call this process osseointegration. Without enough bone at the site, the post has nothing solid to fuse with.
Bone loss is common after losing a tooth. The American Dental Association notes that the jawbone in a gap starts to shrink within months. It loses volume because chewing no longer sends force into that area. Patients who have gone a year or more without a tooth often have noticeable thinning. A CBCT 3D scan gives your dentist exact measurements of what remains, so there is no guessing involved.
What if your bone has already thinned?
Bone loss does not rule you out. A 2026 study in the Journal of Functional Biomaterials looked at over 158,000 implants and found that implants placed in grafted bone achieved a 97.83 percent success rate. That is nearly the same as implants placed in patients with full natural bone. Dr. Perry performs bone grafting and sinus lifts at Perry Family Dentistry, so patients who need their bone rebuilt do not have to visit a separate office.
Do your gums show signs of active infection?
Implants need healthy gum tissue. The post depends on a snug seal between the gum and the implant surface to block bacteria. Active gum disease, especially deep-pocket infection called periodontitis, weakens both the tissue and the bone beneath it. Placing an implant into infected tissue raises the risk of failure sharply.
Your dentist checks for warning signs: red or puffy gums, bleeding when you brush, tissue pulling away from teeth, and deep pockets around the gum line. If infection shows up, your dentist treats it before any implant work begins. Skipping that step puts the implant at risk from day one.
Getting your gums ready for implants
Gum disease does not end the conversation. Once your dentist treats the infection and the tissue heals, implant surgery becomes a real option. Dr. Perry offer scaling and root planing along with laser bacterial reduction at the Mount Vernon office. The aim is to get your gums stable, then move forward when the tissue can support an implant.
Overall health that supports healing
Implant placement is a minor oral surgery. Your body needs three to six months to heal around the post and bond it into the bone. Certain health issues can slow that process or raise the chance of problems.
Conditions that need a closer look include poorly managed diabetes, autoimmune disorders, active cancer treatment (especially radiation near the jaw), and long-term use of bone-density drugs called bisphosphonates. The ADA notes that diabetes does not rule patients out when blood sugar levels stay stable before and after surgery. Your dentist reviews your full health history and any medications you take as part of the screening.
Does your age matter?
Age alone does not disqualify you. The jaw must be fully grown, which means most people under 18 are not candidates yet. Beyond that, patients in their 70s and 80s get implants often when their health supports normal healing. The real question is whether your body can recover, not how many birthdays you have had.
How do tobacco and alcohol affect your chances?
Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for implant failure. Nicotine cuts blood flow to the gums and bone. That slows healing after surgery and weakens the bond between the implant and the jaw. Heavy drinking creates a similar problem by slowing cell repair.
A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that smokers face roughly double the failure rate of nonsmokers. Most dentists who place implants ask patients to stop smoking at least two weeks before surgery and eight weeks after. Quitting for good gives you the best odds of a lasting result.
What does the conversation about habits look like?
Dr. Perry talks through habits honestly with every candidate. The minimum ask is that you stop smoking during the full healing window. He walks patients through exactly how nicotine and alcohol weaken the implant’s bond with bone, so you can make a clear choice about what you are willing to change.
Patience with the full treatment timeline
Implants are not a same-day fix. From the first scan to the final crown, the process usually takes four to eight months. It takes longer if bone grafting comes first.
Here is how the stages break down. Consultation and 3D imaging happen at the first visit. Next, your dentist places the titanium post during a short surgery. Then comes a three-to-six-month healing phase while the bone fuses around the implant. Finally, your dentist attaches the connector piece and permanent crown. Patients who need grafting add another three to six months of healing before the post goes in.
Why does the wait matter?
Bone cells need time. Rushing the healing phase produces implants that loosen or fail. Patients who follow the full schedule see the most reliable results. Think of it as an investment: a few months of waiting for a tooth replacement that can last decades with proper care.
A plan for long-term care after placement
The implant post cannot get a cavity. But the gum and bone tissue around it can still become infected. Peri-implantitis, an infection around an implant, is the top cause of late failure. Avoiding it takes the same habits that keep natural teeth healthy: brushing twice a day, flossing around the implant site, and showing up for regular cleanings.
Your dentist will schedule extra check-ins during the first year after placement. After that, standard twice-a-year visits keep the implant and the tissue around it in good shape. The daily routine is simple. Brush around the implant the same way you would brush a natural tooth. Use floss or an interdental brush to clean the base. Show up for your cleanings on schedule.
What if you fall short on one or two factors?
Missing one factor does not always mean no. The evaluation finds what needs to happen before surgery, not whether you get a simple pass or fail.
A patient with bone loss may need grafting. A patient with gum disease may need scaling and root planing first. A patient who smokes may need to commit to a quit plan before surgery day. Dr. Perry reviews each factor one at a time and builds a treatment plan that starts from where you are right now, not where you wish you were.
How does Dr. Perry evaluate candidates in Mount Vernon?
The visit starts with a CBCT 3D scan. This imaging tool captures a full view of your jawbone, nerve paths, and sinus spaces in one quick scan. It gives Dr. Perry exact numbers for bone height, width, and density at the spot where the implant would sit.
From there, the visit includes a full gum check, a review of your health history and current medications, and a conversation about your goals and concerns. Patients who want a first look before coming in can start with a free SmileVirtual video consult from home.
Perry Family Dentistry handles implant placement, bone grafting, sinus lifts, and the final crown all under one roof at 2017 Continental Pl #9 in Mount Vernon. For patients who feel nervous about the procedure, sedation is available through Dr. Perry’s DOCS Education training in sedation techniques.
To find out if dental implants fit your situation, call Perry Family Dentistry at (360) 424-3133 or start with a free virtual consult through SmileVirtual.
