What a Failed Implant Costs to Fix, and Who Pays

How often implants fail

The FDA describes implant failure as implant looseness or loss, and notes that it may require another surgery.⁷ That is different from a loose crown or a worn part, which can often be repaired without touching the implant itself.

The longest-term evidence comes from a 2024 meta-analysis in Clinical Oral Investigations that looked at 20-year outcomes:¹

• Three prospective studies (237 implants) showed a mean 20-year survival of 92% (95% CI 82% to 97%). After the authors accounted for patients lost to follow-up, the estimate fell to 78% (n = 422 implants).
• Five retrospective studies (1,440 implants) showed 88% survival at 20 years.
• The authors conclude that "approximately 4 out of 5 implants survive after 20 years." They rated the certainty of the evidence very low and stressed that follow-up should not end after the implant is placed, or even after 10 years.

Implant type and location matter. A 2021 meta-analysis of mini implants supporting upper-jaw dentures found survival of only 77.1% after a mean of 1.79 years, much lower than standard implants.⁸ If you have minis or an unusual system, the general figures above may not apply to you.

Why implants fail: infection, healing and overload

The FDA lists the main problems patients report: implant failure linked to infection (including with uncontrolled diabetes) or delayed healing (including with smoking), loosening of the abutment screw, which can make a tooth feel loose or twisted, difficulty cleaning around the implant, untreated gum disease, and nerve or surgical injury.⁷ The 20-year review found failure causes were multifactorial. Individual studies linked smoking, diabetes, short implants and teeth grinding to worse outcomes.¹

Peri-implantitis

Peri-implant disease is inflammation around an implant. Peri-implant mucositis affects the soft tissue. Peri-implantitis is the more serious form that involves the supporting bone. A 2025 meta-analysis in the Journal of Periodontology, as reported by DrBicuspid, found patient-level prevalence of 46% for mucositis and 21% for peri-implantitis, with a 10-year peri-implantitis incidence of 14%. Periodontitis and smoking were key risk indicators, and diabetes and alcohol use were associated with peri-implantitis.²

Not every case ends in losing the implant. The CDT code set includes a range of implant maintenance and repair procedures (D6100 to D6105), including bone graft repair around an implant (D6102).⁹ Whether yours can be saved is a clinical call your dentist or periodontist makes.

A guide to what each problem tends to involve, not a diagnosis. Only an examination and imaging can tell which applies.

What fixing a failed implant costs

A full redo is several procedures in sequence. Here are the published ranges for each step.

US ranges as of October 2026, not quotes. Imaging, sedation and visit fees are extra.

Adding the low and high ends of the removal, graft, implant and crown ranges gives roughly $2,800 to $13,900 for redoing one tooth, before imaging and visit fees. That is simple arithmetic on published ranges, not a typical bill. Many redos need no graft, and some can reuse the crown.

Time is a cost too. When a graft is needed, Cleveland Clinic says it must heal for about three months before an implant goes in, and the implant then needs about three more months to heal.¹¹ Plan for months with a gap or a temporary tooth. Our bone graft cost guide and single-tooth cost page break down those components.

Who pays: guarantees, clinic policies and insurance

The implant manufacturer

Major implant makers offer product guarantees, but the details matter. Straumann's published terms are a useful example:⁶

• The standard lifetime limited guarantee replaces a failed implant with an equivalent implant, and an equivalent metal abutment if needed.
• Ceramic abutments and ceramic restorations carry a 5-year limited guarantee. Novaloc abutments, metal bars and bridges, and metal or resin nano ceramic restorations carry 1 year.
• "Lifetime+" for Roxolid implants adds "treatment compensation if the implant fractures," with no amount stated, and the claim must be submitted within 6 months of the fracture.
• Conditions include using Straumann products exclusively, following instructions for use, the patient keeping good oral hygiene, and filing a questionnaire within 90 days. Damage from accidents or trauma is excluded.

The page frames the guarantee as favoring the treating dentist and describes reimbursement as "equivalent replacement product." It does not say that surgical, lab or chair-time fees are covered.⁶ In practice, a parts guarantee may leave most of the redo bill unpaid. Other manufacturers' terms differ, so ask for the written terms for your system.

The clinic

No standard rule says what a clinic owes you if an implant fails, and policies vary. Get the policy in writing before treatment, including how long it lasts and whether it requires regular check-ups.

Insurance

Delta Dental says many dental plans help with implant costs but some do not, and that deductibles, waiting periods and network status affect what you pay. It adds that Medicare and Medicaid usually do not cover implants, though certain Medicare Advantage plans might.¹⁰ Cleveland Clinic notes most plans don't fully cover implants because they are considered elective.¹¹ Because removal and repair have their own codes,⁹ ask your insurer for a pre-treatment estimate on each line.

Warning signs and what to do

1. Act early. The FDA says to tell your dental provider right away if an implant feels loose or painful.⁷
2. Get imaging and a written assessment. Ask whether the problem is the implant, the abutment or the crown.
3. Find your records. The FDA advises keeping the brand and model of your implant system.⁷ Your dentist needs it to source parts and to file any manufacturer claim.
4. Check the guarantee clock. Straumann's terms require a claim within 90 days of the problem arising.⁶ Ask your dentist to file promptly.
5. Report the problem. The FDA encourages patients to file a voluntary MedWatch report with the implant date, the system used and a description of the problem.⁷

If your implant was placed abroad

If you had treatment in another country, a failure will most likely be handled by a dentist at home. That dentist will need your implant brand, model and imaging.⁷ Expect to pay that dentist's own fees. Straumann notes its guarantee terms and compensation conditions vary by country, and mixing in other manufacturers' parts can void it.⁶ Ask the foreign clinic before treatment who handles a failure, where, and at whose expense.

Our dental travel guide covers what to arrange before you go. MedellinDentalImplants.co covers implant options in Medellín, and DentalQuote.co explains how to collect comparable quotes, including the follow-up terms.

This article summarizes published guidance and prices for general information. It is not medical advice. A licensed professional who has examined you decides what treatment is right and whether you are fit to travel. Prices are published ranges as of October 2026, not quotes.